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All 21Michigan votes to theElectoral College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 59.4% [2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results
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The1972 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 21[3] representatives, or electors, to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Michigan was won byincumbent PresidentRichard Nixon (R–California), with 56.20% of the popular vote, againstGeorge McGovern (D–South Dakota), with 41.81% of the popular vote—a victory margin of 14.4%.[4][5]John G. Schmitz was the only other candidate on the ballot, and, as the candidate for theAmerican Independent Party, he received over 63,000 votes. Despite voting for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time since1956, this result nonetheless made Michigan 8.8% more Democratic than the nation at large.
Nixon's victory was the first of five consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Michigan would not vote for a Democratic candidate again untilBill Clinton’s1992 victory. The state leaned Democratic for the following 20 years, before evolving into a trueswing state in2016.
Delta,Lake,Washtenaw, andWayne Counties were the only four of Michigan's83 counties to vote for McGovern. Washtenaw was one of only six counties outsideSouth Dakota (McGovern's home state) to vote for McGovern after voting for Richard Nixon in1968. Nixon became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Washtenaw sinceBenjamin Harrison in1888. Gogebic County would not vote Republican again until 2016. As of the2024 presidential election, this is the last time Wayne County was decided by a single-digit margin. It is also the last election in which Michigan voted to the left ofNew York.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Nixon (inc.) | 1,961,721 | 56.20% | |
| Democratic | George McGovern | 1,459,435 | 41.81% | |
| American Independent | John G. Schmitz | 63,321 | 1.81% | |
| Socialist Labor | Louis Fisher | 2,437 | 0.07% | |
| Socialist Workers | Linda Jenness | 1,603 | 0.05% | |
| Communist | Gus Hall | 1,210 | 0.03% | |
| Write-in | 598 | 0.02% | ||
| Total votes | 3,490,325 | 100% | ||
| County | Richard Nixon Republican | George McGovern Democratic | John G. Schmitz American Independent | Louis Fisher Socialist Labor | Linda Jenness Socialist Workers | Gus Hall Communist | Various candidates Write-ins | Margin | Total votes cast[6] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alcona | 2,434 | 65.91% | 1,195 | 32.36% | 63 | 1.71% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,239 | 33.55% | 3,693 | ||
| Alger | 2,035 | 52.48% | 1,803 | 46.49% | 35 | 0.90% | 1 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.05% | 232 | 5.99% | 3,878 | ||
| Allegan | 18,407 | 68.47% | 7,883 | 29.32% | 554 | 2.06% | 18 | 0.07% | 4 | 0.01% | 7 | 0.03% | 11 | 0.04% | 10,524 | 39.15% | 26,884 |
| Alpena | 6,513 | 55.05% | 5,104 | 43.14% | 204 | 1.72% | 6 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,409 | 11.91% | 11,831 | ||
| Antrim | 4,068 | 64.77% | 2,000 | 31.84% | 200 | 3.18% | 5 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.03% | 5 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 2,068 | 32.93% | 6,281 |
| Arenac | 2,588 | 57.43% | 1,829 | 40.59% | 85 | 1.89% | 2 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.02% | 759 | 16.84% | 4,506 | ||
| Baraga | 1,905 | 54.93% | 1,517 | 43.74% | 38 | 1.10% | 6 | 0.17% | 2 | 0.06% | 0 | 0.00% | 388 | 11.19% | 3,468 | ||
| Barry | 10,393 | 64.02% | 5,484 | 33.78% | 340 | 2.09% | 7 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.01% | 3 | 0.02% | 4 | 0.02% | 4,909 | 30.24% | 16,233 |
