1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee
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| Elections in Tennessee |
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 Government |
The 1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 10[1] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Tennessee was won by incumbent President Richard Nixon (R–California), with 67.70% of the popular vote, against George McGovern (D–South Dakota), with 29.75% of the popular vote.[2][3] John G. Schmitz was the only other candidate on the ballot, and, as the candidate for the American Party, he received over 30,000 votes.
Stewart, Houston, Perry, Lewis, and Jackson counties were the only five of Tennessee's ninety-five counties to vote for McGovern. Alabama and Tennessee were the only states where McGovern won any county that voted for George Wallace in 1968. As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the best showing of any Republican candidate in the state, as well as the last election in which Haywood County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.
Background
[edit]Historically Tennessee was the southern state with the strongest amount of Republican support. From 1874 to 1952, the state's two Republican members of the United States House of Representatives were the only Republicans out of the 105 members from the South. From 1966 to 1970, the Republicans won both of Tennessee's seats in the United States Senate, the governorship, and increased its membership in the U.S. House to four of the state's nine seats.[4]
Campaign
[edit]75% of white voters supported Nixon while 22% supported McGovern.[5][6]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Nixon (inc.) | 813,147 | 67.70% | |
| Democratic | George McGovern | 357,293 | 29.75% | |
| American | John G. Schmitz | 30,373 | 2.53% | |
| Write-in | 369 | 0.03% | ||
| Total votes | 1,201,182 | 100% | ||
Results by county
[edit]| County | Richard Nixon[7] Republican |
George McGovern[7] Democratic |
John G. Schmitz[7] American |
Various candidates[7] Write-ins |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Anderson | 13,865 | 66.03% | 6,713 | 31.97% | 416 | 1.98% | 5 | 0.02% | 7,152 | 34.06% | 20,999 |
| Bedford | 4,262 | 59.73% | 2,565 | 35.95% | 302 | 4.23% | 6 | 0.08% | 1,697 | 23.78% | 7,135 |
| Benton | 2,614 | 61.83% | 1,479 | 34.98% | 135 | 3.19% | 1,135 | 26.85% | 4,228 | ||
| Bledsoe | 1,952 | 65.90% | 899 | 30.35% | 111 | 3.75% | 1,053 | 35.55% | 2,962 | ||
| Blount | 16,078 | 73.85% | 5,303 | 24.36% | 390 | 1.79% | 10,775 | 49.49% | 21,771 | ||
| Bradley | 10,440 | 77.26% | 2,804 | 20.75% | 269 | 1.99% | 7,636 | 56.51% | 13,513 | ||
| Campbell | 4,909 | 73.41% | 1,629 | 24.36% | 147 | 2.20% | 2 | 0.03% | 3,280 | 49.05% | 6,687 |
| Cannon | 1,615 | 62.38% | 911 | 35.19% | 63 | 2.43% | 704 | 27.19% | 2,589 | ||
| Carroll | 5,784 | 69.28% | 2,290 | 27.43% | 275 | 3.29% | 3,494 | 41.85% | 8,349 | ||
| Carter | 11,102 | 82.15% | 2,191 | 16.21% | 217 | 1.61% | 4 | 0.03% | 8,911 | 65.94% | 13,514 |
