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 County results Kneip: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Thompson: 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in South Dakota | ||||||||||||||||
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The1972 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972, to elect aGovernor of South Dakota. It was the last election in South Dakota to elect the governor for a two-year term after a 1972 state constitutional amendment established a four-year term.[1]Democratic nomineeRichard F. Kneip was re-elected, defeatingRepublican nomineeCarveth Thompson despite incumbent Republican PresidentRichard Nixon winning the state with 54% of the vote on the same ballot.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Carveth Thompson | 65,538 | 72.41 | |
| Republican | Simon W. Chance | 24,975 | 27.59 | |
| Total votes | 90,513 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard F. Kneip (inc.) | 185,012 | 60.03 | |
| Republican | Carveth Thompson | 123,165 | 39.97 | |
| Total votes | 308,177 | 100.00 | ||
| Majority | 61,847 | 20.06 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