| Bay | 23,094 | 50.08% | 21,712 | 47.08% | 1,254 | 2.72% | 31 | 0.07% | 14 | 0.03% | 13 | 0.03% | 1,382 | 3.00% | 46,118 | ||
| Benzie | 2,686 | 66.26% | 1,310 | 32.31% | 55 | 1.36% | 2 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,376 | 33.95% | 4,054 | ||
| Berrien | 43,047 | 68.26% | 18,597 | 29.49% | 1,333 | 2.11% | 34 | 0.05% | 21 | 0.03% | 19 | 0.03% | 9 | 0.01% | 24,450 | 38.77% | 63,060 |
| Branch | 8,388 | 62.01% | 4,887 | 36.13% | 215 | 1.59% | 18 | 0.13% | 6 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.05% | 5 | 0.04% | 3,501 | 25.88% | 13,526 |
| Calhoun | 32,531 | 58.27% | 22,154 | 39.68% | 1,002 | 1.79% | 59 | 0.11% | 52 | 0.09% | 30 | 0.05% | 10,377 | 18.59% | 55,828 | ||
| Cass | 10,398 | 66.31% | 4,982 | 31.77% | 286 | 1.82% | 6 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.01% | 5 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.01% | 5,416 | 34.54% | 15,681 |
| Charlevoix | 4,522 | 59.04% | 2,831 | 36.96% | 301 | 3.93% | 4 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,691 | 22.08% | 7,659 | ||
| Cheboygan | 4,529 | 59.11% | 2,985 | 38.96% | 142 | 1.85% | 1 | 0.01% | 4 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,544 | 20.15% | 7,662 | ||
| Chippewa | 7,028 | 59.03% | 4,744 | 39.85% | 132 | 1.11% | 1 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,284 | 19.18% | 11,906 | ||
| Clare | 4,402 | 62.99% | 2,434 | 34.83% | 144 | 2.06% | 1 | 0.01% | 3 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,968 | 28.16% | 6,988 |
| Clinton | 13,438 | 68.38% | 5,870 | 29.87% | 322 | 1.64% | 11 | 0.06% | 5 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.01% | 5 | 0.03% | 7,568 | 38.51% | 19,653 |
| Crawford | 1,953 | 61.98% | 1,143 | 36.27% | 50 | 1.59% | 4 | 0.13% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 810 | 25.71% | 3,151 | ||
| Delta | 7,647 | 48.14% | 8,003 | 50.38% | 220 | 1.38% | 10 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.01% | 4 | 0.03% | -356 | -2.24% | 15,886 | ||
| Dickinson | 5,989 | 51.12% | 5,339 | 45.57% | 378 | 3.23% | 6 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 2 | 0.02% | 650 | 5.55% | 11,715 | ||
| Eaton | 20,413 | 68.47% | 8,986 | 30.14% | 386 | 1.29% | 10 | 0.03% | 11 | 0.04% | 5 | 0.02% | 11,427 | 38.33% | 29,811 | ||
| Emmet | 5,288 | 61.91% | 3,081 | 36.07% | 163 | 1.91% | 4 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 4 | 0.05% | 2,207 | 25.84% | 8,541 | ||
| Genesee | 85,747 | 52.78% | 73,896 | 45.49% | 2,602 | 1.60% | 73 | 0.04% | 72 | 0.04% | 59 | 0.04% | 11,851 | 7.29% | 162,449 | ||
| Gladwin | 3,484 | 61.94% | 2,016 | 35.84% | 123 | 2.19% | 1 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,468 | 26.10% | 5,625 | ||
| Gogebic | 5,631 | 52.26% | 4,984 | 46.25% | 151 | 1.40% | 6 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 647 | 6.01% | 10,776 | ||
| Grand Traverse | 11,421 | 64.81% | 5,810 | 32.97% | 372 | 2.11% | 6 | 0.03% | 6 | 0.03% | 6 | 0.03% | 5,611 | 31.84% | 17,621 | ||
| Gratiot | 9,904 | 68.41% | 4,370 | 30.18% | 184 | 1.27% | 8 | 0.06% | 5 | 0.03% | 7 | 0.05% | 5,534 | 38.23% | 14,478 | ||
| Hillsdale | 9,261 | 68.64% | 3,942 | 29.22% | 276 | 2.05% | 4 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 8 | 0.06% | 5,319 | 39.42% | 13,492 | ||
| Houghton | 9,053 | 58.07% | 6,402 | 41.06% | 131 | 0.84% | 1 | 0.01% | 3 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,651 | 17.01% | 15,590 | ||
| Huron | 9,832 | 67.36% | 4,456 | 30.53% | 292 | 2.00% | 6 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 5,376 | 36.83% | 14,596 |
| Ingham | 63,376 | 53.60% | 53,458 | 45.21% | 1,079 | 0.91% | 118 | 0.10% | 110 | 0.09% | 41 | 0.03% | 61 | 0.05% | 9,918 | 8.39% | 118,243 |
| Ionia | 10,898 | 62.57% | 6,240 | 35.83% | 255 | 1.46% | 7 | 0.04% | 4 | 0.02% | 8 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.02% | 4,658 | 26.74% | 17,416 |
