1972 United States presidential election in Virginia

none June 2025 September 2023 1972 United States presidential election 1972 United States presidential election in Virginia Virginia presidential no 1968 United States presidential election in Virginia 1968 1976 United States presidential election in Virginia 1976 November 7, 1972 x200px Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg Richard Nixon Republican Party (United States) California Spiro Agnew 11A faithless Republican elector voted for the Libertarian ticket: Hospers–Nathan 988,493 67.84% George McGovern (D-SD) (3x4-1).jpg George McGovern Democratic Party (United States) South Dakota Sargent Shriver 0 438,887 30.12% 435px 435px County and independent city results Nixon #e27f90 50–60% #cc2f4a 60–70% #d40000 70–80% #aa0000 80–90% McGovern #4389e3 60–70% President Richard Nixon Republican Party (United States) Richard Nixon Republican Party (United States) The 1972 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 7, 1972. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States. This was also the first presidential election after the passage of the Twenty-sixth Amendment, which decreased the voting age from 21 to 18. For over sixty years Virginia had had the most restricted electorate in the United States due to a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.Kousser J. Morgan The Shaping of Southern Politics Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910 1974 Yale University Press 178–181 0-300-01696-4 Virginia would be almost entirely controlled by the conservative Democratic Byrd Organization for four of those decades,Key Valdimer Orlando Southern Politics in State and Nation 1949 20–25 although during the Organization's last twenty years of controlling the state it would direct many Virginia voters away from the national Democratic Party due to opposition to black civil rights and to the fiscal liberalism of the New Deal.Ely James W. The crisis of conservative Virginia: the Byrd organization and the politics of massive resistance 1976 16 University of Tennessee Press 0870491881 After the Twenty-Fourth Amendment and Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections the state's electorate would substantially expand as the burden of poll taxes on the lower classes was removed. Contemporaneously the postwar Republican trend of the Northeast-aligned Washington D.C. suburbs, which had begun as early as 1944, would accelerateAtkinson Frank B. The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the Rise of Two-party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980 2006 9780742552098 Rowman & Littlefield and become intensified by the mobilisation of working-class Piedmont whites against a national Democratic Party strongly associated with black interests.Phillips Kevin P. The Emerging Republican Majority 260–266 0870000586 1969 Arlington House After 1966 the statewide Democratic party was severely divided