1972 United States presidential election in Rhode Island

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1972 United States presidential election in Rhode Island
Flag of Rhode Island.svg
  1968 November 7, 1972 1976  
  Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg George McGovern (D-SD) (3x4-1).jpg
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote40
Popular vote220,383194,645
Percentage53.00%46.81%

Rhode Island Presidential Election Results 1972.svg
Rhode Island Presidential Election Municipality Results 1972.svg

President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

The 1972 United States presidential election in Rhode Island took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose four representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

Rhode Island voted for the Republican incumbent, Richard Nixon, over the Democratic challenger, South Dakota Senator George McGovern.  Nixon took 53.00% of the vote to McGovern's 46.81%, a margin of 6.19%. However, this result made Rhode Island about 17% more Democratic than the nation as a whole. This was the second of three elections in which Rhode Island did not vote for the same candidate as neighboring Massachusetts, which recurred only in 1852 and 1980.

As of the 2024 presidential election , this is the last election in which Providence County voted for the Republican candidate, and Nixon won the county by only 186 votes. This is the most recent presidential election where a Republican presidential candidate was able to win every county in the state of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island would go on to vote Republican only once more since this election; in 1984, when Ronald Reagan narrowly won the state.

Results

1972 United States presidential election in Rhode Island [1] [2]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent)220,38353.00%4
Democratic George McGovern 194,64546.81%0
Socialist Workers Linda Jenness 7290.18%0
American Independent John G. Schmitz (write-in)250.01%0
People's Benjamin Spock (write-in)50.00%0
Libertarian John Hospers (write-in)20.00%0
Write-insScattered (write-ins)190.00%0
Totals415,808100.00%4
Voter turnout

By county

CountyRichard Nixon
Republican
George McGovern
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %
Bristol 12,00954.62%9,92845.16%480.22%2,0819.46%21,985
Kent 40,53458.19%29,00441.64%1150.17%11,53016.55%69,653
Newport 19,14259.75%12,84440.09%490.16%6,29819.66%32,035
Providence 129,41849.94%129,23249.87%5060.19%1860.07%259,156
Washington 19,28058.46%13,63741.35%620.19%5,64317.11%32,979
Totals220,38353.00%194,64546.81%7800.19%25,7386.19%415,808

Counties flipped from Democratic to Republican

All 5 counties

See also

References

  1. Guide to U.S. Elections (p. 848). CQ Press (12 January 2016). December 24, 2015. ISBN   9781483380353 . Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  2. "1972 Presidential General Election Results - Rhode Island". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved February 9, 2016.