1972 United States presidential election in Virginia
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.
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 County and Independent City Results
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| Elections in Virginia |
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For over sixty years Virginia had had the most restricted electorate in the United States due to a cumulative poll tax and literacy tests.[1] Virginia would be almost entirely controlled by the conservative Democratic Byrd Organization for four of those decades,[2] 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.[3] 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 accelerate[4] and become intensified by the mobilisation of working-class Piedmont whites against a national Democratic Party strongly associated with black interests.[5]
After 1966 the statewide Democratic party was severely divided into conservative, moderate and liberal factions,[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
78% of white voters supported Nixon while 22% supported McGovern.[9][10]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Daily Press[8] | Solid R | August 9, 1972 |
| Greensboro Daily News[11] | Certain R | October 8, 1972 |
| The Miami Herald[7] | Certain R | October 16, 1972 |
| Boston Sunday Globe[12] | Certain R | October 22, 1972 |
| Evening Express[13] | Certain R | October 30, 1972 |
| The York Dispatch[14] | Safe R | November 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.[15] As of the 2020 presidential election, this constitutes the last occasion the Republican Party has carried Brunswick County, Greensville County, Surry County, Sussex County, and the cities of Charlottesville, Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth and Richmond.[16] It is also the last occasion Virginia voted to the right of Wyoming.
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. This was the first ever occasion where Franklin County and Nelson County voted Republican, the first since 1888 that Greensville County did so, the first since 1892 that Dinwiddle, Southampton, and Surry Counties did so, the first since 1900 that Henry County did so, the first time since 1920 that Wise County voted Republican, the first since 1924 that Buchanan County did so, and the first time since 1928 that Isle of Wight County and Portsmouth did so.
Results
| 1972 United States presidential election in Virginia[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral 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
| 1972 United States presidential election in Virginia by counties and independent cities[18] | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Milhous Nixon Republican |