into conservative, moderate and liberal factions,Bass Jack De Vries Walter The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Change and Political Consequence Since 1945 1995 347–353 so that in addition to voting Republican in four of five presidential elections, Virginia's Congressional delegation would gain a Republican majority as early as the 91st Congress, and Linwood Holton would become the first Republican governor since the 1880s Readjuster fusion. However, it was 1970 before significant GOP gains occurred in the state legislature, and it was generally acknowledged that President Nixon offered no support to down-ballot Republican candidates.Evans Rowland Novak Robert October 16, 1972 Consider Virginia: McGovern, Nixon Creating a No-Party System in South 7–A The Miami Herald Campaign Neither incumbent United States President Richard Nixon nor South Dakota Senator George McGovern of the Democratic Party campaigned in the state, which all polls had conceded to Nixon from the beginning of August.August 9, 1972 Godwin's Legion for Nixon 4 The Daily Press Newport News, Virginia Among white voters, 78% supported Nixon while 22% supported McGovern.Black Black 1992 295Black Black 1992 335 Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Daily PressSolid RAugust 9, 1972Greensboro Daily NewsApple (jr) R.W. October 8, 1972 All the Signs Point to Nixon: Great Election Sweep Almost Within Grasp 1 Greensboro Daily News Greensboro, North CarolinaCertain ROctober 8, 1972The Miami HeraldCertain ROctober 16, 1972Boston Sunday GlobeBroder David S October 22, 1972 Politics from Maine to Hawaii: State-by-State Rundown of 1972 Election Scene A-5, A-8 Boston Sunday GlobeCertain ROctober 22, 1972Evening ExpressOctober 30, 1972 Nixon Holds 26 Point Lead, Poll Reveals 25 Evening Express Portland, MaineCertain ROctober 30, 1972The York DispatchBiossat Bruce November 6, 1972 Poll Indicates Possible Record: Signs Point to Nixon Sweep 32 The York Dispatch York, PennsylvaniaSafe RNovember 6, 1972 Analysis Virginia was won by Nixon with a landslide 67.84 percent of the vote. Nixon also won the national election with 60.67 percent of the vote. In strict accordance with national trends, McGovern carried just one county or independent city in Virginia — however, that jurisdiction, Charles City County, saw McGovern receive over 67 percent of the vote, and was his fourth-strongest county in the country.David Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1972&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1972 Presidential Election Statistics 2024 11 As of the 2024, this constitutes the last occasion the Republican Party has carried Brunswick County, Greensville County, Sussex County, and the cities of Charlottesville, Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth and Richmond.