1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi
The 1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent President Nixon won the state of Mississippi with 78.20% of the vote.[1] This was the highest percentage Nixon received in any state in the election.[2]
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Elections in Mississippi |
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In Mississippi, voters voted for electors individually instead of as a slate, as in the other states.
McGovern carried only three counties – Claiborne, Holmes and Jefferson – all of which have overwhelming majority black populations.[3]
The proportion of white voters supporting McGovern was utterly negligible was estimated at maximally three percent.[4] As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which the following counties voted for a Republican presidential candidate: Marshall, Quitman, Bolivar, Sharkey, Wilkinson, Humphreys, Coahoma, Noxubee, and Tunica.[5]
100% of white voters supported Nixon while 0% supported McGovern.[6][7]
Polls
Source | Rating | As of |
---|---|---|
Corvallis Gazette-Times[8] | Safe R (Flip) | September 19, 1972 |
The Bradenton Herald[9] | Certain R (Flip) | October 9, 1972 |
The Austin American[10] | Certain R (Flip) | November 1, 1972 |
Sun Herald[11] | Certain R (Flip) | November 5, 1972 |
Results
1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi[1] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Republican | Richard Nixon (incumbent) | 505,125 | 78.20% | 7 | |
Democrat | George McGovern | 126,782 | 19.63% | 0 | |
Independent | John Schmitz | 11,598 | 1.80% | 0 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | 2,458 | 0.38% | 0 | |
Totals | 645,963 | 100.0% | 7 |
Results by individual elector
Party | Pledged to | Elector | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | B. B. McClendon, Jr. | 505,125 | |
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | H. F. McCarty, Jr. | 500,702 | |
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | Clyde Q. Sheely | 500,493 | |
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | Paul V. Lacoste | 500,378 | |
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | J. B. Bright | 499,990 | |
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | William Neville, Jr. | 499,194 | |
Republican Party | Richard Nixon | Joe A. Moore | 497,430 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | Frank A. Riley | 126,782 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | Robert S. Reeves | 126,116 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | Bobby Garraway | 124,922 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | Mathew Page | 124,871 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | Daniel Harvey | 124,037 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | Obie Clark | 123,664 | |
Democratic Party | George McGovern | William Bruce Guy | 123,080 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | William Hollis Burrow | 11,598 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | Homer Brown Wells | 11,030 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | Robert L. Baker | 10,993 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | Robert W. Schaffer | 10,925 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | Mrs. Robert W. Saul | 10,888 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | Curtis W. Caine | 10,789 | |