George Stanley McGovern Democratic |
John George Schmitz American Independent |
Louis Fisher Socialist Labor |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Accomack County | 6,496 | 71.97% | 2,406 | 26.66% | 108 | 1.20% | 16 | 0.18% | 4,090 | 45.31% | 9,026 |
| Albemarle County | 8,447 | 65.22% | 4,303 | 33.23% | 139 | 1.07% | 62 | 0.48% | 4,144 | 32.00% | 12,951 |
| Alleghany County | 2,584 | 67.47% | 1,069 | 27.91% | 170 | 4.44% | 7 | 0.18% | 1,515 | 39.56% | 3,830 |
| Amelia County | 1,606 | 64.99% | 778 | 31.49% | 58 | 2.35% | 29 | 1.17% | 828 | 33.51% | 2,471 |
| Amherst County | 4,909 | 73.94% | 1,512 | 22.77% | 148 | 2.23% | 70 | 1.05% | 3,397 | 51.17% | 6,639 |
| Appomattox County | 2,788 | 78.20% | 684 | 19.19% | 68 | 1.91% | 25 | 0.70% | 2,104 | 59.02% | 3,565 |
| Arlington County | 39,406 | 59.36% | 25,877 | 38.98% | 830 | 1.25% | 270 | 0.41% | 13,529 | 20.38% | 66,383 |
| Augusta County | 9,106 | 81.44% | 1,766 | 15.79% | 148 | 1.32% | 161 | 1.44% | 7,340 | 65.65% | 11,181 |
| Bath County | 1,127 | 68.89% | 462 | 28.24% | 43 | 2.63% | 4 | 0.24% | 665 | 40.65% | 1,636 |
| Bedford County | 5,286 | 73.43% | 1,501 | 20.85% | 358 | 4.97% | 54 | 0.75% | 3,785 | 52.58% | 7,199 |
| Bland County | 1,352 | 70.64% | 527 | 27.53% | 31 | 1.62% | 4 | 0.21% | 825 | 43.10% | 1,914 |
| Botetourt County | 3,806 | 69.44% | 1,519 | 27.71% | 121 | 2.21% | 35 | 0.64% | 2,287 | 41.73% | 5,481 |
| Brunswick County | 3,072 | 58.17% | 2,130 | 40.33% | 63 | 1.19% | 16 | 0.30% | 942 | 17.84% | 5,281 |
| Buchanan County | 4,801 | 56.13% | 3,566 | 41.69% | 95 | 1.11% | 92 | 1.08% | 1,235 | 14.44% | 8,554 |
| Buckingham County | 2,107 | 62.86% | 1,186 | 35.38% | 44 | 1.31% | 15 | 0.45% | 921 | 27.48% | 3,352 |
| Campbell County | 11,676 | 82.48% | 2,055 | 14.52% | 288 | 2.03% | 138 | 0.97% | 9,621 | 67.96% | 14,157 |
| Caroline County | 2,086 | 52.80% | 1,814 | 45.91% | 32 | 0.81% | 19 | 0.48% | 272 | 6.88% | 3,951 |
| Carroll County | 5,247 | 75.08% | 1,583 | 22.65% | 90 | 1.29% | 69 | 0.99% | 3,664 | 52.43% | 6,989 |
| Charles City County | 535 | 30.84% | 1,177 | 67.84% | 14 | 0.81% | 9 | 0.52% | -642 | -37.00% | 1,735 |
| Charlotte County | 2,501 | 66.22% | 1,182 | 31.29% | 75 | 1.99% | 19 | 0.50% | 1,319 | 34.92% | 3,777 |
| Chesterfield County | 24,934 | 85.24% | 3,823 | 13.07% | 365 | 1.25% | 131 | 0.45% | 21,111 | 72.17% | 29,253 |
| Clarke County | 1,816 | 69.13% | 715 | 27.22% | 67 | 2.55% | 29 | 1.10% | 1,101 | 41.91% | 2,627 |
| Craig County | 774 | 63.44% | 425 | 34.84% | 19 | 1.56% | 2 | 0.16% | 349 | 28.61% | 1,220 |
| Culpeper County | 3,707 | 72.80% | 1,316 | 25.84% | 60 | 1.18% | 9 | 0.18% | 2,391 | 46.96% | 5,092 |