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 However, Nixon did not win all of the electoral votes in Virginia because one of his pledged electors, Roger MacBride, instead cast his vote for Libertarian candidate John Hospers and his running mate, Tonie Nathan. Although Hospers was not on the ballot in Virginia, MacBride's vote was the first electoral vote ever cast for a female candidate (Nathan); MacBride was subsequently nominated as the Libertarian candidate for President in the next election. Results 1972 United States presidential election in VirginiaStatistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972 https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1972election.pdf Clerk of the House of Representatives 45 & 46PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican Richard Nixon (inc.) 988,493 67.84% 11 Libertarian John Hospers 0 0.00% 1 Democratic George McGovern 438,887 30.12% 0 American Independent John G. Schmitz 19,721 1.35% 0 Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 9,918 0.68% 0 Totals 1,457,019 100.00% 12 Results by county or independent city County orcityOur Campaigns https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=2414 VA US President Race, November 07 1972 Richard NixonRepublican George McGovernDemocratic John G. SchmitzAmerican Independent Louis FisherSocialist Labor Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % Accomack 6,496 71.97% 2,406 26.66% 108 1.20% 16 0.18% 4,090 45.31% 9,026 Albemarle 8,447 65.22% 4,303 33.23% 139 1.07% 62 0.48% 4,144 31.99% 12,951 Alexandria 20,235 55.95% 15,409 42.60% 348 0.96% 177 0.49% 4,826 13.35% 36,169 Alleghany 2,584 67.47% 1,069 27.91% 170 4.44% 7 0.18% 1,515 39.56% 3,830 Amelia 1,606 64.99% 778 31.49% 58 2.35% 29 1.17% 828 33.50% 2,471 Amherst 4,909 73.94% 1,512 22.77% 148 2.23% 70 1.05% 3,397 51.17% 6,639 Appomattox 2,788 78.20% 684 19.19% 68 1.91% 25 0.70% 2,104 59.01% 3,565 Arlington 39,406 59.36% 25,877 38.98% 830 1.25% 270 0.41% 13,529 20.38% 66,383 Augusta 9,106 81.44% 1,766 15.79% 148 1.32% 161 1.44% 7,340 65.65% 11,181 Bath 1,127 68.89% 462 28.24% 43 2.63% 4 0.24% 665 40.65% 1,636 Bedford 5,286 73.43% 1,501 20.85% 358 4.97% 54 0.75% 3,785 52.58% 7,199 Bedford City 1,407 68.20% 529 25.64% 89 4.31% 38 1.84% 878 42.56% 2,063 Bland 1,352 70.64% 527 27.53% 31 1.62% 4 0.21% 825 43.11% 1,914 Botetourt 3,806 69.44% 1,519 27.71% 121 2.21% 35 0.64% 2,287 41.73% 5,481 Bristol 2,665 68.46% 1,157 29.72% 54 1.39% 17 0.44% 1,508 38.74% 3,893 Brunswick 3,072 58.17% 2,130 40.33% 63 1.19% 16 0.30% 942 17.84% 5,281 Buchanan 4,801 56.13% 3,566 41.69% 95 1.11% 92 1.08% 1,235 14.44% 8,554 Buckingham 2,107 62.86% 1,186 35.38% 44 1.31% 15 0.45% 921 27.48% 3,352 Buena Vista 990 70.26% 373 26.47% 22 1.55% 34 2.40% 617 43.79% 1,409 Campbell 11,676 82.48% 2,055 14.52% 288 2.03% 138 0.97% 9,621 67.96% 14,157 Caroline 2,086 52.80% 1,814 45.91% 32 0.81% 19 0.48% 272 6.89% 3,951 Carroll 5,247 75.08% 1,583 22.65% 90 1.29% 69 0.99% 3,664 52.43% 6,989 Charles City 535 30.84% 1,177 67.84% 14 0.81% 9 0.52% -642 -37.00% 1,735 Charlotte 2,501 66.22% 1,182 31.29% 75 