1972 United States presidential election in Kentucky

Main article: 1972 United States presidential election
1972 United States presidential election in Kentucky
← 1968 November 7, 1972[1] 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 9 0
Popular vote 676,446 371,159
Percentage 63.37% 34.77%
County Results
President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

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The 1972 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Kentucky voters chose 9 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.[2]

Kentucky was won by incumbent President Richard Nixon (R–California) with 63.77 percent of the popular vote against Senator George McGovern (D–South Dakota) with 34.77%.[3][4] Nixon won all but eight of the 120 counties in the state.[5] Electors Frank Stubblefield (D), Romano L. Mazzoli (D), Gene Snyder (R), Tim Lee Carter (R), William P. Curlin Jr. (D), Carl D. Perkins (D), John Sherman Cooper (R), and Marlow W. Cook (R) were pledged to and voted for Nixon.

This was the first time ever that a Republican won Franklin County, Harrison County, Henry County, Meade County, Owen County, or Trimble County, and the first time that every county in the Jackson Purchase voted Republican. Nixon was also the first Republican since Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to carry Fulton County, Marshall County, or Hickman County.

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Richard Nixon of California (incumbent) Spiro Agnew (incumbent) Republican 9 676,446 63.37%
George McGovern Sargent Shriver Democratic 0 371,159 34.77%
John G. Schmitz Thomas J. Anderson American 0 17,627 1.65%
Benjamin Spock Julius Hobson People's 0 1,118 0.10%
Linda Jenness Andrew Pulley Socialist Workers 0 685 0.06%
Gus Hall Jarvis Tyner Communist 0 464 0.04%

