Election in Missouri
1972 United States presidential election in Missouri
County Results
Nixon
50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
McGovern
50-60%
60-70%
The 1972 United States presidential election in Missouri took place on November 7, 1972. All fifty states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1972 United States presidential election . Voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College , who voted for president and vice president .
Missouri was won by 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 .
In a state substantially part of the conservative South , McGovern was viewed by many voters as a left-wing extremist because of his support for busing and civil rights, plus his opposition to the Vietnam War , support for granting amnesty to draft dodgers [1] and support for a thousand-dollar giveaway to each American as a solution to poverty.[2] Many, especially Republican campaigners, also believed McGovern would legalise abortion and illicit drugs if he were elected[3] – despite the fact that his running mate Sargent Shriver was firmly pro-life . These fears of McGovern's social radicalism were especially pronounced amongst poorer whites, who were abundant in the southern part of Missouri.[4]
Nixon carried Missouri with 62.29% of the vote to McGovern's 37.71%, a victory margin of 24.58%. Nixon won all but two jurisdictions: Monroe County and St. Louis City , and was the first Republican to ever carry southern secessionist Mississippi County and Maries County ,[5] the first since Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to carry “Little Dixie ” Howard and Randolph Counties ,[6] and the first since Ulysses S. Grant in 1868 to carry Lewis , Lincoln , Ralls and Ray Counties .[5] As of the 2020 presidential election [update] , this is the last election in which Jackson County , which contains most of Kansas City , as well as Independence , the hometown of former Democratic president Harry S. Truman (who died seven weeks after the election), voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[7]
Results [ edit ]
Results by county [ edit ]
Richard Milhous Nixon Republican
George Stanley McGovern Democratic
Margin
Total votes cast[9]
County
#
%
#
%
#
%
Adair
6,157
72.92%
2,286
27.08%
3,871
45.85%
8,443
Andrew
4,180
71.26%
1,686
28.74%
2,494
42.52%
5,866
Atchison
2,927
65.98%
1,509
34.02%
1,418
31.97%
4,436
Audrain
7,197
66.01%
3,706
33.99%
3,491
32.02%
10,903
Barry
7,295
69.73%
3,167
30.27%
4,128
39.46%
10,462
Barton
4,026
77.93%
1,140
22.07%
2,886
55.87%
5,166
Bates
5,314
63.76%
3,020
36.24%
2,294
27.53%
8,334
Benton
3,537
71.31%
1,423
28.69%
2,114
42.62%
4,960
Bollinger
3,069
62.80%
1,818
37.20%
1,251
25.60%
4,887
Boone
17,488
56.13%
13,666
43.87%
3,822
12.27%
31,154
Buchanan
21,850
65.72%
11,395
34.28%
10,455
31.45%
33,245
Butler
9,198
72.63%
3,466
27.37%
5,732
45.26%
12,664
Caldwell
3,167
72.01%
1,231
27.99%
1,936
44.02%
4,398
Callaway
6,313
67.53%
3,036
32.47%
3,277
35.05%
9,349
Camden
4,996
73.94%
1,761
26.06%
3,235
47.88%
6,757
Cape Girardeau
15,693
71.42%
6,280
28.58%
9,413
42.84%
21,973
Carroll
4,100
68.03%
1,927
31.97%
2,173
36.05%
6,027
Carter
1,257
68.99%
565
31.01%
