1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina

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1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina
Flag of South Carolina.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 vote80
Popular vote478,427189,270
Percentage70.58%27.92%

South Carolina Presidential Election Results 1972.svg
County results
Nixon
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%
  80–90%

The 1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 7, 1972. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. South Carolina voters chose 8 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Contents

South Carolina overwhelmingly voted for the Republican nominees, incumbent President Richard Nixon of California and his running mate Vice President Spiro Agnew of Maryland. Nixon and Agnew defeated the Democratic nominees, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota and his running mate U.S. Ambassador Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

Nixon carried South Carolina with 70.58 percent of the vote to McGovern's 27.92 percent, a victory margin of 42.66 points. [1] This election provided the Republican Party with its best presidential result in South Carolina since 1872 and constitutes the only presidential election where the Republican candidate carried every county in the state. Nixon was also the first Republican since 1872 to carry the state twice.

Campaign

Among white voters, 85% supported Nixon while 13% supported McGovern. [2] [3] This is the only time, as of the 2024 presidential election , that Marlboro County has voted for a Republican presidential candidate since that county was founded in 1896, and the last time when Orangeburg County, Williamsburg County, Marion County, Fairfield County, Hampton County, Lee County, and Allendale County have voted for a Republican presidential candidate. [4] McCormick County would not vote Republican again until Donald Trump won it in 2016. Meanwhile, Clarendon and Jasper counties would not do so until Trump’s 2020 and 2024 victories, respectively.

Polls

SourceRatingAs of
Corvallis Gazette-Times [5] Safe RSeptember 19, 1972
The Bradenton Herald [6] Certain ROctober 9, 1972
Sun Herald [7] Certain RNovember 5, 1972

Results

1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina [8]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent)478,42770.58%8
Democratic George McGovern 189,27027.92%0
Independent John G. Schmitz 10,1661.50%0
Write-ins Write-ins 17 [a] 0.00%0
Totals677,880100.00%8
Voter turnout

Results by county

CountyRichard Nixon
Republican
George McGovern
Democratic
John G. Schmitz
Independent
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%
Abbeville 3,26668.95%1,34928.48%1222.58%1,91740.47%4,737
Aiken 21,11777.05%5,74520.96%5451.99%15,37256.09%27,407
Allendale 1,74155.34%1,38644.06%190.60%35511.28%3,146
Anderson 17,51475.19%5,24122.50%5372.31%12,27352.69%23,292
Bamberg 2,53759.65%1,68039.50%360.85%85720.15%4,253
Barnwell 3,95571.71%1,56028.29%00.00%2,39543.42%5,515
Beaufort 5,92964.12%3,23735.01%810.88%2,69229.11%9,247
Berkeley 9,34566.66%4,49732.08%1771.26%4,84834.58%14,019
Calhoun 1,86760.91%1,14837.46%501.63%71923.45%3,065
Charleston 39,86368.79%16,85529.09%1,2292.12%23,00839.70%57,947
Cherokee 7,57077.24%2,10721.50%1231.26%5,46355.74%9,800
Chester 4,72466.20%2,35232.96%600.84%2,37233.24%7,136
Chesterfield 5,23063.56%2,93835.70%610.74%2,29227.86%8,229
Clarendon 3,95854.34%3,27644.98%500.69%6829.36%7,284
Colleton 5,72369.51%2,37628.86%1341.63%3,34740.65%8,233
Darlington 11,75672.04%4,41427.05%1490.91%7,34244.99%16,319
Dillon 4,36472.32%1,60426.58%661.09%2,76045.74%6,034
Dorchester 8,09568.11%3,60630.34%1851.56%4,48937.77%11,886
Edgefield 2,81266.67%1,32631.44%801.90%1,48635.23%4,218
Fairfield 2,60850.68%2,49248.43%460.89%1162.25%5,146
Florence 18,10665.30%9,45534.10%1650.60%8,65131.20%27,726
Georgetown 6,11457.27%4,44641.64%1161.09%1,66815.63%10,676
Greenville 46,36079.62%10,14317.42%1,7262.96%36,21762.20%58,229
Greenwood 9,37072.22%3,40026.20%2051.58%5,97046.02%12,975
Hampton 2,89157.56%2,08641.53%460.92%80516.03%5,023
Horry 15,32476.84%4,43722.25%1830.92%10,88754.59%19,944
Jasper 1,65057.21%1,20341.71%311.07%44715.50%2,884
Kershaw 8,03574.79%2,53123.56%1781.66%5,50451.23%10,744
Lancaster 9,01677.86%2,46121.25%1030.89%6,55556.61%11,580
Laurens 8,14174.46%2,65024.24%1421.30%5,49150.22%10,933
Lee 3,07660.31%1,99639.14%280.55%1,08021.17%5,100
Lexington 25,32784.75%4,06913.62%4901.64%21,25871.13%29,886
Marion 4,71964.66%2,54534.87%340.47%2,17429.79%7,298
Marlboro 3,83865.58%1,99934.16%150.26%1,83931.42%5,852
McCormick 1,30260.22%84439.04%160.74%45821.18%2,162
Newberry 7,32576.94%2,03521.37%1611.69%5,29055.57%9,521
Oconee 6,82478.19%1,74019.94%1641.88%5,08458.25%8,728
Orangeburg 11,71159.31%7,65238.75%3821.93%4,05920.56%19,745
Pickens 11,77682.37%2,25515.77%2651.85%9,52166.60%14,296
Richland 39,74664.11%21,46234.62%7871.27%18,28429.49%61,995
Saluda 3,09573.85%1,02224.39%741.77%2,07349.46%4,191
Spartanburg 31,30875.34%9,58623.07%6621.59%21,72252.27%41,556
Sumter 10,89264.83%5,80134.53%1070.64%5,09130.30%16,800
Union 8,33775.35%2,67624.18%520.47%5,66151.17%11,065
Williamsburg 5,72952.01%5,21347.33%730.66%5164.68%11,015
York 14,44168.68%6,37430.31%2111.00%8,06738.37%21,026
Totals478,42770.58%189,27027.92%10,1661.50%289,15742.66%677,880

Notes

  1. These write-in votes were not separated by county, but given only as a state-wide total. [9]

References

  1. "1972 Presidential General Election Results – South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  2. Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  3. Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  4. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  5. "Nixon May Sweep Dixie States". Corvallis Gazette-Times . Corvallis, Oregon. September 19, 1972. p. 24.
  6. Phillips, Kevin P. (October 9, 1972). "Dixie May Swing Political Future". The Bradenton Herald . Bradenton, Florida. p. 7-B.
  7. "Nixon Expected To Sweep South". Sun Herald . Biloxi, Mississippi. November 5, 1972. p. C-9.
  8. "1972 Presidential General Election Results – South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  9. "SC US President Race, November 07, 1972". Our Campaigns.

Works cited