| Cumberland County | 1,371 | 57.75% | 969 | 40.82% | 22 | 0.93% | 12 | 0.51% | 402 | 16.93% | 2,374 |
| Dickenson County | 3,633 | 56.22% | 2,711 | 41.95% | 62 | 0.96% | 56 | 0.87% | 922 | 14.27% | 6,462 |
| Dinwiddie County | 3,314 | 62.47% | 1,901 | 35.83% | 74 | 1.39% | 16 | 0.30% | 1,413 | 26.64% | 5,305 |
| Essex County | 1,482 | 62.58% | 808 | 34.12% | 44 | 1.86% | 34 | 1.44% | 674 | 28.46% | 2,368 |
| Fairfax County | 112,135 | 66.26% | 54,844 | 32.40% | 1,764 | 1.04% | 503 | 0.30% | 57,291 | 33.85% | 169,246 |
| Fauquier County | 4,654 | 67.71% | 2,039 | 29.67% | 80 | 1.16% | 100 | 1.45% | 2,615 | 38.05% | 6,873 |
| Floyd County | 2,444 | 76.11% | 708 | 22.05% | 57 | 1.78% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,736 | 54.06% | 3,211 |
| Fluvanna County | 1,438 | 67.29% | 637 | 29.81% | 23 | 1.08% | 39 | 1.82% | 801 | 37.48% | 2,137 |
| Franklin County | 4,674 | 65.74% | 2,273 | 31.97% | 145 | 2.04% | 18 | 0.25% | 2,401 | 33.77% | 7,110 |
| Frederick County | 5,367 | 75.18% | 1,604 | 22.47% | 105 | 1.47% | 63 | 0.88% | 3,763 | 52.71% | 7,139 |
| Giles County | 3,671 | 64.34% | 1,869 | 32.75% | 78 | 1.37% | 88 | 1.54% | 1,802 | 31.58% | 5,706 |
| Gloucester County | 3,642 | 71.92% | 1,292 | 25.51% | 78 | 1.54% | 52 | 1.03% | 2,350 | 46.41% | 5,064 |
| Goochland County | 2,127 | 60.98% | 1,254 | 35.95% | 52 | 1.49% | 55 | 1.58% | 873 | 25.03% | 3,488 |
| Grayson County | 3,565 | 67.48% | 1,603 | 30.34% | 67 | 1.27% | 48 | 0.91% | 1,962 | 37.14% | 5,283 |
| Greene County | 1,208 | 78.24% | 318 | 20.60% | 15 | 0.97% | 3 | 0.19% | 890 | 57.64% | 1,544 |
| Greensville County | 1,608 | 56.05% | 1,197 | 41.72% | 46 | 1.60% | 18 | 0.63% | 411 | 14.33% | 2,869 |
| Halifax County | 5,469 | 68.71% | 2,384 | 29.95% | 77 | 0.97% | 29 | 0.36% | 3,085 | 38.76% | 7,959 |
| Hanover County | 11,095 | 81.20% | 2,200 | 16.10% | 237 | 1.73% | 131 | 0.96% | 8,895 | 65.10% | 13,663 |
| Henrico County | 52,536 | 84.87% | 8,420 | 13.60% | 571 | 0.92% | 377 | 0.61% | 44,116 | 71.27% | 61,904 |
| Henry County | 7,556 | 62.84% | 4,042 | 33.62% | 170 | 1.41% | 256 | 2.13% | 3,514 | 29.22% | 12,024 |
| Highland County | 774 | 77.63% | 206 | 20.66% | 12 | 1.20% | 5 | 0.50% | 568 | 56.97% | 997 |
| Isle of Wight County | 3,555 | 59.27% | 2,305 | 38.43% | 119 | 1.98% | 19 | 0.32% | 1,250 | 20.84% | 5,998 |
| James City County | 3,372 | 61.97% | 1,992 | 36.61% | 56 | 1.03% | 21 | 0.39% | 1,380 | 25.36% | 5,441 |
| King and Queen County | 1,033 | 58.30% | 708 | 39.95% | 10 | 0.56% | 21 | 1.19% | 325 | 18.34% | 1,772 |
| King George County | 1,675 | 70.05% | 658 | 27.52% | 34 | 1.42% | 24 | 1.00% | 1,017 | 42.53% | 2,391 |
| King William County | 1,839 | 69.14% | 797 | 29.96% | 18 | 0.68% | 6 | 0.23% | 1,042 | 39.17% | 2,660 |