Results by county

County[6] Richard Nixon
Republican 		George McGovern
Democratic 		John G. Schmitz
American 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Adair 3,859 69.77% 1,610 29.11% 55 0.99% 7 0.13% 2,249 40.66% 5,531
Allen 3,025 69.83% 1,259 29.06% 43 0.99% 5 0.12% 1,766 40.77% 4,332
Anderson 2,298 62.62% 1,302 35.48% 60 1.63% 10 0.27% 996 27.14% 3,670
Ballard 1,542 49.92% 1,411 45.68% 128 4.14% 8 0.26% 131 4.24% 3,089
Barren 6,070 62.60% 3,384 34.90% 230 2.37% 12 0.12% 2,686 27.70% 9,696
Bath 1,919 58.47% 1,347 41.04% 12 0.37% 4 0.12% 572 17.43% 3,282
Bell 6,518 66.06% 3,219 32.62% 96 0.97% 34 0.34% 3,299 33.44% 9,867
Boone 7,355 71.55% 2,595 25.24% 316 3.07% 14 0.14% 4,760 46.31% 10,280
Bourbon 3,180 62.02% 1,860 36.28% 78 1.52% 9 0.18% 1,320 25.74% 5,127
Boyd 12,812 65.92% 6,434 33.10% 170 0.87% 21 0.11% 6,378 32.82% 19,437
Boyle 4,317 63.66% 2,395 35.32% 54 0.80% 15 0.22% 1,922 28.34% 6,781
Bracken 1,628 64.30% 873 34.48% 29 1.15% 2 0.08% 755 29.82% 2,532
Breathitt 1,846 40.65% 2,677 58.95% 13 0.29% 5 0.11% -831 -18.30% 4,541
Breckinridge 3,574 64.25% 1,921 34.53% 62 1.11% 6 0.11% 1,653 29.72% 5,563
Bullitt 4,517 59.80% 2,827 37.43% 191 2.53% 18 0.24% 1,690 22.37% 7,553
Butler 2,941 77.03% 835 21.87% 36 0.94% 6 0.16% 2,106 55.16% 3,818
Caldwell 2,952 66.32% 1,345 30.22% 139 3.12% 15 0.34% 1,607 36.10% 4,451
Calloway 5,167 59.17% 3,468 39.72% 85 0.97% 12 0.14% 1,699 19.45% 8,732
Campbell 20,025 68.01% 8,585 29.16% 770 2.62% 65 0.22% 11,440 38.85% 29,445
Carlisle 1,169 55.75% 872 41.58% 48 2.29% 8 0.38% 297 14.17% 2,097
Carroll 1,228 47.71% 1,308 50.82% 35 1.36% 3 0.12% -80 -3.11% 2,574
Carter 4,082 60.68% 2,591 38.52% 39 0.58% 15 0.22% 1,491 22.16% 6,727
Casey 3,727 78.83% 913 19.31% 53 1.12% 35 0.74% 2,814 59.52% 4,728
Christian 7,414 63.34% 4,063 34.71% 215 1.84% 13 0.11% 3,351 28.63% 11,705
Clark 4,506 68.43% 2,020 30.68% 51 0.77% 8 0.12% 2,486 37.75% 6,585
Clay 4,046 69.99% 1,709 29.56% 22 0.38% 4 0.07% 2,337 40.43% 5,781
Clinton 2,632 79.59% 659 19.93% 13 0.39% 3 0.09% 1,973 59.66% 3,307
Crittenden 2,248 71.52% 859 27.33% 32 1.02% 4 0.13% 1,389 44.19% 3,143
Cumberland 2,294 76.42% 686 22.85% 20 0.67% 2 0.07% 1,608 53.57% 3,002
Daviess 17,234 65.64% 8,168 31.11% 757 2.88% 97 0.37% 9,066 34.53% 26,256
Edmonson 2,327 75.70% 722 23.49% 17 0.55% 8 0.26% 1,605 52.21% 3,074
Elliott 782 34.04% 1,499 65.26% 7 0.30% 9 0.39% -717 -31.22% 2,297
Estill 3,054 69.42% 1,322 30.05% 20 0.45% 3 0.07% 1,732 39.37% 4,399
Fayette 42,362 66.54% 19,828 31.14% 1,315 2.07% 161 0.25% 22,534 35.40% 63,666
Fleming 2,484 62.38% 1,455 36.54% 25 0.63% 18 0.45% 1,029 25.84% 3,982
Floyd 6,099 44.20% 7,544 54.67% 117 0.85% 40 0.29% -1,445 -10.47% 13,800
Franklin 7,781 56.88% 5,601 40.95% 264 1.93% 33 0.24% 2,180 15.93% 13,679
Fulton 1,807 61.32% 1,024 34.75% 111 3.77% 5 0.17% 783 26.57% 2,947
Gallatin 719 53.38% 612 45.43% 14 1.04% 2 0.15% 107 7.95% 1,347
Garrard 3,143 67.49% 1,441 30.94% 65 1.40% 8 0.17% 1,702 36.55% 4,657
Grant 2,086 64.03% 1,054 32.35% 111 3.41% 7 0.21% 1,032 31.68% 3,258
Graves 6,098 60.38% 3,701 36.64% 266 2.63% 35 0.35% 2,397 23.74% 10,100