692
37.98%
1,822
Cass
9,242
71.24%
3,731
28.76%
5,511
42.48%
12,973
Cedar
3,520
75.34%
1,152
24.66%
2,368
50.68%
4,672
Chariton
2,812
58.45%
1,999
41.55%
813
16.90%
4,811
Christian
6,305
76.42%
1,945
23.58%
4,360
52.85%
8,250
Clark
2,499
64.04%
1,403
35.96%
1,096
28.09%
3,902
Clay
33,017
69.43%
14,538
30.57%
18,479
38.86%
47,555
Clinton
3,924
66.87%
1,944
33.13%
1,980
33.74%
5,868
Cole
16,685
77.83%
4,754
22.17%
11,931
55.65%
21,439
Cooper
5,172
68.92%
2,332
31.08%
2,840
37.85%
7,504
Crawford
4,595
67.15%
2,248
32.85%
2,347
34.30%
6,843
Dade
2,624
77.84%
747
22.16%
1,877
55.68%
3,371
Dallas
3,120
74.20%
1,085
25.80%
2,035
48.39%
4,205
Daviess
2,840
66.51%
1,430
33.49%
1,410
33.02%
4,270
DeKalb
2,766
67.38%
1,339
32.62%
1,427
34.76%
4,105
Dent
3,024
63.88%
1,710
36.12%
1,314
27.76%
4,734
Douglas
3,773
75.73%
1,209
24.27%
2,564
51.47%
4,982
Dunklin
5,926
68.10%
2,776
31.90%
3,150
36.20%
8,702
Franklin
13,785
64.87%
7,464
35.13%
6,321
29.75%
21,249
Gasconade
4,944
80.13%
1,226
19.87%
3,718
60.26%
6,170
Gentry
2,984
64.50%
1,642
35.50%
1,342
29.01%
4,626
Greene
48,348
70.58%
20,155
29.42%
28,193
41.16%
68,503
Grundy
3,969
73.54%
1,428
26.46%
2,541
47.08%
5,397
Harrison
3,574
72.10%
1,383
27.90%
2,191
44.20%
4,957
Henry
5,802
64.99%
3,125
35.01%
2,677
29.99%
8,927
Hickory
1,851
74.85%
622
25.15%
1,229
49.70%
2,473
Holt
2,578
71.83%
1,011
28.17%
1,567
43.66%
3,589
Howard
2,613
56.15%
2,041
43.85%
572
12.29%
4,654
Howell
7,253
72.18%
2,795
27.82%
4,458
44.37%
10,048
Iron
2,203
62.07%
1,346
37.93%
857
24.15%
3,549
Jackson
129,989
58.34%
92,830
41.66%
37,159
16.68%
222,819
Jasper
22,482
74.61%
7,652
25.39%
14,830
49.21%
30,134
Jefferson
21,947
61.42%
13,787
38.58%
8,160
22.84%
35,734
Johnson
7,228
70.37%
3,044
29.63%
4,184
40.73%
10,272
Knox
1,896
64.78%
1,031
35.22%
865
29.55%
2,927
Laclede
6,152
73.78%
2,186
26.22%
3,966
47.57%
8,338
Lafayette
9,187
69.34%
4,063
30.66%
5,124
38.67%
13,250
Lawrence
8,445
72.96%
3,130
27.04%
5,315
45.92%
11,575
Lewis
2,738
61.76%
1,695
38.24%
1,043
23.53%
4,433
Lincoln
5,127
64.81%
2,784
35.19%
2,343
29.62%
7,911
Linn
4,595
59.92%
3,073
40.08%
1,522
19.85%
7,668
Livingston
5,253
66.37%
2,662
33.63%
2,591
32.74%
7,915
Macon
4,538
61.47%
2,844
38.53%
1,694
22.95%
7,382
Madison
2,837
66.16%
1,451
33.84%
1,386
32.32%
4,288
Maries
2,082
63.07%
1,219
36.93%
863
26.14%
3,301
Marion
7,197
63.31%
4,171
36.69%
3,026
26.62%
11,368
McDonald
4,339
70.83%
1,787
29.17%
2,552
41.66%
6,126
Mercer
1,592
72.40%
607
27.60%
985
44.79%
2,199
Miller
5,682
78.05%
1,598
21.95%
4,084
56.10%
7,280
Mississippi
2,727
64.97%
1,470
35.03%
1,257
29.95%
4,197
Moniteau
3,963
73.96%
1,395
26.04%
2,568
47.93%
5,358
Monroe
2,141
48.22%
2,299
51.78%
-158
-3.56%
4,440
Montgomery
3,707
68.67%
1,691
31.33%
2,016
37.35%
5,398
Morgan
4,021
70.47%
1,685
29.53%
2,336
40.94%
5,706
New Madrid
4,735
57.50%
3,500
42.50%
1,235
15.00%
8,235
Newton
10,701
71.38%
4,291
28.62%
6,410
42.76%
14,992
Nodaway
5,942
64.14%
3,322
35.86%
2,620
28.28%
9,264
Oregon
2,118
61.04%
1,352
38.96%
766
22.07%
3,470
Osage
4,266
74.18%
1,485
25.82%
2,781
48.36%
5,751
Ozark
2,119
77.22%
625
22.78%
1,494
54.45%
2,744
Pemiscot
4,697
69.96%
2,017
30.04%
2,680
39.92%
6,714
Perry
4,736
70.80%