1.99% 19 0.50% 1,319 34.93% 3,777 Charlottesville 7,935 59.42% 5,240 39.24% 95 0.71% 83 0.62% 2,695 20.18% 13,353 Chesapeake 17,722 67.95% 7,289 27.95% 649 2.49% 420 1.61% 10,433 40.00% 26,080 Chesterfield 24,934 85.24% 3,823 13.07% 365 1.25% 131 0.45% 21,111 72.17% 29,253 Clarke 1,816 69.13% 715 27.22% 67 2.55% 29 1.10% 1,101 41.91% 2,627 Clifton Forge 1,127 63.17% 575 32.23% 68 3.81% 14 0.78% 552 30.94% 1,784 Colonial Heights 5,304 87.99% 541 8.97% 87 1.44% 96 1.59% 4,763 79.02% 6,028 Covington 1,910 63.71% 948 31.62% 113 3.77% 27 0.90% 962 32.09% 2,998 Craig 774 63.44% 425 34.84% 19 1.56% 2 0.16% 349 28.60% 1,220 Culpeper 3,707 72.80% 1,316 25.84% 60 1.18% 9 0.18% 2,391 46.96% 5,092 Cumberland 1,371 57.75% 969 40.82% 22 0.93% 12 0.51% 402 16.93% 2,374 Danville 12,463 73.68% 4,148 24.52% 134 0.79% 171 1.01% 8,315 49.16% 16,916 Dickenson 3,633 56.22% 2,711 41.95% 62 0.96% 56 0.87% 922 14.27% 6,462 Dinwiddie 3,314 62.47% 1,901 35.83% 74 1.39% 16 0.30% 1,413 26.64% 5,305 Emporia 1,340 68.82% 565 29.02% 18 0.92% 24 1.23% 775 39.80% 1,947 Essex 1,482 62.58% 808 34.12% 44 1.86% 34 1.44% 674 28.46% 2,368 Fairfax 112,135 66.26% 54,844 32.40% 1,764 1.04% 503 0.30% 57,291 33.86% 169,246 Fairfax City 5,063 67.73% 2,274 30.42% 118 1.58% 20 0.27% 2,789 37.31% 7,475 Falls Church 2,967 60.02% 1,895 38.34% 67 1.36% 14 0.28% 1,072 21.68% 4,943 Fauquier 4,654 67.71% 2,039 29.67% 80 1.16% 100 1.45% 2,615 38.04% 6,873 Floyd 2,444 76.11% 708 22.05% 57 1.78% 2 0.06% 1,736 54.06% 3,211 Fluvanna 1,438 67.29% 637 29.81% 23 1.08% 39 1.82% 801 37.48% 2,137 Franklin 4,674 65.74% 2,273 31.97% 145 2.04% 18 0.25% 2,401 33.77% 7,110 Franklin City 1,416 64.98% 738 33.87% 14 0.64% 11 0.50% 678 31.11% 2,179 Frederick 5,367 75.18% 1,604 22.47% 105 1.47% 63 0.88% 3,763 52.71% 7,139 Fredericksburg 3,211 64.53% 1,702 34.20% 34 0.68% 29 0.58% 1,509 30.33% 4,976 Galax 1,497 72.63% 524 25.42% 28 1.36% 12 0.58% 973 47.21% 2,061 Giles 3,671 64.34% 1,869 32.75% 78 1.37% 88 1.54% 1,802 31.59% 5,706 Gloucester 3,642 71.92% 1,292 25.51% 78 1.54% 52 1.03% 2,350 46.41% 5,064 Goochland 2,127 60.98% 1,254 35.95% 52 1.49% 55 1.58% 873 25.03% 3,488 Grayson 3,565 67.48% 1,603 30.34% 67 1.27% 48 0.91% 1,962 37.14% 5,283 Greene 1,208 78.24% 318 20.60% 15 0.97% 3 0.19% 890 57.64% 1,544 Greensville 1,608 56.05% 1,197 41.72% 46 1.60% 18 0.63% 411 14.33% 2,869 Halifax 5,469 68.71% 2,384 29.95% 77 0.97% 29 0.36% 3,085 38.76% 7,959 Hampton 21,897 65.49% 10,648 31.85% 479 1.43% 411 1.23% 11,249 33.64% 33,435 Hanover 11,095 81.20% 2,200 16.10% 237 1.73% 131 0.96% 8,895 65.10% 13,663 Harrisonburg 3,626 77.26% 992 21.14% 39 0.83% 36 0.77% 2,634 56.12% 4,693 Henrico 52,536 84.87% 8,420 13.60% 571 0.92% 377 0.61% 44,116 71.27% 61,904 Henry 7,556 62.84% 4,042 33.62% 170 1.41% 256 2.13% 3,514 29.22% 12,024 Highland 774 77.63% 206 20.66% 12 1.20% 5 0.50% 568 56.97% 997 Hopewell 5,229 75.88% 1,485 21.55% 106 1.54% 71 1.03% 3,744 54.33% 6,891 Isle of Wight 3,555 59.27% 2,305 38.43% 