| Lancaster County | 2,683 | 71.64% | 1,009 | 26.94% | 35 | 0.93% | 18 | 0.48% | 1,674 | 44.70% | 3,745 |
| Lee County | 4,957 | 62.39% | 2,825 | 35.56% | 68 | 0.86% | 95 | 1.20% | 2,132 | 26.83% | 7,945 |
| Loudoun County | 9,417 | 69.46% | 3,941 | 29.07% | 190 | 1.40% | 9 | 0.07% | 5,476 | 40.39% | 13,557 |
| Louisa County | 2,545 | 63.55% | 1,338 | 33.41% | 56 | 1.40% | 66 | 1.65% | 1,207 | 30.14% | 4,005 |
| Lunenburg County | 2,464 | 69.14% | 1,044 | 29.29% | 45 | 1.26% | 11 | 0.31% | 1,420 | 39.84% | 3,564 |
| Madison County | 1,864 | 73.41% | 639 | 25.17% | 24 | 0.95% | 12 | 0.47% | 1,225 | 48.25% | 2,539 |
| Mathews County | 2,164 | 72.45% | 730 | 24.44% | 51 | 1.71% | 42 | 1.41% | 1,434 | 48.01% | 2,987 |
| Mecklenburg County | 6,381 | 68.55% | 2,804 | 30.12% | 106 | 1.14% | 18 | 0.19% | 3,577 | 38.43% | 9,309 |
| Middlesex County | 1,697 | 69.29% | 724 | 29.56% | 24 | 0.98% | 4 | 0.16% | 973 | 39.73% | 2,449 |
| Montgomery County | 9,348 | 70.56% | 3,692 | 27.87% | 194 | 1.46% | 14 | 0.11% | 5,656 | 42.69% | 13,248 |
| Nelson County | 2,145 | 67.22% | 954 | 29.90% | 82 | 2.57% | 10 | 0.31% | 1,191 | 37.32% | 3,191 |
| New Kent County | 1,370 | 67.52% | 633 | 31.20% | 19 | 0.94% | 7 | 0.34% | 737 | 36.32% | 2,029 |
| Northampton County | 2,587 | 66.45% | 1,246 | 32.01% | 53 | 1.36% | 7 | 0.18% | 1,341 | 34.45% | 3,893 |
| Northumberland County | 2,332 | 71.58% | 884 | 27.13% | 28 | 0.86% | 14 | 0.43% | 1,448 | 44.44% | 3,258 |
| Nottoway County | 2,979 | 68.22% | 1,308 | 29.95% | 70 | 1.60% | 10 | 0.23% | 1,671 | 38.26% | 4,367 |
| Orange County | 2,758 | 71.28% | 1,032 | 26.67% | 42 | 1.09% | 37 | 0.96% | 1,726 | 44.61% | 3,869 |
| Page County | 4,326 | 72.34% | 1,585 | 26.51% | 61 | 1.02% | 8 | 0.13% | 2,741 | 45.84% | 5,980 |
| Patrick County | 2,951 | 73.35% | 942 | 23.42% | 100 | 2.49% | 30 | 0.75% | 2,009 | 49.94% | 4,023 |
| Pittsylvania County | 12,108 | 72.34% | 4,429 | 26.46% | 174 | 1.04% | 26 | 0.16% | 7,679 | 45.88% | 16,737 |
| Powhatan County | 1,751 | 66.43% | 810 | 30.73% | 60 | 2.28% | 15 | 0.57% | 941 | 35.70% | 2,636 |
| Prince Edward County | 3,199 | 65.96% | 1,585 | 32.68% | 51 | 1.05% | 15 | 0.31% | 1,614 | 33.28% | 4,850 |
| Prince George County | 2,405 | 67.71% | 1,084 | 30.52% | 46 | 1.30% | 17 | 0.48% | 1,321 | 37.19% | 3,552 |
| Prince William County | 20,149 | 72.26% | 7,266 | 26.06% | 351 | 1.26% | 118 | 0.42% | 12,883 | 46.20% | 27,884 |
| Pulaski County | 6,281 | 72.01% | 2,311 | 26.50% | 114 | 1.31% | 16 | 0.18% | 3,970 | 45.52% | 8,722 |
| Rappahannock County | 1,055 | 68.20% | 471 | 30.45% | 16 | 1.03% | 5 | 0.32% | 584 | 37.75% | 1,547 |
| Richmond County | 1,565 | 77.55% | 435 | 21.56% | 13 | 0.64% | 5 | 0.25% | 1,130 | 56.00% | 2,018 |
