1972 Republican Party presidential primaries

1972 Republican Party presidential primaries
	First place finishes by preference primary results
Previous Republican nominee; Richard Nixon;	Republican nominee ; Richard Nixon;

From March 7 to June 6, 1972, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Richard Nixon was again selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1972 Republican National Convention held from August 21 to August 23, 1972, in Miami, Florida.

Candidates

Nominee

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won	Running mate
Richard Nixon			President of the United States (1969–1974)	California	(Campaign) Secured nomination: August 23, 1972	5,378,704 (96.9%)	18	Spiro Agnew

Withdrew during primaries

Candidate			Most recent office	Home state	Campaign Withdrawal date	Popular vote	Contests won
John M. Ashbrook			U.S. Representative from Ohio (1961–1982)	Ohio		311,543 (5.0%)	0
Pete McCloskey			U.S. Representative from California (1967–1983)	California		132,731 (2.1%)	0

Endorsements

List of Richard Nixon 1972 presidential campaign endorsements

Cabinet Members

David Packard, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (1969–1971)^[1]
William P. Rogers, United States Secretary of State (1969–1973)^[2]

Senators

Former Representatives

William M. Tuck, (D-VA)^[4]

Governors

Former Governors

Celebrities

Jack Benny, comedian^[5]^[6]
Joan Blondell, actress^[5]
James Brown, singer^[7]
Jim Brown, football player^[7]
Ray Bolger, actor^[5]
Nick Buoniconti, football player^[8]
George Burns, comedian^[6]
Glen Campbell, musician^[6]
Wilt Chamberlain, basketball player^[7]
Christopher Connelly, actor^[5]
Sammy Davis Jr., singer and actor^[7]
Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress^[6]
Johnny Grant, radio personality^[5]
Merv Griffin, television personality^[6]
George Hamilton, actor^[5]
Charlton Heston, actor^[5]^[6]
Bob Hope, comedian^[2]
Art Linkletter, radio personality^[3]
Dick Martin, comedian^[6]
Mary Tyler Moore, actress^[6]
Merlin Olsen, football player^[8]
Debbie Reynolds, actress^[6]
Dan Rowan, actor^[6]
Gale Sayers, football player^[8]
Frank Sinatra, singer^[5]^[6]
Red Skelton, entertainer^[6]
James Stewart, actor^[6]
Howard Twilley, football player^[8]
John Wayne, actor^[6]

Polling

National polling

Poll source	Publication	John Ashbrook	Pete McCloskey	Richard Nixon
Gallup^[9]	Feb. 1972	5%	6%	83%

Overview of the race

Nixon was a popular incumbent president in 1972, as he seemed to have reached détente with China and the USSR. He shrugged off the first glimmers of that, after the election, because of the massive Watergate scandal.

Polls showed that Nixon had a strong lead. He was challenged by two minor candidates, liberal Pete McCloskey of California and conservative John Ashbrook of Ohio. McCloskey ran as an anti-Vietnam war candidate dedicated to a much more clearer liberal position compared to Nixon's ambiguity approach within the party, while Ashbrook was dedicated to a much more clearer conservative position than Nixon and opposed Nixon's détente policies towards China and the Soviet Union. In the New Hampshire primary McCloskey's platform of peace garnered 19.7% of the vote to Nixon's 67.9%, with Ashbrook receiving 10.9% and comedian Pat Paulsen receiving 1.1%.^[10] Having previously stated that he would withdraw from the race had he not achieved 20% of the vote, McCloskey did so.

Nixon won 1,347 of the 1,348 delegates to the GOP convention, with McCloskey receiving the vote of one delegate from New Mexico.^[11]

Timeline of the race

March 7

1972 Republican Party primary in New Hampshire^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	79,239	67.6
Paul N. McCloskey	23,190	19.8
John M. Ashbrook	11,362	9.7
Others	3,417	2.9
Total votes	117,208	100.0

March 14

1972 Republican Party primary in Florida^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	360,278	87
John M. Ashbrook	36,617	8.8
Paul N. McCloskey	17,312	4.2
Total votes	414,207	100

March 21

1972 Republican Party primary in Illinois^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	32,550	97
John M. Ashbrook	170	0.5
Paul N. McCloskey	47	0.1
Others	802	2.4
Total votes	33,569	100

April 4

1972 Republican Party primary in Wisconsin^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	277,601	96.9
Paul N. McCloskey	3,651	1.3
John M. Ashbrook	2,604	0.9
"None of the names shown"	2,315	0.8
Others	273	0.1
Total votes	286,444	100