119 1.98% 19 0.32% 1,250 20.84% 5,998 James City 3,372 61.97% 1,992 36.61% 56 1.03% 21 0.39% 1,380 25.36% 5,441 King and Queen 1,033 58.30% 708 39.95% 10 0.56% 21 1.19% 325 18.35% 1,772 King George 1,675 70.05% 658 27.52% 34 1.42% 24 1.00% 1,017 42.53% 2,391 King William 1,839 69.14% 797 29.96% 18 0.68% 6 0.23% 1,042 39.18% 2,660 Lancaster 2,683 71.64% 1,009 26.94% 35 0.93% 18 0.48% 1,674 44.70% 3,745 Lee 4,957 62.39% 2,825 35.56% 68 0.86% 95 1.20% 2,132 26.83% 7,945 Lexington 1,345 64.98% 695 33.57% 18 0.87% 12 0.58% 650 31.41% 2,070 Loudoun 9,417 69.46% 3,941 29.07% 190 1.40% 9 0.07% 5,476 40.39% 13,557 Louisa 2,545 63.55% 1,338 33.41% 56 1.40% 66 1.65% 1,207 30.14% 4,005 Lunenburg 2,464 69.14% 1,044 29.29% 45 1.26% 11 0.31% 1,420 39.85% 3,564 Lynchburg 13,259 74.11% 4,208 23.52% 264 1.48% 159 0.89% 9,051 50.59% 17,890 Madison 1,864 73.41% 639 25.17% 24 0.95% 12 0.47% 1,225 48.24% 2,539 Martinsville 3,879 61.32% 2,292 36.23% 39 0.62% 116 1.83% 1,587 25.09% 6,326 Mathews 2,164 72.45% 730 24.44% 51 1.71% 42 1.41% 1,434 48.01% 2,987 Mecklenburg 6,381 68.55% 2,804 30.12% 106 1.14% 18 0.19% 3,577 38.43% 9,309 Middlesex 1,697 69.29% 724 29.56% 24 0.98% 4 0.16% 973 39.73% 2,449 Montgomery 9,348 70.56% 3,692 27.87% 194 1.46% 14 0.11% 5,656 42.69% 13,248 Nansemond 5,767 57.57% 3,929 39.42% 186 1.87% 84 0.84% 1,838 18.45% 9,966 Nelson 2,145 67.22% 954 29.90% 82 2.57% 10 0.31% 1,191 37.32% 3,191 New Kent 1,370 67.52% 633 31.20% 19 0.94% 7 0.34% 737 36.32% 2,029 Newport News 27,169 67.40% 12,233 30.35% 639 1.59% 271 0.67% 14,936 37.05% 40,312 Norfolk 38,385 57.97% 25,737 38.87% 1,198 1.81% 897 1.35% 12,648 19.10% 66,217 Northampton 2,587 66.45% 1,246 32.01% 53 1.36% 7 0.18% 1,341 34.44% 3,893 Northumberland 2,332 71.58% 884 27.13% 28 0.86% 14 0.43% 1,448 44.45% 3,258 Norton 823 62.68% 463 35.26% 12 0.91% 15 1.14% 360 27.42% 1,313 Nottoway 2,979 68.22% 1,308 29.95% 70 1.60% 10 0.23% 1,671 38.27% 4,367 Orange 2,758 71.28% 1,032 26.67% 42 1.09% 37 0.96% 1,726 44.61% 3,869 Page 4,326 72.34% 1,585 26.51% 61 1.02% 8 0.13% 2,741 45.83% 5,980 Patrick 2,951 73.35% 942 23.42% 100 2.49% 30 0.75% 2,009 49.93% 4,023 Petersburg 6,710 55.67% 5,156 42.78% 131 1.09% 56 0.46% 1,554 12.89% 12,053 Pittsylvania 12,108 72.34% 4,429 26.46% 174 1.04% 26 0.16% 7,679 45.88% 16,737 Portsmouth 20,090 58.49% 13,124 38.21% 760 2.21% 376 1.09% 6,966 20.28% 34,350 Powhatan 1,751 66.43% 810 30.73% 60 2.28% 15 0.57% 941 35.70% 2,636 Prince Edward 3,199 65.96% 1,585 32.68% 51 1.05% 15 0.31% 1,614 33.28% 4,850 Prince George 2,405 67.71% 1,084 30.52% 46 1.30% 17 0.48% 1,321 37.19% 3,552 Prince William 20,149 72.26% 7,266 26.06% 351 1.26% 118 0.42% 12,883 46.20% 27,884 Pulaski 6,281 72.01% 2,311 26.50% 114 1.31% 16 0.18% 3,970 45.51% 8,722 Radford 2,577 68.68% 1,121 29.88% 40 1.07% 14 0.37% 1,456 38.80% 3,752 Rappahannock 1,055 68.20% 471 30.45% 16 1.03% 5 0.32% 584 37.75% 1,547 Richmond 1,565 77.55% 435 21.56% 13 0.64% 5 0.25% 1,130 55.99% 2,018 Richmond City 