Independent | John G. Schmitz | Andrew Cvitanovich | 10,569 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | John Earl Brown | 2,458 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | Robert Donnell | 1,478 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | Shirley M. Roberts | 1,415 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | Delores Buford | 1,386 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | James Westley Miggins | 1,359 | |
Independent | Linda Jenness | Darius Singleton | 1,313 | |
Total votes | 645,963 |
Results by county
County | Richard Milhous Nixon Republican |
George Stanley McGovern Democratic |
John George Schmitz Independent |
Linda Jenness Independent |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 8,500 | 67.16% | 3,697 | 29.21% | 255 | 2.01% | 205 | 1.62% | 4,803 | 37.95% | 12,657 |
Alcorn | 5,732 | 83.28% | 982 | 14.27% | 134 | 1.95% | 35 | 0.51% | 4,750 | 69.01% | 6,883 |
Amite | 2,846 | 68.94% | 1,185 | 28.71% | 93 | 2.25% | 4 | 0.10% | 1,661 | 40.24% | 4,128 |
Attala | 4,738 | 79.50% | 1,103 | 18.51% | 116 | 1.95% | 3 | 0.05% | 3,635 | 60.99% | 5,960 |
Benton | 1,483 | 66.35% | 701 | 31.36% | 51 | 2.28% | 0 | 0.00% | 782 | 34.99% | 2,235 |
Bolivar | 7,397 | 66.12% | 3,616 | 32.32% | 155 | 1.39% | 19 | 0.17% | 3,781 | 33.80% | 11,187 |
Calhoun | 3,023 | 90.37% | 245 | 7.32% | 75 | 2.24% | 2 | 0.06% | 2,778 | 83.05% | 3,345 |
Carroll | 1,777 | 73.31% | 580 | 23.93% | 66 | 2.72% | 1 | 0.04% | 1,197 | 49.38% | 2,424 |
Chickasaw | 3,753 | 84.66% | 579 | 13.06% | 62 | 1.40% | 39 | 0.88% | 3,174 | 71.60% | 4,433 |
Choctaw | 2,301 | 86.57% | 326 | 12.26% | 29 | 1.09% | 2 | 0.08% | 1,975 | 74.30% | 2,658 |
Claiborne | 1,521 | 41.76% | 2,076 | 57.00% | 31 | 0.85% | 14 | 0.38% | -555 | -15.24% | 3,642 |
Clarke | 4,561 | 81.56% | 954 | 17.06% | 74 | 1.32% | 3 | 0.05% | 3,607 | 64.50% | 5,592 |
Clay | 4,035 | 71.39% | 1,410 | 24.95% | 116 | 2.05% | 91 | 1.61% | 2,625 | 46.44% | 5,652 |
Coahoma | 6,602 | 61.56% | 3,708 | 34.57% | 333 | 3.10% | 82 | 0.76% | 2,894 | 26.98% | 10,725 |
Copiah | 5,498 | 73.11% | 1,803 | 23.98% | 125 | 1.66% | 94 | 1.25% | 3,695 | 49.14% | 7,520 |
Covington | 3,842 | 84.09% | 642 | 14.05% | 77 | 1.69% | 8 | 0.18% | 3,200 | 70.04% | 4,569 |
DeSoto | 7,917 | 80.88% | 1,557 | 15.91% | 314 | 3.21% | 1 | 0.01% | 6,360 | 64.97% | 9,789 |
Forrest | 14,418 | 80.56% | 2,933 | 16.39% | 531 | 2.96% | 16 | 0.09% | 11,485 | 64.17% | 17,898 |
Franklin | 2,361 | 78.73% | 561 | 18.71% | 63 | 2.10% | 14 | 0.47% | 1,800 | 60.02% | 2,999 |
George | 3,979 | 92.90% | 270 | 6.30% | 33 | 0.77% | 1 | 0.02% | 3,709 | 86.60% | 4,283 |
Greene | 2,884 | 83.52% | 513 | 14.86% | 43 | 1.25% | 13 | 0.38% | 2,371 | 68.66% | 3,453 |
Grenada | 4,800 | 75.09% | 1,471 | 23.01% | 107 | 1.67% | 14 | 0.22% | 3,329 | 52.08% | 6,392 |
Hancock | 5,133 | 86.28% | 745 | 12.52% | 64 | 1.08% | 7 | 0.12% | 4,388 | 73.76% | 5,949 |
Harrison | 28,962 | 84.02% | 4,761 | 13.81% | 534 | 1.55% | 213 | 0.62% | 24,201 | 70.21% | 34,470 |
Hinds | 49,877 | 77.82% | 12,679 | 19.78% | 1,126 | 1.76% | 414 | 0.65% | 37,198 | 58.03% | 64,096 |
Holmes | 3,158 | 47.23% | 3,459 | 51.73% | 57 | 0.85% | 12 | 0.18% | -301 | -4.50% | 6,686 |
Humphreys | 2,334 | 69.01% | 892 | 26.37% | 86 | 2.54% | 70 | 2.07% | 1,442 | 42.64% | 3,382 |