| Roanoke County | 19,920 | 77.28% | 5,318 | 20.63% | 474 | 1.84% | 66 | 0.26% | 14,602 | 56.65% | 25,778 |
| Rockbridge County | 3,009 | 74.28% | 956 | 23.60% | 62 | 1.53% | 24 | 0.59% | 2,053 | 50.68% | 4,051 |
| Rockingham County | 10,025 | 81.67% | 2,026 | 16.51% | 143 | 1.16% | 81 | 0.66% | 7,999 | 65.16% | 12,275 |
| Russell County | 5,010 | 58.93% | 3,367 | 39.60% | 71 | 0.84% | 54 | 0.64% | 1,643 | 19.32% | 8,502 |
| Scott County | 5,125 | 66.18% | 2,474 | 31.95% | 81 | 1.05% | 64 | 0.83% | 2,651 | 34.23% | 7,744 |
| Shenandoah County | 7,128 | 82.46% | 1,422 | 16.45% | 78 | 0.90% | 16 | 0.19% | 5,706 | 66.01% | 8,644 |
| Smyth County | 6,409 | 72.27% | 2,280 | 25.71% | 82 | 0.92% | 97 | 1.09% | 4,129 | 46.56% | 8,868 |
| Southampton County | 3,225 | 67.09% | 1,498 | 31.16% | 66 | 1.37% | 18 | 0.37% | 1,727 | 35.93% | 4,807 |
| Spotsylvania County | 3,577 | 65.73% | 1,775 | 32.62% | 75 | 1.38% | 15 | 0.28% | 1,802 | 33.11% | 5,442 |
| Stafford County | 5,222 | 72.39% | 1,901 | 26.35% | 83 | 1.15% | 8 | 0.11% | 3,321 | 46.04% | 7,214 |
| Surry County | 1,067 | 50.40% | 988 | 46.67% | 27 | 1.28% | 35 | 1.65% | 79 | 3.73% | 2,117 |
| Sussex County | 2,120 | 54.99% | 1,645 | 42.67% | 43 | 1.12% | 47 | 1.22% | 475 | 12.32% | 3,855 |
| Tazewell County | 7,233 | 67.81% | 3,181 | 29.82% | 107 | 1.00% | 146 | 1.37% | 4,052 | 37.99% | 10,667 |
| Warren County | 3,718 | 69.40% | 1,508 | 28.15% | 63 | 1.18% | 68 | 1.27% | 2,210 | 41.25% | 5,357 |
| Washington County | 8,805 | 72.70% | 3,028 | 25.00% | 123 | 1.02% | 155 | 1.28% | 5,777 | 47.70% | 12,111 |
| Westmoreland County | 2,331 | 66.00% | 1,113 | 31.51% | 27 | 0.76% | 61 | 1.73% | 1,218 | 34.48% | 3,532 |
| Wise County | 6,739 | 59.94% | 4,402 | 39.16% | 79 | 0.70% | 22 | 0.20% | 2,337 | 20.79% | 11,242 |
| Wythe County | 4,553 | 73.96% | 1,431 | 23.25% | 70 | 1.14% | 102 | 1.66% | 3,122 | 50.71% | 6,156 |
| York County | 7,745 | 74.90% | 2,302 | 22.26% | 211 | 2.04% | 83 | 0.80% | 5,443 | 52.64% | 10,341 |
| Alexandria City | 20,235 | 55.95% | 15,409 | 42.60% | 348 | 0.96% | 177 | 0.49% | 4,826 | 13.34% | 36,169 |
| Bedford City | 1,407 | 68.20% | 529 | 25.64% | 89 | 4.31% | 38 | 1.84% | 878 | 42.56% | 2,063 |
| Bristol City | 2,665 | 68.46% | 1,157 | 29.72% | 54 | 1.39% | 17 | 0.44% | 1,508 | 38.74% | 3,893 |
| Buena Vista City | 990 | 70.26% | 373 | 26.47% | 22 | 1.55% | 34 | 2.40% | 617 | 43.79% | 1,409 |
| Charlottesville City | 7,935 | 59.42% | 5,240 | 39.24% | 95 | 0.71% | 83 | 0.62% | 2,695 | 20.18% | 13,353 |
| Chesapeake City | 17,722 | 67.95% | 7,289 | 27.95% | 649 | 2.49% | 420 | 1.61% | 10,433 | 40.00% | 26,080 |
| Clifton Forge City | 1,127 | 63.17% | 575 | 32.23% | 68 | 3.81% | 14 | 0.78% | 552 | 30.94% | 1,784 |