46,244 57.59% 33,055 41.16% 649 0.81% 354 0.44% 13,189 16.43% 80,302 Roanoke 19,920 77.28% 5,318 20.63% 474 1.84% 66 0.26% 14,602 56.65% 25,778 Roanoke City 18,541 64.67% 9,498 33.13% 537 1.87% 95 0.33% 9,043 31.54% 28,671 Rockbridge 3,009 74.28% 956 23.60% 62 1.53% 24 0.59% 2,053 50.68% 4,051 Rockingham 10,025 81.67% 2,026 16.51% 143 1.16% 81 0.66% 7,999 65.16% 12,275 Russell 5,010 58.93% 3,367 39.60% 71 0.84% 54 0.64% 1,643 19.33% 8,502 Salem 5,649 74.79% 1,744 23.09% 136 1.80% 24 0.32% 3,905 51.70% 7,553 Scott 5,125 66.18% 2,474 31.95% 81 1.05% 64 0.83% 2,651 34.23% 7,744 Shenandoah 7,128 82.46% 1,422 16.45% 78 0.90% 16 0.19% 5,706 66.01% 8,644 Smyth 6,409 72.27% 2,280 25.71% 82 0.92% 97 1.09% 4,129 46.56% 8,868 South Boston 1,865 71.59% 709 27.22% 7 0.27% 24 0.92% 1,156 44.37% 2,605 Southampton 3,225 67.09% 1,498 31.16% 66 1.37% 18 0.37% 1,727 35.93% 4,807 Spotsylvania 3,577 65.73% 1,775 32.62% 75 1.38% 15 0.28% 1,802 33.11% 5,442 Stafford 5,222 72.39% 1,901 26.35% 83 1.15% 8 0.11% 3,321 46.04% 7,214 Staunton 5,531 78.25% 1,416 20.03% 33 0.47% 88 1.25% 4,115 58.22% 7,068 Suffolk 2,137 69.54% 898 29.22% 29 0.94% 9 0.29% 1,239 40.32% 3,073 Surry 1,067 50.40% 988 46.67% 27 1.28% 35 1.65% 79 3.73% 2,117 Sussex 2,120 54.99% 1,645 42.67% 43 1.12% 47 1.22% 475 12.32% 3,855 Tazewell 7,233 67.81% 3,181 29.82% 107 1.00% 146 1.37% 4,052 37.99% 10,667 Virginia Beach 38,074 76.56% 10,373 20.86% 837 1.68% 449 0.90% 27,701 55.70% 49,733 Warren 3,718 69.40% 1,508 28.15% 63 1.18% 68 1.27% 2,210 41.25% 5,357 Washington 8,805 72.70% 3,028 25.00% 123 1.02% 155 1.28% 5,777 47.70% 12,111 Waynesboro 4,163 77.75% 1,061 19.82% 72 1.34% 58 1.08% 3,102 57.93% 5,354 Westmoreland 2,331 66.00% 1,113 31.51% 27 0.76% 61 1.73% 1,218 34.49% 3,532 Williamsburg 1,786 57.46% 1,274 40.99% 29 0.93% 19 0.61% 512 16.47% 3,108Winchester 4,647 75.55% 1,418 23.05% 55 0.89% 31 0.50% 3,229 52.50% 6,151 Wise 6,739 59.94% 4,402 39.16% 79 0.70% 22 0.20% 2,337 20.78% 11,242 Wythe 4,553 73.96% 1,431 23.25% 70 1.14% 102 1.66% 3,122 50.71% 6,156 York 7,745 74.90% 2,302 22.26% 211 2.04% 83 0.80% 5,443 52.64% 10,341Totals988,49367.84%438,88730.12%19,7211.35%9,9180.68%549,60637.72%1,457,019 By congressional district Nixon won all 10 congressional districts, including three held by Democrats.1972 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District https://wwu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/minimalist/index.html?appid=29e29b308b5b40aa8fa2cf696592e97f July 9, 2024 Western Washington University DistrictNixonMcGovern1st67.4%30.4%2nd65.8%31.3%3rd71.5%27.1%4th63.5%33.6%5th70.7%29.3%6th72.7%24.6%7th71%27.1%8th66.3%32.3%9th66.9%31.3%10th63%35.5% Notes References Works cited Black Earl Earl Black (political scientist) Black Merle Merle Black The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected Harvard University Press 1992 https://archive.org/details/vitalsouthhowpre0000blac 0674941306 1972 Category:1972 Virginia elections Virginia