April 25

1972 Republican Party primary in Massachusetts^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	99,150	81.2
Paul N. McCloskey	16,435	13.5
John M. Ashbrook	4,864	4
Others	1,690	1.4
Total votes	122,139	100

1972 Republican Party primary in Pennsylvania^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	153,886	83.3
George C. Wallace	20,472	11.1
Others	10,443	5.7
Total votes	184,801	100

May 2

1972 Republican Party primary in Indiana^[12]
Candidate		Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)		417,069	100
Total votes		417,069	100

1972 Republican Party primary in Ohio^[12]
Candidate		Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)		692,828	100
Total votes		692,828	100

May 4

1972 Republican Party primary in Tennessee^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	109,696	95.8
John M. Ashbrook	2,419	2.1
Paul N. McCloskey	2,370	2.1
Others	4	0
Total votes	114,489	100

May 6

1972 Republican Party primary in North Carolina^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	159,167	94.8
Paul N. McCloskey	8,732	5.2
Total votes	167,899	100

May 9

1972 Republican Party primary in Nebraska^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	179,464	92.4
Paul N. McCloskey	9,011	4.6
John M. Ashbrook	4,996	2.6
Others	801	0.4
Total votes	194,272	100

1972 Republican Party primary in West Virginia^[12]
Candidate		Votes	%
Unpledged delegates at large		95,813	100
Total votes		95,813	100

May 16

1972 Republican Party primary in Maryland^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	99,308	86.2
Paul N. McCloskey	9,223	8
John M. Ashbrook	6,718	5.8
Total votes	115,249	100

1972 Republican Party primary in Michigan^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	321,652	95.5
Paul N. McCloskey	9,691	2.9
Unpledged delegates	5,370	1.6
Others	30	0
Total votes	336,743	100

May 23

1972 Republican Party primary in Oregon^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	231,151	82
Paul N. McCloskey	29,365	10.4
John M. Ashbrook	16,696	5.9
Others	4,798	1.7
Total votes	282,010	100

1972 Republican Party primary in Rhode Island^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	4,953	88.3
Paul N. McCloskey	337	6
John M. Ashbrook	175	3.1
Unpledged delegates at large	146	2.6
Total votes	5,611	100

June 6

1972 Republican Party primary in California^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	2,058,825	90.1
John M. Ashbrook	224,922	9.8
Others	175	0
Total votes	2,283,922	100

1972 Republican Party primary in New Jersey^[12]
Candidate		Votes	%
Unpledged delegates at large		215,719	100
Total votes		215,719	100

1972 Republican Party primary in New Mexico^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	49,067	88.5
Paul N. McCloskey	3,367	5.5
"None of the names shown"	3,035	5.5
Total votes	104,536	100

1972 Republican Party primary in South Dakota^[12]
Candidate		Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)		52,820	100
Total votes		52,820	100

Results by popular vote

1972 Republican Party presidential primaries^[12]
Candidate	Votes	%
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent)	5,378,704	86.9
Unpledged delegates	317,048	5.1
John M. Ashbrook	311,543	5.0
Paul N. McCloskey	132,731	2.1
George C. Wallace	20,472	0.3
"None of the names shown"	5,350	0.1
Others	22,433	0.4
Total votes	6,188,281	100

References

^ ^a ^b "Remarks at a "Victory '72" Luncheon in San Francisco, California". 27 September 1972.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in New York City". 9 November 1971.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in Chicago, Illinois". 9 November 1971.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Many Southern Democrats Plan To Back Nixon for Re-election". The New York Times. 13 August 1972.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Nixon Entertain Their Hollywood Backers". The New York Times. 28 August 1972.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Critchlow, Donald (2013). When Hollywood was right : how movie stars, studio moguls, and big business remade American politics. New York : Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-19918-6 – via Internet Archive.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Black celebrities have a long history of endorsing Republican presidents". The Washington Post. 3 November 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Nixon's Political Football". 21 October 2021.
^ "US President - R Primaries". OurCampaigns.com. 16 Nov 2004. Retrieved 29 Oct 2020.
^ "New Hampshire Finals". The Miami Herald. UPI. March 15, 1972. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
^ "Nixon Renominated". Partners.nytimes.com. 1972-08-23. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u Kalb, Deborah, ed. (2010). Guide to U.S. Elections (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. pp. 412–415. ISBN 9781604265361.

[packard-1] "Remarks at a "Victory '72" Luncheon in San Francisco, California". 27 September 1972.

[rogers-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in New York City". 9 November 1971.

