1972 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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1972 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Flag of Wisconsin (1913-1981).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 vote110
Popular vote989,430810,174
Percentage53.40%43.72%

Wisconsin Presidential Election Results 1972.svg
County Results

President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

The 1972 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 7, 1972 as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Richard Nixon won the state of Wisconsin with 53.40 percent of the vote, carrying the state's 11 electoral votes, [1] although Wisconsin was the fifth most Democratic state during the election, voting 13.48 points more Democratic than the nation as a whole. In no other election since the emergence of the Republican Party has Wisconsin voted so much more Democratic than the country as a whole. [2]

Contents

McGovern won seven counties (out of 131 county-equivalents including three in Alaska that he won nationally) [3] receiving as usual his highest vote in almost wholly Native American Menominee County where he won 62.3 percent of the vote. McGovern and Shriver also achieved clear majorities in Milwaukee, Dane, Ashland, Douglas and Portage Counties, and Rusk County by 1.1 points. Nixon won Manitowoc County by one hundred and ten votes, achieved pluralities in Pepin, Chippewa and Forest Counties, and won majorities in the remaining sixty-one – the largest being in Waupaca County where Nixon won by forty-two percentage points. Rusk County was one of six nationwide (outside of McGovern's home state of South Dakota) to flip Democratic from the previous election.

Nixon became the first Republican since Warren G. Harding in 1920 to win Iron County, and was the last Republican until Donald Trump in 2016 to win Pepin and Kenosha Counties, and remains the last Republican to claim Bayfield County. [4]

Primaries

Democratic

1972 Wisconsin Democratic Party presidential primary
Flag of Wisconsin.svg
 1968May 2, 19721976 
  George McGovern (D-SD) (3x4-1).jpg George Wallace (D-AL) (3x4).jpg Hubert Humphrey in New York, 1968 (3x4 crop).jpg
Candidate George McGovern George Wallace Hubert Humphrey
Home state South Dakota Alabama Minnesota
Popular vote333,528248,676233,748
Percentage29.55%20.23%20.71%

  Scoop Jackson (D-WA) (cropped).jpg John Lindsay (cropped).jpg
Candidate Edmund Muskie Henry M. Jackson John Lindsay
Home state Maine Washington New York
Popular vote115,81188,06875,579
Percentage10.26%7.80%6.70%

Wisconsin Democratic Presidential Primary Election Results by County, 1972.svg
County Results

George McGovern would defeat Alabama Governer, George Wallace, and previous Democratic nominee, Hubert Humphrey. [5]

DemocraticPrimary May 2, 1972
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic George McGovern 333,528 29.55%
Democratic George Wallace 248,67622.03%
Democratic Hubert Humphrey 233,74820.71%
Democratic Edmund Muskie 115,81110.26%
Democratic Henry M. Jackson 88,0687.80%
Democratic John Lindsay 75,5796.70%
Democratic Eugene McCarthy 15,5431.38%
Democratic Shirley Chisholm 9,1980.82%
Democratic None of These Names Shown 2,4500.22%
Democratic Sam Yorty 2,3490.21%
Democratic Patsy Mink 1,2130.11%
Democratic Wilbur Mills 9130.08%
Democratic Vance Hartke 7660.07%
Democratic Write-In 5590.05%
Total votes1,128,401 100

Republican


Results

1972 United States presidential election in Wisconsin [1]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent)989,43053.40%11
Democratic George McGovern 810,17443.72%0
American John G. Schmitz 47,5252.56%0
Independent Benjamin Spock 2,7010.15%0
Independent Louis Fisher 9980.05%0
Write-ins 8930.05%0
Independent Gus Hall 6630.04%0
Independent Evelyn Reed 506 [lower-alpha 1] 0.03%0
Totals1,852,890100.0%11