Issaquena | 701 | 60.80% | 395 | 34.26% | 34 | 2.95% | 23 | 1.99% | 306 | 26.54% | 1,153 |
Itawamba | 4,419 | 89.20% | 509 | 10.27% | 24 | 0.48% | 2 | 0.04% | 3,910 | 78.93% | 4,954 |
Jackson | 22,204 | 88.68% | 2,534 | 10.12% | 282 | 1.13% | 18 | 0.07% | 19,670 | 78.56% | 25,038 |
Jasper | 3,597 | 78.47% | 935 | 20.40% | 50 | 1.09% | 2 | 0.04% | 2,662 | 58.07% | 4,584 |
Jefferson | 1,131 | 43.37% | 1,457 | 55.87% | 16 | 0.61% | 4 | 0.15% | -326 | -12.50% | 2,608 |
Jefferson Davis | 2,830 | 72.83% | 1,005 | 25.86% | 43 | 1.11% | 8 | 0.21% | 1,825 | 46.96% | 3,886 |
Jones | 16,489 | 83.79% | 2,790 | 14.18% | 320 | 1.63% | 80 | 0.41% | 13,699 | 69.61% | 19,679 |
Kemper | 2,748 | 75.25% | 837 | 22.92% | 65 | 1.78% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,911 | 52.33% | 3,652 |
Lafayette | 5,391 | 76.89% | 1,545 | 22.04% | 67 | 0.96% | 8 | 0.11% | 3,846 | 54.86% | 7,011 |
Lamar | 5,022 | 88.38% | 493 | 8.68% | 161 | 2.83% | 6 | 0.11% | 4,529 | 79.71% | 5,682 |
Lauderdale | 18,337 | 81.79% | 3,453 | 15.40% | 613 | 2.73% | 17 | 0.08% | 14,884 | 66.39% | 22,420 |
Lawrence | 3,394 | 81.70% | 709 | 17.07% | 50 | 1.20% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,685 | 64.64% | 4,154 |
Leake | 4,217 | 79.13% | 1,053 | 19.76% | 56 | 1.05% | 3 | 0.06% | 3,164 | 59.37% | 5,329 |
Lee | 10,730 | 82.60% | 1,632 | 12.56% | 520 | 4.00% | 109 | 0.84% | 9,098 | 70.03% | 12,991 |
Leflore | 6,779 | 75.58% | 2,038 | 22.72% | 148 | 1.65% | 4 | 0.04% | 4,741 | 52.86% | 8,969 |
Lincoln | 7,593 | 86.01% | 1,070 | 12.12% | 161 | 1.82% | 4 | 0.05% | 6,523 | 73.89% | 8,828 |
Lowndes | 10,098 | 78.70% | 2,398 | 18.69% | 326 | 2.54% | 9 | 0.07% | 7,700 | 60.01% | 12,831 |
Madison | 5,047 | 57.20% | 3,464 | 39.26% | 239 | 2.71% | 74 | 0.84% | 1,583 | 17.94% | 8,824 |
Marion | 6,805 | 79.40% | 1,693 | 19.75% | 65 | 0.76% | 7 | 0.08% | 5,112 | 59.65% | 8,570 |
Marshall | 3,326 | 62.10% | 1,875 | 35.01% | 115 | 2.15% | 40 | 0.75% | 1,451 | 27.09% | 5,356 |
Monroe | 7,273 | 84.10% | 1,279 | 14.79% | 84 | 0.97% | 12 | 0.14% | 5,994 | 69.31% | 8,648 |
Montgomery | 3,210 | 76.32% | 925 | 21.99% | 67 | 1.59% | 4 | 0.10% | 2,285 | 54.33% | 4,206 |
Neshoba | 6,815 | 88.22% | 812 | 10.51% | 93 | 1.20% | 5 | 0.06% | 6,003 | 77.71% | 7,725 |
Newton | 5,585 | 88.05% | 597 | 9.41% | 157 | 2.48% | 4 | 0.06% | 4,988 | 78.64% | 6,343 |
Noxubee | 2,239 | 66.28% | 1,052 | 31.14% | 83 | 2.46% | 4 | 0.12% | 1,187 | 35.14% | 3,378 |
Oktibbeha | 6,160 | 75.56% | 1,880 | 23.06% | 100 | 1.23% | 13 | 0.16% | 4,280 | 52.50% | 8,153 |
Panola | 5,284 | 70.61% | 2,091 | 27.94% | 105 | 1.40% | 3 | 0.04% | 3,193 | 42.67% | 7,483 |
Pearl River | 7,487 | 88.04% | 901 | 10.60% | 111 | 1.31% | 5 | 0.06% | 6,586 | 77.45% | 8,504 |
Perry | 2,689 | 84.14% | 446 | 13.95% | 60 | 1.88% | 1 | 0.03% | 2,243 | 70.18% | 3,196 |
Pike | 6,542 | 72.08% | 2,332 | 25.69% | 188 | 2.07% | 14 | 0.15% | 4,210 | 46.39% | 9,076 |
Pontotoc | 4,476 | 89.45% | 488 | 9.75% | 40 | 0.80% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,988 | 79.70% | 5,004 |
Prentiss | 4,607 | 91.12% | 398 | 7.87% | 51 | 1.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,209 | 83.25% | 5,056 |
Quitman | 2,524 | 74.41% | 790 | 23.29% | 59 | 1.74% | 19 | 0.56% | 1,734 | 51.12% | 3,392 |
Rankin | 12,187 | 85.19% | 1,913 | 13.37% | 197 | 1.38% | 8 | 0.06% | 10,274 | 71.82% | 14,305 |