[dole-3] "Remarks at a "Salute to the President" Dinner in Chicago, Illinois". 9 November 1971.

[times-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Many Southern Democrats Plan To Back Nixon for Re-election". The New York Times. 13 August 1972.

[NYT-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Nixon Entertain Their Hollywood Backers". The New York Times. 28 August 1972.

[when-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Critchlow, Donald (2013). When Hollywood was right : how movie stars, studio moguls, and big business remade American politics. New York : Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-19918-6 – via Internet Archive.

[post-7] "Black celebrities have a long history of endorsing Republican presidents". The Washington Post. 3 November 2020.

[LOC-8] "Nixon's Political Football". 21 October 2021.

[polls-9] "US President - R Primaries". OurCampaigns.com. 16 Nov 2004. Retrieved 29 Oct 2020.

[10] "New Hampshire Finals". The Miami Herald. UPI. March 15, 1972. Retrieved June 23, 2021.

[11] "Nixon Renominated". Partners.nytimes.com. 1972-08-23. Retrieved 2016-05-05.

[Kalb-12] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u Kalb, Deborah, ed. (2010). Guide to U.S. Elections (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. pp. 412–415. ISBN 9781604265361.

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v t e Richard Nixon
37th President of the United States (1969–1974) 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961) U.S. Senator from California (1950–1953) U.S. Representative for CA–12 (1947–1950)
Presidency	Transition First inauguration Second inauguration Nixon Doctrine "Bring Us Together" Economic policies Nixon shock Tar Baby Option Environmental Protection Agency creation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space exploration 1971 National Cancer Act Vietnam War Cambodian bombing Paris Peace Accords "Peace with Honor" Vietnamization Silent majority Cold War period Linkage policy Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act 1970 Lincoln Memorial visit 1972 visit to China Shanghai Communiqué Détente 1972 Moscow Summit Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty SALT I Treaty Prevention of Nuclear War Agreement Threshold Test Ban Treaty Endangered Species Act National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse War on Drugs Drug Enforcement Administration Cannabis policy Enemies List list of opponents Operation CHAOS Watergate timeline White House tapes United States v. Nixon Senate Watergate Committee impeachment process "I am not a crook" Resignation speech Pardon State of the Union Address 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 Wilson desk Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Executive Orders Presidential Proclamations
Life and politics	Richard Nixon Foundation Presidential Library and Museum Birthplace and boyhood home Checkers speech 1958 motorcade attack Kitchen Debate Operation 40 "Last press conference" Florida White House "La Casa Pacifica" Nixon Center Nixon v. General Services Administration Death and state funeral
Books	Six Crises (1962) Bibliography
Elections	U.S. House of Representatives: 1946 1948 U.S. Senate: 1950 California gubernatorial election: 1962 GOP presidential primaries: 1960 1964 1968 1972 GOP national conventions: 1952 1956 1960 campaign 1968 campaign 1972 campaign Presidential elections: 1952 transition 1956 1960 debates Kennedy transition 1968 1972
Popular culture	"Nixon goes to China" Millhouse (1971 film) An Evening with Richard Nixon (1972 play) Richard (1972 film) Another Nice Mess (1972 film) Four More Years (1972 film) Impeach the President (1973 song) The Werewolf of Washington (1973 film) White House Madness (1975 film) All the President's Men (1976 film) The Public Burning (1977 novel) Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977 miniseries) Secret Honor (1984 film) Nixon in China (1987 opera) The Final Days (1989 film) Nixon (1995 film) Elvis Meets Nixon (1997 film) Futurama (1999 TV series) Dick (1999 film) Nixon's China Game (2000 film) Dark Side of the Moon (2002 film) The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004 film) Frost–Nixon interviews (2006 play, 2008 film) Black Dynamite (2009 film) "The Impossible Astronaut" (2011 TV episode) Our Nixon (2013 film) X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014 film) Crooked (2015 novel) Elvis & Nixon (2016 film) The Post (2017 film) Watergate (2019 board game) U.S. postage stamp
Related	Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act Presidential Townhouse Richard Nixon mask
Staff	Jack Brennan (aide de camp) Murray Chotiner (early campaign manager) Manolo Sanchez (valet) Rose Mary Woods (secretary)
Family	Thelma "Pat" Ryan Nixon (wife) Tricia Nixon Cox (daughter) Julie Nixon Eisenhower (daughter) Christopher Nixon Cox (grandson) Jennie Eisenhower (granddaughter) Francis A. Nixon (father) Hannah Milhous Nixon (mother) Donald Nixon (brother) Edward Nixon (brother)
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