| Cheatham | 2,235 | 60.10% | 1,321 | 35.52% | 163 | 4.38% | 914 | 24.58% | 3,719 | ||
| Chester | 2,787 | 71.70% | 961 | 24.72% | 133 | 3.42% | 6 | 0.15% | 1,826 | 46.98% | 3,887 |
| Claiborne | 3,632 | 73.94% | 1,230 | 25.04% | 50 | 1.02% | 2,402 | 48.90% | 4,912 | ||
| Clay | 982 | 59.01% | 648 | 38.94% | 34 | 2.04% | 334 | 20.07% | 1,664 | ||
| Cocke | 5,268 | 85.62% | 805 | 13.08% | 80 | 1.30% | 4,463 | 72.54% | 6,153 | ||
| Coffee | 6,416 | 66.18% | 2,973 | 30.67% | 303 | 3.13% | 3 | 0.03% | 3,443 | 35.51% | 9,695 |
| Crockett | 2,642 | 75.40% | 735 | 20.98% | 115 | 3.28% | 12 | 0.34% | 1,907 | 54.42% | 3,504 |
| Cumberland | 4,593 | 73.78% | 1,482 | 23.81% | 150 | 2.41% | 3,111 | 49.97% | 6,225 | ||
| Davidson | 82,636 | 61.30% | 48,869 | 36.25% | 3,292 | 2.44% | 33,767 | 25.05% | 134,797 | ||
| Decatur | 2,368 | 64.79% | 1,187 | 32.48% | 99 | 2.71% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,181 | 32.31% | 3,655 |
| DeKalb | 2,014 | 60.66% | 1,243 | 37.44% | 63 | 1.90% | 771 | 23.22% | 3,320 | ||
| Dickson | 3,645 | 56.55% | 2,619 | 40.63% | 182 | 2.82% | 1,026 | 15.92% | 6,446 | ||
| Dyer | 6,066 | 75.94% | 1,600 | 20.03% | 321 | 4.02% | 1 | 0.01% | 4,466 | 55.91% | 7,988 |
| Fayette | 3,264 | 59.75% | 2,067 | 37.84% | 132 | 2.42% | 1,197 | 21.91% | 5,463 | ||
| Fentress | 2,154 | 75.50% | 665 | 23.31% | 34 | 1.19% | 1,489 | 52.19% | 2,853 | ||
| Franklin | 4,136 | 57.51% | 2,896 | 40.27% | 160 | 2.22% | 1,240 | 17.24% | 7,192 | ||
| Gibson | 9,900 | 71.05% | 3,625 | 26.02% | 408 | 2.93% | 1 | 0.01% | 6,275 | 45.03% | 13,934 |
| Giles | 2,914 | 57.69% | 1,875 | 37.12% | 261 | 5.17% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,039 | 20.57% | 5,051 |
| Grainger | 2,842 | 76.54% | 828 | 22.30% | 43 | 1.16% | 2,014 | 54.24% | 3,713 | ||
| Greene | 9,772 | 76.89% | 2,764 | 21.75% | 171 | 1.35% | 2 | 0.02% | 7,008 | 55.14% | 12,709 |
| Grundy | 1,364 | 54.49% | 1,005 | 40.15% | 134 | 5.35% | 359 | 14.34% | 2,503 | ||
| Hamblen | 8,879 | 76.39% | 2,563 | 22.05% | 180 | 1.55% | 2 | 0.02% | 6,316 | 54.34% | 11,624 |
| Hamilton | 58,469 | 70.62% | 20,657 | 24.95% | 3,668 | 4.43% | 37,812 | 45.67% | 82,794 | ||
| Hancock | 1,813 | 81.59% | 393 | 17.69% | 16 | 0.72% | 1,420 | 63.90% | 2,222 | ||
| Hardeman | 3,494 | 66.00% | 1,550 | 29.28% | 183 | 3.46% | 67 | 1.27% | 1,944 | 36.72% | 5,294 |
| Hardin | 4,401 | 76.29% | 1,202 | 20.84% | 166 | 2.88% | 3,199 | 55.45% | 5,769 | ||
| Hawkins | 7,791 | 72.31% | 2,608 | 24.20% | 373 | 3.46% | 3 | 0.03% | 5,183 | 48.11% | 10,775 |
| Haywood | 3,123 | 59.45% | 1,966 | 37.43% | 164 | 3.12% | 1,157 | 22.02% | 5,253 | ||
| Henderson | 5,122 | 77.64% | 1,313 | 19.90% | 162 | 2.46% | 3,809 | 57.74% | 6,597 | ||
| Henry | 4,613 | 60.61% | 2,694 | 35.40% | 302 | 3.97% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,919 | 25.21% | 7,611 |
| Hickman | 1,943 | 56.06% | 1,393 | 40.19% | 130 | 3.75% | 550 | 15.87% | 3,466 | ||
| Houston | 800 | 46.38% | 870 | 50.43% | 55 | 3.19% | -70 | -4.05% | 1,725 | ||
| Humphreys | 2,263 | 52.17% | 1,973 | 45.48% | 102 | 2.35% | 290 | 6.69% | 4,338 | ||