Scott | 5,244 | 79.95% | 1,213 | 18.49% | 91 | 1.39% | 11 | 0.17% | 4,031 | 61.46% | 6,559 |
Sharkey | 1,426 | 67.94% | 655 | 31.21% | 15 | 0.71% | 3 | 0.14% | 771 | 36.73% | 2,099 |
Simpson | 5,669 | 85.87% | 871 | 13.19% | 51 | 0.77% | 11 | 0.17% | 4,798 | 72.67% | 6,602 |
Smith | 4,419 | 92.35% | 329 | 6.88% | 36 | 0.75% | 1 | 0.02% | 4,090 | 85.48% | 4,785 |
Stone | 2,467 | 88.49% | 293 | 10.51% | 27 | 0.97% | 1 | 0.04% | 2,174 | 77.98% | 2,788 |
Sunflower | 5,389 | 73.27% | 1,874 | 25.48% | 77 | 1.05% | 15 | 0.20% | 3,515 | 47.79% | 7,355 |
Tallahatchie | 3,442 | 77.37% | 835 | 18.77% | 157 | 3.53% | 15 | 0.34% | 2,607 | 58.60% | 4,449 |
Tate | 3,966 | 75.74% | 1,151 | 21.98% | 104 | 1.85% | 15 | 0.27% | 2,815 | 53.76% | 5,236 |
Tippah | 3,937 | 85.87% | 569 | 12.41% | 76 | 1.66% | 3 | 0.07% | 3,368 | 73.46% | 4,585 |
Tishomingo | 4,177 | 89.23% | 443 | 9.46% | 52 | 1.11% | 9 | 0.19% | 3,734 | 79.77% | 4,681 |
Tunica | 1,446 | 62.19% | 858 | 36.90% | 18 | 0.77% | 3 | 0.13% | 588 | 25.29% | 2,325 |
Union | 5,477 | 87.91% | 658 | 10.56% | 90 | 1.44% | 5 | 0.08% | 4,819 | 77.35% | 6,230 |
Walthall | 3,110 | 79.66% | 747 | 19.13% | 41 | 1.05% | 6 | 0.15% | 2,363 | 60.53% | 3,904 |
Warren | 10,420 | 71.97% | 3,480 | 24.04% | 452 | 3.12% | 126 | 0.87% | 6,940 | 47.93% | 14,478 |
Washington | 9,634 | 63.78% | 4,623 | 30.61% | 535 | 3.54% | 312 | 2.07% | 5,011 | 33.18% | 15,104 |
Wayne | 4,648 | 82.08% | 975 | 17.22% | 35 | 0.62% | 5 | 0.09% | 3,673 | 64.86% | 5,663 |
Webster | 3,624 | 89.15% | 403 | 9.91% | 38 | 0.93% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,221 | 79.24% | 4,065 |
Wilkinson | 1,608 | 52.65% | 1,409 | 46.14% | 32 | 1.05% | 5 | 0.16% | 199 | 6.52% | 3,054 |
Winston | 5,155 | 78.64% | 1,354 | 20.66% | 39 | 0.59% | 7 | 0.11% | 3,801 | 57.99% | 6,555 |
Yalobusha | 2,944 | 77.53% | 797 | 20.99% | 48 | 1.26% | 8 | 0.21% | 2,147 | 56.54% | 3,797 |
Yazoo | 5,555 | 72.58% | 2,008 | 26.23% | 84 | 1.10% | 7 | 0.09% | 3,547 | 46.34% | 7,654 |
Totals | 505,125 | 78.20% | 126,782 | 19.63% | 11,598 | 1.80% | 2,458 | 0.38% | 378,343 | 58.57% | 645,963 |
Notes
References
- "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Mississippi". Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 56.
- Grantham, Dewey W. The South in Modern America: A Region at Odds. pp. 247–248. ISBN 1610753895.
- Black, Earl (2021). "Competing Responses to the New Southern Politics: Republican and Democratic Southern Strategies, 1964-76". In Reed, John Shelton; Black, Merle (eds.). Perspectives on the American South: An Annual Review of Society, Politics, and Culture. ISBN 9781136764882.
- Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- "Nixon May Sweep Dixie States". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Corvallis, Oregon. September 19, 1972. p. 24.
- Phillips, Kevin P. (October 9, 1972). "Dixie May Swing Political Future". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. p. 7-B.
- Furgursson, Ernest B. (October 25, 1972). "By Democrats in South — National Issues Ignored". The Austin American. Austin, Texas. p. 4.
- "Nixon Expected To Sweep South". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. November 5, 1972. p. C-9.
- "Mississippi 1972 Presidential Elector Candidates". PoliticalGraveyard.com.
- "MS US President Race, November 07, 1972". Our Campaigns.
Works cited
- 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.