Results by county

CountyRichard Nixon
Republican
George McGovern
Democratic
John G. Schmitz
American
Benjamin Spock
Independent
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast [6]
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Adams 2,20053.18%1,83344.31%962.32%30.07%50.12%3678.87%4,137
Ashland 3,47846.93%3,77150.88%1351.82%50.07%220.30%-293-3.95%7,411
Barron 8,41859.94%5,37638.28%2111.50%210.15%190.14%3,04221.66%14,045
Bayfield 3,04551.92%2,73646.65%741.26%40.07%60.10%3095.27%5,865
Brown 37,10156.49%26,51140.37%1,9072.90%940.14%620.09%10,59016.12%65,675
Buffalo 3,07954.40%2,46143.48%1101.94%40.07%60.11%61810.92%5,660
Burnett 2,97254.37%2,38943.71%921.68%80.15%50.09%58310.66%5,466
Calumet 6,44655.85%4,80441.62%2432.11%310.27%180.16%1,64214.23%11,542
Chippewa 8,45149.35%8,21047.95%4162.43%340.20%120.07%2411.40%17,123
Clark 7,13856.47%4,61736.52%8596.80%180.14%90.07%2,52119.95%12,641
Columbia 10,12258.02%7,08340.60%2161.24%110.06%150.09%3,03917.42%17,447
Crawford 3,70558.67%2,48739.38%1151.82%50.08%30.05%1,21819.29%6,315
Dane 56,02040.88%79,56758.07%1,0400.76%2190.16%1800.13%-23,547-17.19%137,026
Dodge 17,06861.54%9,89835.69%7152.58%290.10%270.10%7,17025.85%27,737
Door 6,50364.25%3,43033.89%1671.65%180.18%30.03%3,07330.36%10,121
Douglas 8,41942.58%11,05455.91%2021.02%360.18%600.30%-2,635-13.33%19,771
Dunn 6,66053.04%5,68145.25%1851.47%160.13%140.11%9797.79%12,556
Eau Claire 15,88351.33%14,30046.21%6712.17%570.18%320.10%1,5835.12%30,943
Florence 97154.06%75742.15%643.56%10.06%30.17%21411.91%1,796
Fond du Lac 21,00760.99%12,05034.99%1,2913.75%550.16%400.12%8,95726.00%34,443
Forest 1,85649.77%1,67845.00%1905.10%40.11%10.03%1784.77%3,729
Grant 11,87362.29%6,91536.28%2401.26%150.08%180.09%4,95826.01%19,061
Green 7,42266.14%3,63432.38%1451.29%130.12%80.07%3,78833.76%11,222
Green Lake 5,04667.67%2,17429.15%2273.04%60.08%40.05%2,87238.52%7,457
Iowa 4,38757.53%3,13141.06%971.27%70.09%40.05%1,25616.47%7,626
Iron 1,72349.93%1,64847.75%702.03%50.14%50.14%752.18%3,451
Jackson 3,93760.79%2,44537.75%841.30%90.14%10.02%1,49223.04%6,476
Jefferson 14,62159.47%9,30337.84%6112.49%220.09%300.12%5,31821.63%24,587
Juneau 4,83360.19%2,94336.65%2372.95%70.09%100.12%1,89023.54%8,030
Kenosha 24,04153.93%19,44143.61%9662.17%660.15%620.14%4,60010.32%44,576
Kewaunee 4,80257.15%3,36039.99%2292.73%110.13%10.01%1,44217.16%8,403
La Crosse 21,99263.29%12,15234.97%5411.56%360.10%250.07%9,84028.32%34,746
Lafayette 4,89862.91%2,80436.01%730.94%60.08%50.06%2,09426.90%7,786
Langlade 4,36857.26%3,01139.47%2383.12%60.08%60.08%1,35717.79%7,629
Lincoln 6,20657.25%4,17538.51%4374.03%110.10%110.10%2,03118.74%10,840
Manitowoc 16,59948.51%16,48948.19%1,0703.13%380.11%240.07%1100.32%34,220
Marathon 21,45451.28%18,50044.22%1,8134.33%420.10%300.07%2,9547.06%41,839
Marinette 8,74057.36%5,90038.72%5373.52%400.26%210.14%2,84018.64%15,238
Marquette 2,68262.61%1,53735.88%541.26%60.14%50.12%1,14526.73%4,284
Menominee 35536.37%60862.30%111.13%20.20%00.00%-253-25.93%976