| Iosco | 5,750 | 64.10% | 3,065 | 34.17% | 150 | 1.67% | 2 | 0.02% | 3 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,685 | 29.93% | 8,971 | ||
| Iron | 3,630 | 49.21% | 3,512 | 47.61% | 229 | 3.10% | 3 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 118 | 1.60% | 7,376 | ||
| Isabella | 9,682 | 55.47% | 7,446 | 42.66% | 248 | 1.42% | 22 | 0.13% | 35 | 0.20% | 10 | 0.06% | 11 | 0.06% | 2,236 | 12.81% | 17,454 |
| Jackson | 34,220 | 62.33% | 19,350 | 35.24% | 1,254 | 2.28% | 32 | 0.06% | 18 | 0.03% | 17 | 0.03% | 12 | 0.02% | 14,870 | 27.09% | 54,903 |
| Kalamazoo | 50,405 | 58.77% | 33,324 | 38.85% | 1,819 | 2.12% | 81 | 0.09% | 48 | 0.06% | 33 | 0.04% | 60 | 0.07% | 17,081 | 19.92% | 85,770 |
| Kalkaska | 1,855 | 64.39% | 924 | 32.07% | 100 | 3.47% | 2 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 931 | 32.32% | 2,881 | ||
| Kent | 104,041 | 59.30% | 67,587 | 38.52% | 3,563 | 2.03% | 134 | 0.08% | 55 | 0.03% | 61 | 0.03% | 20 | 0.01% | 36,454 | 20.78% | 175,461 |
| Keweenaw | 715 | 60.49% | 456 | 38.58% | 9 | 0.76% | 1 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.08% | 0 | 0.00% | 259 | 21.91% | 1,182 | ||
| Lake | 1,532 | 48.93% | 1,548 | 49.44% | 47 | 1.50% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.06% | -16 | -0.51% | 3,131 | ||
| Lapeer | 11,615 | 66.02% | 5,531 | 31.44% | 421 | 2.39% | 7 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.01% | 9 | 0.05% | 7 | 0.04% | 6,084 | 34.58% | 17,592 |
| Leelanau | 3,809 | 65.82% | 1,855 | 32.05% | 118 | 2.04% | 3 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,954 | 33.77% | 5,787 | ||
| Lenawee | 19,125 | 62.39% | 11,018 | 35.94% | 473 | 1.54% | 14 | 0.05% | 13 | 0.04% | 4 | 0.01% | 7 | 0.02% | 8,107 | 26.45% | 30,654 |
| Livingston | 16,856 | 66.85% | 7,634 | 30.28% | 694 | 2.75% | 15 | 0.06% | 8 | 0.03% | 3 | 0.01% | 5 | 0.02% | 9,222 | 36.57% | 25,215 |
| Luce | 1,579 | 63.49% | 862 | 34.66% | 46 | 1.85% | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 717 | 28.83% | 2,487 | |||
| Mackinac | 3,096 | 60.66% | 1,937 | 37.95% | 64 | 1.25% | 4 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.04% | 1,159 | 22.71% | 5,104 | ||
| Macomb | 147,777 | 62.67% | 82,346 | 34.92% | 5,286 | 2.24% | 180 | 0.08% | 92 | 0.04% | 65 | 0.03% | 47 | 0.02% | 65,431 | 27.75% | 235,793 |
| Manistee | 5,070 | 57.20% | 3,625 | 40.90% | 160 | 1.81% | 4 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.02% | 1,445 | 16.30% | 8,863 | ||
| Marquette | 13,249 | 52.67% | 11,555 | 45.93% | 329 | 1.31% | 10 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.03% | 7 | 0.03% | 1,694 | 6.74% | 25,157 | ||
| Mason | 6,811 | 63.57% | 3,697 | 34.50% | 173 | 1.61% | 9 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.03% | 12 | 0.11% | 3,114 | 29.07% | 10,715 |
| Mecosta | 7,158 | 64.29% | 3,799 | 34.12% | 157 | 1.41% | 11 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.03% | 6 | 0.05% | 3,359 | 30.17% | 11,134 | ||
| Menominee | 6,060 | 55.19% | 4,657 | 42.41% | 260 | 2.37% | 2 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 1,403 | 12.78% | 10,981 | ||
| Midland | 16,473 | 61.38% | 9,504 | 35.42% | 809 | 3.01% | 16 | 0.06% | 13 | 0.05% | 10 | 0.04% | 11 | 0.04% | 6,969 | 25.96% | 26,836 |
| Missaukee | 2,647 | 71.79% | 924 | 25.06% | 110 | 2.98% | 2 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.05% | 1,723 | 46.73% | 3,687 |
| Monroe | 23,263 | 54.76% | 17,726 | 41.73% | 1,431 | 3.37% | 23 | 0.05% | 12 | 0.03% | 10 | 0.02% | 14 | 0.03% | 5,537 | 13.03% | 42,479 |
| Montcalm | 9,591 | 61.97% | 5,602 | 36.19% | 270 | 1.74% | 6 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.01% | 3,989 | 25.78% | 15,478 |