Grayson 4,155 67.99% 1,839 30.09% 98 1.60% 19 0.31% 2,316 37.90% 6,111
Green 2,755 68.82% 1,209 30.20% 36 0.90% 3 0.07% 1,546 38.62% 4,003
Greenup 6,828 59.70% 4,491 39.27% 104 0.91% 14 0.12% 2,337 20.43% 11,437
Hancock 1,583 64.61% 791 32.29% 67 2.73% 9 0.37% 792 32.32% 2,450
Hardin 8,740 65.93% 4,060 30.63% 429 3.24% 27 0.20% 4,680 35.30% 13,256
Harlan 6,527 59.42% 4,349 39.59% 80 0.73% 29 0.26% 2,178 19.83% 10,985
Harrison 2,732 59.70% 1,780 38.90% 53 1.16% 11 0.24% 952 20.80% 4,576
Hart 3,582 60.31% 2,307 38.84% 41 0.69% 9 0.15% 1,275 21.47% 5,939
Henderson 6,231 60.68% 3,889 37.87% 113 1.10% 36 0.35% 2,342 22.81% 10,269
Henry 1,919 52.49% 1,688 46.17% 47 1.29% 2 0.05% 231 6.32% 3,656
Hickman 1,430 56.66% 976 38.67% 113 4.48% 5 0.20% 454 17.99% 2,524
Hopkins 7,133 68.67% 3,129 30.12% 112 1.08% 14 0.13% 4,004 38.55% 10,388
Jackson 5,303 92.18% 436 7.58% 6 0.10% 8 0.14% 4,867 84.60% 5,753
Jefferson 142,436 60.41% 88,143 37.39% 4,766 2.02% 419 0.18% 54,293 23.02% 235,764
Jessamine 3,819 72.91% 1,269 24.23% 133 2.54% 17 0.32% 2,550 48.68% 5,238
Johnson 4,907 72.25% 1,840 27.09% 33 0.49% 12 0.18% 3,067 45.16% 6,792
Kenton 28,076 66.66% 12,872 30.56% 1,055 2.50% 118 0.28% 15,204 36.10% 42,121
Knott 1,479 34.50% 2,774 64.71% 24 0.56% 10 0.23% -1,295 -30.21% 4,287
Knox 5,017 72.93% 1,805 26.24% 36 0.52% 21 0.31% 3,212 46.69% 6,879
LaRue 2,449 61.53% 1,483 37.26% 40 1.01% 8 0.20% 966 24.27% 3,980
Laurel 7,276 75.63% 2,274 23.64% 62 0.64% 8 0.08% 5,002 51.99% 9,620
Lawrence 2,392 60.48% 1,529 38.66% 31 0.78% 3 0.08% 863 21.82% 3,955
Lee 1,629 68.22% 744 31.16% 12 0.50% 3 0.13% 885 37.06% 2,388
Leslie 3,299 77.88% 913 21.55% 7 0.17% 17 0.40% 2,386 56.33% 4,236
Letcher 4,213 58.54% 2,908 40.41% 59 0.82% 17 0.24% 1,305 18.13% 7,197
Lewis 3,124 71.57% 1,200 27.49% 31 0.71% 10 0.23% 1,924 44.08% 4,365
Lincoln 3,623 65.03% 1,882 33.78% 54 0.97% 12 0.22% 1,741 31.25% 5,571
Livingston 1,673 59.96% 1,065 38.17% 47 1.68% 5 0.18% 608 21.79% 2,790
Logan 3,573 57.86% 2,459 39.82% 127 2.06% 16 0.26% 1,114 18.04% 6,175
Lyon 1,030 58.52% 687 39.03% 41 2.33% 2 0.11% 343 19.49% 1,760
Madison 8,659 65.60% 4,328 32.79% 178 1.35% 34 0.26% 4,331 32.81% 13,199
Magoffin 2,243 52.39% 2,024 47.28% 8 0.19% 6 0.14% 219 5.11% 4,281
Marion 2,370 49.74% 2,351 49.34% 31 0.65% 13 0.27% 19 0.40% 4,765
Marshall 4,290 59.16% 2,806 38.69% 147 2.03% 9 0.12% 1,484 20.47% 7,252
Martin 2,495 77.87% 661 20.63% 40 1.25% 8 0.25% 1,834 57.24% 3,204
Mason 3,529 58.46% 2,459 40.73% 42 0.70% 7 0.12% 1,070 17.73% 6,037
McCracken 11,260 57.69% 7,567 38.77% 642 3.29% 49 0.25% 3,693 18.92% 19,518
McCreary 3,203 80.56% 684 17.20% 81 2.04% 8 0.20% 2,519 63.36% 3,976
McLean 2,298 65.10% 1,191 33.74% 36 1.02% 5 0.14% 1,107 31.36% 3,530
Meade 2,492 60.93% 1,541 37.68% 51 1.25% 6 0.15% 951 23.25% 4,090
Menifee 596 43.89% 732 53.90% 28 2.06% 2 0.15% -136 -10.01% 1,358
Mercer 3,575 66.08% 1,707 31.55% 118 2.18% 10 0.18% 1,868 34.53% 5,410
Metcalfe 1,896 58.55% 1,308 40.40% 25 0.77% 9 0.28% 588 18.15% 3,238
Monroe 3,770 82.57% 768 16.82% 24 0.53% 4 0.09% 3,002 65.75% 4,566