| Jackson | 956 | 45.98% | 1,085 | 52.19% | 38 | 1.83% | -129 | -6.21% | 2,079 | ||
| Jefferson | 5,925 | 80.26% | 1,357 | 18.38% | 100 | 1.35% | 4,568 | 61.88% | 7,382 | ||
| Johnson | 3,362 | 87.08% | 450 | 11.66% | 49 | 1.27% | 2,912 | 75.42% | 3,861 | ||
| Knox | 64,747 | 71.56% | 24,076 | 26.61% | 1,661 | 1.84% | 40,671 | 44.95% | 90,484 | ||
| Lake | 1,147 | 65.69% | 536 | 30.70% | 62 | 3.55% | 1 | 0.06% | 611 | 34.99% | 1,746 |
| Lauderdale | 3,597 | 64.40% | 1,771 | 31.71% | 217 | 3.89% | 1,826 | 32.69% | 5,585 | ||
| Lawrence | 6,438 | 67.90% | 2,824 | 29.78% | 219 | 2.31% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,614 | 38.12% | 9,482 |
| Lewis | 1,056 | 46.98% | 1,138 | 50.62% | 54 | 2.40% | -82 | -3.64% | 2,248 | ||
| Lincoln | 3,266 | 61.84% | 1,867 | 35.35% | 148 | 2.80% | 1,399 | 26.49% | 5,281 | ||
| Loudon | 5,357 | 75.12% | 1,604 | 22.49% | 170 | 2.38% | 3,753 | 52.63% | 7,131 | ||
| Macon | 2,295 | 75.67% | 653 | 21.53% | 83 | 2.74% | 2 | 0.07% | 1,642 | 54.14% | 3,033 |
| Madison | 15,481 | 72.31% | 5,203 | 24.30% | 666 | 3.11% | 59 | 0.28% | 10,278 | 48.01% | 21,409 |
| Marion | 3,711 | 63.56% | 1,929 | 33.04% | 199 | 3.41% | 1,782 | 30.52% | 5,839 | ||
| Marshall | 2,593 | 59.23% | 1,526 | 34.86% | 256 | 5.85% | 3 | 0.07% | 1,067 | 24.37% | 4,378 |
| Maury | 7,371 | 66.28% | 3,262 | 29.33% | 483 | 4.34% | 5 | 0.04% | 4,109 | 36.95% | 11,121 |
| McMinn | 7,423 | 70.56% | 2,838 | 26.98% | 259 | 2.46% | 4,585 | 43.58% | 10,520 | ||
| McNairy | 4,774 | 73.23% | 1,610 | 24.70% | 135 | 2.07% | 3,164 | 48.53% | 6,519 | ||
| Meigs | 1,052 | 64.34% | 539 | 32.97% | 44 | 2.69% | 513 | 31.37% | 1,635 | ||
| Monroe | 5,657 | 65.52% | 2,870 | 33.24% | 97 | 1.12% | 10 | 0.12% | 2,787 | 32.28% | 8,634 |
| Montgomery | 7,839 | 56.40% | 5,691 | 40.95% | 363 | 2.61% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,148 | 15.45% | 13,899 |
| Moore | 608 | 61.04% | 356 | 35.74% | 32 | 3.21% | 252 | 25.30% | 996 | ||
| Morgan | 2,531 | 69.59% | 1,084 | 29.80% | 22 | 0.60% | 1,447 | 39.79% | 3,637 | ||
| Obion | 5,800 | 70.36% | 2,243 | 27.21% | 200 | 2.43% | 3,557 | 43.15% | 8,243 | ||
| Overton | 1,947 | 54.17% | 1,573 | 43.77% | 74 | 2.06% | 374 | 10.40% | 3,594 | ||
| Perry | 900 | 48.10% | 937 | 50.08% | 34 | 1.82% | -37 | -1.98% | 1,871 | ||
| Pickett | 957 | 72.23% | 357 | 26.94% | 11 | 0.83% | 600 | 45.29% | 1,325 | ||
| Polk | 2,285 | 60.58% | 1,431 | 37.94% | 56 | 1.48% | 854 | 22.64% | 3,772 | ||
| Putnam | 6,038 | 60.39% | 3,738 | 37.38% | 223 | 2.23% | 2,300 | 23.01% | 9,999 | ||
| Rhea | 3,842 | 72.50% | 1,312 | 24.76% | 145 | 2.74% | 2,530 | 47.74% | 5,299 | ||
| Roane | 8,742 | 70.10% | 3,433 | 27.53% | 295 | 2.37% | 5,309 | 42.57% | 12,470 | ||
| Robertson | 4,175 | 56.43% | 2,985 | 40.34% | 239 | 3.23% | 1,190 | 16.09% | 7,399 | ||
| Rutherford | 11,256 | 64.12% | 5,811 | 33.10% | 486 | 2.77% | 1 | 0.01% | 5,445 | 31.02% | 17,554 |
| Scott | 2,775 | 79.24% | 679 | 19.39% | 45 | 1.28% | 3 | 0.09% | 2,096 | 59.85% | 3,502 |
| Sequatchie | 1,298 | 64.58% | 629 | 31.29% | 83 | 4.13% | 669 | 33.29% | 2,010 | ||