| Montmorency | 1,798 | 64.49% | 914 | 32.78% | 74 | 2.65% | 1 | 0.04% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 884 | 31.71% | 2,788 | ||
| Muskegon | 36,428 | 59.60% | 22,804 | 37.31% | 1,756 | 2.87% | 71 | 0.12% | 32 | 0.05% | 18 | 0.03% | 16 | 0.03% | 13,624 | 22.29% | 61,125 |
| Newaygo | 8,245 | 65.62% | 3,978 | 31.66% | 324 | 2.58% | 11 | 0.09% | 3 | 0.02% | 4 | 0.03% | 4,267 | 33.96% | 12,565 | ||
| Oakland | 241,613 | 63.78% | 129,400 | 34.16% | 7,088 | 1.87% | 318 | 0.08% | 134 | 0.04% | 87 | 0.02% | 211 | 0.06% | 112,213 | 29.62% | 378,851 |
| Oceana | 4,992 | 64.20% | 2,525 | 32.47% | 253 | 3.25% | 1 | 0.01% | 4 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,467 | 31.73% | 7,776 | ||
| Ogemaw | 3,367 | 60.77% | 2,056 | 37.11% | 112 | 2.02% | 3 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,311 | 23.66% | 5,541 | ||
| Ontonagon | 3,040 | 57.51% | 2,140 | 40.48% | 105 | 1.99% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 900 | 17.03% | 5,286 | ||
| Osceola | 4,441 | 69.95% | 1,706 | 26.87% | 184 | 2.90% | 7 | 0.11% | 4 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.05% | 4 | 0.06% | 2,735 | 43.08% | 6,349 |
| Oscoda | 1,561 | 67.61% | 678 | 29.36% | 67 | 2.90% | 2 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.04% | 0 | 0.00% | 883 | 38.25% | 2,309 | ||
| Otsego | 2,854 | 58.93% | 1,912 | 39.48% | 69 | 1.42% | 1 | 0.02% | 2 | 0.04% | 5 | 0.10% | 942 | 19.45% | 4,843 | ||
| Ottawa | 42,169 | 71.99% | 15,119 | 25.81% | 1,201 | 2.05% | 41 | 0.07% | 16 | 0.03% | 13 | 0.02% | 17 | 0.03% | 27,050 | 46.18% | 58,576 |
| Presque Isle | 3,372 | 56.23% | 2,440 | 40.69% | 184 | 3.07% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 932 | 15.54% | 5,997 | ||
| Roscommon | 4,136 | 64.17% | 2,187 | 33.93% | 114 | 1.77% | 2 | 0.03% | 5 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,949 | 30.24% | 6,445 | ||
| Saginaw | 47,920 | 61.03% | 29,424 | 37.47% | 1,068 | 1.36% | 46 | 0.06% | 35 | 0.04% | 28 | 0.04% | 18,496 | 23.56% | 78,521 | ||
| Sanilac | 11,031 | 72.93% | 3,780 | 24.99% | 302 | 2.00% | 4 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.01% | 5 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 7,251 | 47.94% | 15,125 |
| Schoolcraft | 2,310 | 56.01% | 1,759 | 42.65% | 53 | 1.29% | 1 | 0.02% | 1 | 0.02% | 0 | 0.00% | 551 | 13.36% | 4,124 | ||
| Shiawassee | 15,489 | 61.62% | 8,932 | 35.53% | 689 | 2.74% | 13 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.02% | 7 | 0.03% | 6,557 | 26.09% | 25,136 | ||
| St. Clair | 28,471 | 63.05% | 15,712 | 34.79% | 925 | 2.05% | 17 | 0.04% | 18 | 0.04% | 16 | 0.04% | 12,759 | 28.26% | 45,159 | ||
| St. Joseph | 12,438 | 69.15% | 5,119 | 28.46% | 418 | 2.32% | 5 | 0.03% | 3 | 0.02% | 5 | 0.03% | 7,319 | 40.69% | 17,988 | ||
| Tuscola | 12,198 | 67.96% | 5,449 | 30.36% | 280 | 1.56% | 6 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.01% | 12 | 0.07% | 2 | 0.01% | 6,749 | 37.60% | 17,949 |
| Van Buren | 13,903 | 64.57% | 7,159 | 33.25% | 428 | 1.99% | 15 | 0.07% | 7 | 0.03% | 8 | 0.04% | 11 | 0.05% | 6,744 | 31.32% | 21,531 |
| Washtenaw | 50,535 | 46.98% | 55,350 | 51.45% | 1,517 | 1.41% | 54 | 0.05% | 82 | 0.08% | 37 | 0.03% | -4,815 | -4.47% | 107,575 | ||
| Wayne | 435,877 | 45.08% | 514,913 | 53.26% | 14,294 | 1.48% | 758 | 0.08% | 569 | 0.06% | 466 | 0.05% | -79,036 | -8.18% | 966,877 | ||
| Wexford | 5,221 | 61.43% | 3,048 | 35.86% | 229 | 2.69% | 1 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,173 | 25.57% | 8,499 | ||
| Totals | 1,961,721 | 56.20% | 1,459,435 | 41.81% | 63,321 | 1.81% | 2,437 | 0.07% | 1,603 | 0.05% | 1,210 | 0.03% | 598 | 0.02% | 502,286 | 14.39% | 3,490,325 |
State and district results of the1972 United States presidential election | ||
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