| ←1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 → Presidential election year | |
| Election day | November 7 |
|---|---|
| Incumbent president | Richard Nixon(Republican) |
| Next Congress | 93rd |
| Presidential election | |
| Partisan control | Republican hold |
| Popular vote margin | Republican +23.2% |
| Electoral vote | |
| Richard Nixon (R) | 520 |
| George McGovern (D) | 17 |
 | |
| 1972 presidential election results.Red denotes states won by Nixon,blue denotes states won by McGovern. Numbers indicate theelectoral votes won by each candidate. | |
| Senate elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | 34 of 100 seats (33 seats of Class 2 + 2 special elections)[1] |
| Net seat change | Democratic +2 |
 | |
| 1972 Senate results Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain | |
| House elections | |
| Overall control | Democratic hold |
| Seats contested | All 435 voting members |
| Popular vote margin | Democratic +5.6% |
| Net seat change | Republican +12 |
 | |
| 1972 House of Representatives results Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain Independent gain | |
| Gubernatorial elections | |
| Seats contested | 20 (18 states, 2 territories) |
| Net seat change | Democratic +1 |
 | |
| 1972 gubernatorial election results Territorial races not shown Democratic hold Democratic gain Republican hold Republican gain | |
Elections were held on November 7, 1972, and elected the members of the93rd United States Congress. The election took place during the later stages of theVietnam War. TheRepublican Party won a landslide victory in the presidential election, and picked up seats in the House, but theDemocratic Party easily retained control of Congress. This was the first election after the ratification of the26th Amendment granted theright to vote to those aged 18–20.[2]
Incumbent Republican PresidentRichard Nixon won re-election, defeating Democratic SenatorGeorge McGovern from South Dakota.[3] Nixon won a landslide victory, taking just under 61% of the popular vote and winning every state but Massachusetts andWashington, D. C.LibertarianJohn Hospers won the electoral vote of onefaithless elector. McGovern won theDemocratic nomination, after defeating Washington SenatorHenry M. Jackson, Alabama GovernorGeorge Wallace, and New York CongresswomanShirley Chisholm. This was the first presidential election after theMcGovern–Fraser Commission (which McGovern himself had chaired) caused an increase in the number of states holdingprimary elections.[4]
In the House, the Republican Party picked up twelve seats, but Democrats easily retained a majority. In the Senate, the Democratic Party picked up two seats, increasing their majority. The House elections took place after the1970 United States census and the subsequentcongressional re-apportionment.
In the gubernatorial elections, Democrats won a net gain of one seat.
One of the newly elected Senate Democrats was future presidentJoe Biden who narrowly defeated the incumbent Republican Delaware Senator in an upset victory.
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