| Sevier | 8,273 | 86.38% | 1,128 | 11.78% | 177 | 1.85% | 7,145 | 74.60% | 9,578 | ||
| Shelby | 161,922 | 65.32% | 81,089 | 32.71% | 4,816 | 1.94% | 55 | 0.02% | 80,833 | 32.61% | 247,882 |
| Smith | 1,812 | 56.84% | 1,260 | 39.52% | 116 | 3.64% | 552 | 17.32% | 3,188 | ||
| Stewart | 790 | 40.83% | 1,098 | 56.74% | 47 | 2.43% | -308 | -15.91% | 1,935 | ||
| Sullivan | 27,593 | 71.64% | 10,007 | 25.98% | 824 | 2.14% | 93 | 0.24% | 17,586 | 45.66% | 38,517 |
| Sumner | 10,020 | 66.11% | 4,596 | 30.32% | 538 | 3.55% | 3 | 0.02% | 5,424 | 35.79% | 15,157 |
| Tipton | 5,542 | 71.52% | 1,853 | 23.91% | 353 | 4.56% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,689 | 47.61% | 7,749 |
| Trousdale | 663 | 53.90% | 539 | 43.82% | 28 | 2.28% | 124 | 10.08% | 1,230 | ||
| Unicoi | 3,877 | 81.35% | 822 | 17.25% | 67 | 1.41% | 3,055 | 64.10% | 4,766 | ||
| Union | 1,927 | 76.26% | 570 | 22.56% | 30 | 1.19% | 1,357 | 53.70% | 2,527 | ||
| Van Buren | 629 | 61.61% | 364 | 35.65% | 28 | 2.74% | 265 | 25.96% | 1,021 | ||
| Warren | 3,565 | 60.49% | 2,118 | 35.93% | 210 | 3.56% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,447 | 24.56% | 5,894 |
| Washington | 17,343 | 74.79% | 5,284 | 22.79% | 556 | 2.40% | 5 | 0.02% | 12,059 | 52.00% | 23,188 |
| Wayne | 2,898 | 79.79% | 673 | 18.53% | 61 | 1.68% | 2,225 | 61.26% | 3,632 | ||
| Weakley | 5,836 | 71.48% | 2,027 | 24.83% | 302 | 3.70% | 3,809 | 46.65% | 8,165 | ||
| White | 2,252 | 60.42% | 1,392 | 37.35% | 83 | 2.23% | 860 | 23.07% | 3,727 | ||
| Williamson | 7,556 | 71.53% | 2,616 | 24.76% | 392 | 3.71% | 4,940 | 46.77% | 10,564 | ||
| Wilson | 6,486 | 65.77% | 3,096 | 31.40% | 277 | 2.81% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,390 | 34.37% | 9,861 |
| Totals | 813,147 | 67.70% | 357,293 | 29.75% | 30,373 | 2.53% | 369 | 0.03% | 455,854 | 37.95% | 1,201,182 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican
[edit]- Bedford
- Benton
- Cannon
- Cheatham
- Chester
- Coffee
- Crockett
- Davidson
- Decatur
- Dickson
- Dyer
- Fayette
- Franklin
- Gibson
- Giles
- Grundy
- Hamilton
- Hardeman
- Haywood
- Henry
- Hickman
- Humphreys
- Lake
- Lauderdale
- Lincoln
- Madison
- Marion
- Marshall
- Maury
- Montgomery
- Moore
- Obion
- Robertson
- Rutherford
- Sequatchie
- Smith
- Sumner
- Tipton
- Van Buren
- Warren
- Weakley
- Wilson
- Williamson
- White
Counties that flipped from American Independent to Democratic
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "1972 Election for the Forty-Seventh Term (1973-77)". Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee". Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ^ "The American Presidency Project – Election of 1972". Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 201-202.
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- ^ a b c d Our Campaigns; TN US President, November 07, 1972
Works cited
[edit]- Black, Earl; Black, Merle (1992). The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674941306.
- Moreland, Laurence; Steed, Robert; Baker, Tod, eds. (1991). The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0275931455.