| Colonial Heights City | 5,304 | 87.99% | 541 | 8.97% | 87 | 1.44% | 96 | 1.59% | 4,763 | 79.01% | 6,028 |
| Covington City | 1,910 | 63.71% | 948 | 31.62% | 113 | 3.77% | 27 | 0.90% | 962 | 32.09% | 2,998 |
| Danville City | 12,463 | 73.68% | 4,148 | 24.52% | 134 | 0.79% | 171 | 1.01% | 8,315 | 49.15% | 16,916 |
| Emporia City | 1,340 | 68.82% | 565 | 29.02% | 18 | 0.92% | 24 | 1.23% | 775 | 39.80% | 1,947 |
| Fairfax City | 5,063 | 67.73% | 2,274 | 30.42% | 118 | 1.58% | 20 | 0.27% | 2,789 | 37.31% | 7,475 |
| Falls Church City | 2,967 | 60.02% | 1,895 | 38.34% | 67 | 1.36% | 14 | 0.28% | 1,072 | 21.69% | 4,943 |
| Franklin City | 1,416 | 64.98% | 738 | 33.87% | 14 | 0.64% | 11 | 0.50% | 678 | 31.12% | 2,179 |
| Fredericksburg City | 3,211 | 64.53% | 1,702 | 34.20% | 34 | 0.68% | 29 | 0.58% | 1,509 | 30.33% | 4,976 |
| Galax City | 1,497 | 72.63% | 524 | 25.42% | 28 | 1.36% | 12 | 0.58% | 973 | 47.21% | 2,061 |
| Hampton City | 21,897 | 65.49% | 10,648 | 31.85% | 479 | 1.43% | 411 | 1.23% | 11,249 | 33.64% | 33,435 |
| Harrisonburg City | 3,626 | 77.26% | 992 | 21.14% | 39 | 0.83% | 36 | 0.77% | 2,634 | 56.13% | 4,693 |
| Hopewell City | 5,229 | 75.88% | 1,485 | 21.55% | 106 | 1.54% | 71 | 1.03% | 3,744 | 54.33% | 6,891 |
| Lexington City | 1,345 | 64.98% | 695 | 33.57% | 18 | 0.87% | 12 | 0.58% | 650 | 31.40% | 2,070 |
| Lynchburg City | 13,259 | 74.11% | 4,208 | 23.52% | 264 | 1.48% | 159 | 0.89% | 9,051 | 50.59% | 17,890 |
| Martinsville City | 3,879 | 61.32% | 2,292 | 36.23% | 39 | 0.62% | 116 | 1.83% | 1,587 | 25.09% | 6,326 |
| Nansemond City | 5,767 | 57.57% | 3,929 | 39.42% | 186 | 1.87% | 84 | 0.84% | 1,838 | 18.44% | 9,966 |
| Newport News City | 27,169 | 67.40% | 12,233 | 30.35% | 639 | 1.59% | 271 | 0.67% | 14,936 | 37.05% | 40,312 |
| Norfolk City | 38,385 | 57.97% | 25,737 | 38.87% | 1,198 | 1.81% | 897 | 1.35% | 12,648 | 19.10% | 66,217 |
| Norton City | 823 | 62.68% | 463 | 35.26% | 12 | 0.91% | 15 | 1.14% | 360 | 27.42% | 1,313 |
| Petersburg City | 6,710 | 55.67% | 5,156 | 42.78% | 131 | 1.09% | 56 | 0.46% | 1,554 | 12.89% | 12,053 |
| Portsmouth City | 20,090 | 58.49% | 13,124 | 38.21% | 760 | 2.21% | 376 | 1.09% | 6,966 | 20.28% | 34,350 |
| Radford City | 2,577 | 68.68% | 1,121 | 29.88% | 40 | 1.07% | 14 | 0.37% | 1,456 | 38.81% | 3,752 |
| Richmond City | 46,244 | 57.59% | 33,055 | 41.16% | 649 | 0.81% | 354 | 0.44% | 13,189 | 16.42% | 80,302 |
| Roanoke City | 18,541 | 64.67% | 9,498 | 33.13% | 537 | 1.87% | 95 | 0.33% | 9,043 | 31.54% | 28,671 |
| Salem City | 5,649 | 74.79% | 1,744 | 23.09% | 136 | 1.80% | 24 | 0.32% | 3,905 | 51.70% | 7,553 |
| South Boston City | 1,865 | 71.59% | 709 | 27.22% | 7 | 0.27% | 24 | 0.92% | 1,156 | 44.38% | 2,605 |