Montgomery 2,868 62.63% 1,657 36.19% 46 1.00% 8 0.17% 1,211 26.44% 4,579
Morgan 1,535 45.56% 1,815 53.87% 11 0.33% 8 0.24% -280 -8.31% 3,369
Muhlenberg 5,596 62.33% 3,246 36.16% 130 1.45% 6 0.07% 2,350 26.17% 8,978
Nelson 3,495 53.54% 2,828 43.32% 181 2.77% 24 0.37% 667 10.22% 6,528
Nicholas 1,076 56.22% 804 42.01% 33 1.72% 1 0.05% 272 14.21% 1,914
Ohio 2,392 71.75% 906 27.17% 31 0.93% 5 0.15% 1,486 44.58% 3,334
Oldham 3,041 68.00% 1,311 29.32% 110 2.46% 10 0.22% 1,730 38.68% 4,472
Owen 1,456 54.92% 1,161 43.79% 32 1.21% 2 0.08% 295 11.13% 2,651
Owsley 1,328 83.68% 251 15.82% 7 0.44% 1 0.06% 1,077 67.86% 1,587
Pendleton 1,966 67.28% 909 31.11% 40 1.37% 7 0.24% 1,057 36.17% 2,922
Perry 5,373 59.37% 3,601 39.79% 54 0.60% 22 0.24% 1,772 19.58% 9,050
Pike 12,535 56.46% 9,513 42.85% 119 0.54% 33 0.15% 3,022 13.61% 22,200
Powell 1,766 58.40% 1,230 40.67% 17 0.56% 11 0.36% 536 17.73% 3,024
Pulaski 10,602 76.99% 3,080 22.37% 80 0.58% 8 0.06% 7,522 54.62% 13,770
Robertson 456 51.01% 421 47.09% 15 1.68% 2 0.22% 35 3.92% 894
Rockcastle 3,437 77.31% 968 21.77% 33 0.74% 8 0.18% 2,469 55.54% 4,446
Rowan 3,245 59.45% 2,169 39.74% 32 0.59% 12 0.22% 1,076 19.71% 5,458
Russell 3,992 76.48% 1,169 22.39% 41 0.79% 18 0.34% 2,823 54.09% 5,220
Scott 3,255 64.76% 1,642 32.67% 119 2.37% 10 0.20% 1,613 32.09% 5,026
Shelby 3,893 64.19% 2,074 34.20% 87 1.43% 11 0.18% 1,819 29.99% 6,065
Simpson 2,285 62.57% 1,325 36.28% 33 0.90% 9 0.25% 960 26.29% 3,652
Spencer 1,120 68.75% 481 29.53% 24 1.47% 4 0.25% 639 39.22% 1,629
Taylor 4,035 67.79% 1,859 31.23% 48 0.81% 10 0.17% 2,176 36.56% 5,952
Todd 1,964 59.25% 1,222 36.86% 117 3.53% 12 0.36% 742 22.39% 3,315
Trigg 1,767 52.95% 1,514 45.37% 49 1.47% 7 0.21% 253 7.58% 3,337
Trimble 935 54.61% 757 44.22% 18 1.05% 2 0.12% 178 10.39% 1,712
Union 2,701 58.67% 1,855 40.29% 29 0.63% 19 0.41% 846 18.38% 4,604
Warren 12,481 66.78% 5,934 31.75% 194 1.04% 82 0.44% 6,547 35.03% 18,691
Washington 2,378 58.70% 1,552 38.31% 106 2.62% 15 0.37% 826 20.39% 4,051
Wayne 3,514 64.83% 1,853 34.19% 40 0.74% 13 0.24% 1,661 30.64% 5,420
Webster 2,396 57.57% 1,712 41.13% 42 1.01% 12 0.29% 684 16.44% 4,162
Whitley 6,788 74.91% 2,199 24.27% 53 0.58% 22 0.24% 4,589 50.64% 9,062
Wolfe 936 48.83% 957 49.92% 19 0.99% 5 0.26% -21 -1.09% 1,917
Woodford 3,363 70.34% 1,268 26.52% 145 3.03% 5 0.10% 2,095 43.82% 4,781
Totals 676,446 63.37% 371,159 34.77% 17,627 1.65% 2,267 0.21% 305,287 28.60% 1,067,499

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

References

  1. ^ "United States Presidential election of 1972 – Encyclopædia Britannica". Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  2. ^ "1972 Election for the Forty-Seventh Term (1973-77)". Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Kentucky". Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "The American Presidency Project – Election of 1972". Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  5. ^ Leip, David (2016). "1972 Presidential General Election Data – Kentucky". US Election Atlas. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  6. ^ Our Campaigns; KY US Presidential Race, November 07, 1972