1,953
29.20%
2,783
41.61%
6,689
Pettis
10,065
66.74%
5,016
33.26%
5,049
33.48%
15,081
Phelps
7,598
68.05%
3,567
31.95%
4,031
36.10%
11,165
Pike
4,452
62.61%
2,659
37.39%
1,793
25.21%
7,111
Platte
8,764
67.69%
4,183
32.31%
4,581
35.38%
12,947
Polk
5,409
70.67%
2,245
29.33%
3,164
41.34%
7,654
Pulaski
4,243
69.04%
1,903
30.96%
2,340
38.07%
6,146
Putnam
2,112
78.72%
571
21.28%
1,541
57.44%
2,683
Ralls
1,827
57.13%
1,371
42.87%
456
14.26%
3,198
Randolph
5,195
57.66%
3,814
42.34%
1,381
15.33%
9,009
Ray
4,205
59.65%
2,844
40.35%
1,361
19.31%
7,049
Reynolds
1,541
59.91%
1,031
40.09%
510
19.83%
2,572
Ripley
2,810
67.37%
1,361
32.63%
1,449
34.74%
4,171
Saint Charles
25,677
69.94%
11,034
30.06%
14,643
39.89%
36,711
Saint Clair
2,847
66.88%
1,410
33.12%
1,437
33.76%
4,257
Saint Francois
8,812
65.42%
4,658
34.58%
4,154
30.84%
13,470
Saint Louis County
264,147
62.16%
160,801
37.84%
103,346
24.32%
424,948
Saint Louis City
72,402
37.67%
119,817
62.33%
-47,415
-24.67%
192,219
Sainte Genevieve
2,900
56.34%
2,247
43.66%
653
12.69%
5,147
Saline
6,641
65.75%
3,460
34.25%
3,181
31.49%
10,101
Schuyler
1,495
60.14%
991
39.86%
504
20.27%
2,486
Scotland
1,918
60.18%
1,269
39.82%
649
20.36%
3,187
Scott
7,316
66.74%
3,646
33.26%
3,670
33.48%
10,962
Shannon
1,623
58.87%
1,134
41.13%
489
17.74%
2,757
Shelby
2,057
56.73%
1,569
43.27%
488
13.46%
3,626
Stoddard
6,282
70.44%
2,636
29.56%
3,646
40.88%
8,918
Stone
4,180
79.26%
1,094
20.74%
3,086
58.51%
5,274
Sullivan
2,611
62.18%
1,588
37.82%
1,023
24.36%
4,199
Taney
4,982
77.64%
1,435
22.36%
3,547
55.28%
6,417
Texas
5,104
65.09%
2,737
34.91%
2,367
30.19%
7,841
Vernon
4,892
61.54%
3,057
38.46%
1,835
23.08%
7,949
Warren
3,530
74.24%
1,225
25.76%
2,305
48.48%
4,755
Washington
3,818
63.14%
2,229
36.86%
1,589
26.28%
6,047
Wayne
3,091
63.90%
1,746
36.10%
1,345
27.81%
4,837
Webster
5,095
68.50%
2,343
31.50%
2,752
37.00%
7,438
Worth
1,170
61.68%
727
38.32%
443
23.35%
1,897
Wright
4,350
76.08%
1,368
23.92%
2,982
52.15%
5,718
Totals
1,153,852
62.34%
697,147
37.66%
456,705
24.67%
1,850,999
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ Perry, James Moorhead; Us and Them: How the Press Covered the 1972 Election , p. 136 ISBN 0517505525
^ Grantham, Dewey W.; The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History , p. 179 ISBN 0813148723
^ Davis, Lanny; Scandal: How "Gotcha" Politics Is Destroying America , pp. 65-66 ISBN 1466892803
^ Glenn, Norval D.; ‘Class and Party Support in 1972’; The Public Opinion Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 1 (Spring, 1975), pp. 117-122
^ a b Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004 , pp. 239-246 ISBN 9780786422173
^ Menendez; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States , p. 99
^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’ ; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review ; June 29, 2016
^ David Leip. "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Missouri" . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2017-04-09 .
^ Missouri Secretary of State, ‘General Election Returns Vote for President, By Counties, at General Election November 7, 1972,’ Official Manual State of Missouri 1973-1974 (Jefferson City, 1973)