| Staunton City | 5,531 | 78.25% | 1,416 | 20.03% | 33 | 0.47% | 88 | 1.25% | 4,115 | 58.22% | 7,068 |
| Suffolk City | 2,137 | 69.54% | 898 | 29.22% | 29 | 0.94% | 9 | 0.29% | 1,239 | 40.32% | 3,073 |
| Virginia Beach City | 38,074 | 76.56% | 10,373 | 20.86% | 837 | 1.68% | 449 | 0.90% | 27,701 | 55.70% | 49,733 |
| Waynesboro City | 4,163 | 77.75% | 1,061 | 19.82% | 72 | 1.34% | 58 | 1.08% | 3,102 | 57.94% | 5,354 |
| Williamsburg City | 1,786 | 57.46% | 1,274 | 40.99% | 29 | 0.93% | 19 | 0.61% | 512 | 16.47% | 3,108 |
| Winchester City | 4,647 | 75.55% | 1,418 | 23.05% | 55 | 0.89% | 31 | 0.50% | 3,229 | 52.50% | 6,151 |
| Totals | 988,493 | 67.84% | 438,887 | 30.12% | 19,721 | 1.35% | 9,918 | 0.68% | 549,606 | 37.72% | 1,457,019 |
Notes
- A faithless Republican elector voted for the Libertarian ticket: Hospers–Nathan
References
- Kousser, J. Morgan. The Shaping of Southern Politics Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910. Yale University Press. pp. 178–181. ISBN 0-300-01696-4.
- Key, Valdimer Orlando (1949). Southern Politics in State and Nation. pp. 20–25.
- Ely, James W. The crisis of conservative Virginia: the Byrd organization and the politics of massive resistance. p. 16. ISBN 0870491881.
- Atkinson, Frank B. (2006). The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the Rise of Two-party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742552098.
- Phillips, Kevin P. (1969). The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 260–266. ISBN 0870000586.
- Bass, Jack; De Vries, Walter (1995). The Transformation of Southern Politics: Social Change and Political Consequence Since 1945. pp. 347–353.
- Evans, Rowland; Novak, Robert (October 16, 1972). "Consider Virginia: McGovern, Nixon Creating a No-Party System in South". The Miami Herald. pp. 7-A.
- "Godwin's Legion for Nixon". The Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. August 9, 1972. p. 4.
- Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- Apple (jr), R.W. (October 8, 1972). "All the Signs Point to Nixon: Great Election Sweep Almost Within Grasp". Greensboro Daily News. Greensboro, North Carolina. p. 1.
- Broder, David S (October 22, 1972). "Politics from Maine to Hawaii: State-by-State Rundown of 1972 Election Scene". Boston Sunday Globe. pp. A-5, A-8.
- "Nixon Holds 26 Point Lead, Poll Reveals". Evening Express. Portland, Maine. October 30, 1972. p. 25.
- Biossat, Bruce (November 6, 1972). "Poll Indicates Possible Record: Signs Point to Nixon Sweep". The York Dispatch. York, Pennsylvania. p. 32.
- "1972 Presidential Election Statistics". David Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). Clerk of the House of Representatives. pp. 45 & 46.
- "VA 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.