Milwaukee 191,87446.05%210,80250.59%12,5673.02%7240.17%7100.17%-18,928-4.54%416,677
Monroe 7,62566.68%3,64031.83%1491.30%100.09%120.10%3,98534.85%11,436
Oconto 6,51159.38%4,04136.85%3853.51%130.12%150.14%2,47022.53%10,965
Oneida 6,81158.83%4,26236.81%4714.07%230.20%100.09%2,54922.02%11,577
Outagamie 27,53359.84%17,44737.92%8961.95%1010.22%310.07%10,08621.92%46,008
Ozaukee 15,75961.88%8,50333.39%1,1494.51%200.08%350.14%7,25628.49%25,466
Pepin 1,45849.26%1,40947.60%862.91%50.17%20.07%491.66%2,960
Pierce 5,89950.35%5,61147.89%1841.57%100.09%120.10%2882.46%11,716
Polk 6,56752.40%5,73845.78%2041.63%110.09%130.10%8296.62%12,533
Portage 9,34640.04%13,56458.11%3651.56%460.20%200.09%-4,218-18.07%23,341
Price 3,69454.39%2,83141.68%2503.68%20.03%150.22%86312.71%6,792
Racine 38,49056.41%27,77840.71%1,7852.62%1010.15%820.12%10,71215.70%68,236
Richland 5,06266.14%2,49232.56%901.18%30.04%70.09%2,57033.58%7,654
Rock 30,36158.03%21,03340.20%8231.57%650.12%370.07%9,32817.83%52,319
Rusk 3,00747.89%3,07548.97%1762.80%100.16%110.18%-68-1.08%6,279
Sauk 10,28558.79%6,98039.90%2041.17%120.07%120.07%3,30518.89%17,493
Sawyer 3,08162.52%1,76535.82%721.46%70.14%30.06%1,31626.70%4,928
Shawano 8,80767.01%3,94029.98%3782.88%70.05%100.08%4,86737.03%13,142
Sheboygan 21,50049.40%21,11448.52%7791.79%810.19%450.10%3860.88%43,519
St. Croix 8,55352.50%7,48845.96%2131.31%210.13%160.10%1,0656.54%16,291
Taylor 4,12555.87%2,93439.74%3134.24%40.05%70.09%1,19116.13%7,383
Trempealeau 5,72356.69%4,23241.92%1261.25%40.04%100.10%1,49114.77%10,095
Vernon 6,83665.83%3,40732.81%1271.22%100.10%50.05%3,42933.02%10,385
Vilas 4,42265.92%1,90728.43%3665.46%40.06%90.13%2,51537.49%6,708
Walworth 17,82366.09%8,59831.88%4851.80%380.14%230.09%9,22534.21%26,967
Washburn 3,22056.84%2,33641.24%961.69%60.11%70.12%88415.60%5,665
Washington 15,33856.81%10,43438.64%1,1614.30%450.17%230.09%4,90418.17%27,001
Waukesha 59,39960.85%34,57335.42%3,4043.49%1510.15%950.10%24,82625.43%97,622
Waupaca 11,04070.13%4,41828.07%2571.63%200.13%70.04%6,62242.06%15,742
Waushara 4,46666.27%2,09431.07%1662.46%80.12%50.07%2,37235.20%6,739
Winnebago 29,48857.28%20,45039.72%1,4002.72%930.18%510.10%9,03817.56%51,482
Wood 14,80654.88%10,41538.60%1,7196.37%250.09%150.06%4,39116.28%26,980
Totals989,43053.40%810,17443.72%47,5252.56%2,7010.15%3,0600.17%179,2569.68%1,852,890

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes

  1. The Reed vote was not listed by county but given only as a statewide total. It is included in the total at the bottom of the county table. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  2. Counting the Votes; Wisconsin Archived 2017-01-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ‘1972 Presidential Election Statistics’
  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. "Our Campaigns - WI US President - D Primary Race - Apr 04, 1972". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "WI US President Race, November 07, 1972". Our Campaigns.