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1972 Arkansas gubernatorial election
	County results; Bumpers: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Governor before election; Dale Bumpers; Democratic	Elected Governor ; Dale Bumpers; Democratic

The 1972 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Dale Bumpers defeated Republican nominee Len E. Blaylock with 75.44% of the vote, despite Democratic nominee George McGovern losing the state in a landslide in the concurrent presidential election.

Primary elections

Primary elections were held on May 30, 1972.

Bumpers avoided a run-off (which would have been held 13 June) by winning with more than 50% of the vote.

Democratic primary results^[2]^[3]^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dale Bumpers (incumbent)	330,088	66.71
	Democratic	Q. Byrum Hurst	81,239	16.42
	Democratic	Mack Harbour	55,172	11.15
	Democratic	George W. Davis	22,284	4.50
	Democratic	Les Gibbs	6,068	1.23
Total votes			494,851	100.00

Len E. Blaylock, former staffer and Welfare Commissioner under Winthrop Rockefeller^[5]

Republican primary results^[6]^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Len E. Blaylock		unopposed

1972 Arkansas gubernatorial election^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Dale Bumpers (incumbent)	488,892	75.44%	+13.78%
	Republican	Len E. Blaylock	159,177	24.56%	−7.85%
Majority			329,715	50.88%
Turnout			648,069	100.00%
	Democratic hold		Swing

Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1973). America Votes 10: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1972. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Affairs Institute.