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 County results
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The1972 United States presidential election in Missouri took place on November 7, 1972. All fifty states and theDistrict of Columbia were part of the1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 12 electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Missouri was won by theRepublican nominees, incumbentPresidentRichard Nixon ofCalifornia and his running mateVice PresidentSpiro Agnew ofMaryland. Nixon and Agnew defeated theDemocratic nominees,SenatorGeorge McGovern ofSouth Dakota and his running mate U.S. AmbassadorSargent Shriver ofMaryland.
In a state substantially part of the conservativeSouth, McGovern was viewed by many voters as a left-wing extremist because of his support forbusing and civil rights, plus hisopposition to the Vietnam War, support for granting amnesty todraft dodgers[1] and support for a thousand-dollar giveaway to each American as a solution to poverty.[2] Many, especially Republican campaigners, also believed McGovern would legalise abortion and illicit drugs if he were elected[3] – despite the fact that his running mate Sargent Shriver was firmly opposed to abortion. These fears of McGovern's social radicalism were especially pronounced amongst poorer whites, who were abundant in the southern part of Missouri.[4]
Nixon carried Missouri with 62.29% of the vote to McGovern's 37.71%, a victory margin of 24.58%, becoming the first Republican to ever carry Missouri more than once. Nixon won all but two jurisdictions:Monroe County andSt. Louis City.
As of the2024 presidential election[update], this is the last election in whichJackson County, which contains most ofKansas City, as well asIndependence, the hometown of former Democratic presidentHarry S. Truman (who died seven weeks after the election), voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Nixon (incumbent) | 1,154,058 | 62.29% | |
| Democratic | George McGovern | 698,531 | 37.71% | |
| Total votes | 1,852,589 | 100% | ||
| County[7] | Richard Nixon Republican | George McGovern Democratic | Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adair | 6,157 | 72.92% | 2,286 | 27.08% | 3,871 | 45.84% | 8,443 |
| Andrew | 4,180 | 71.26% | 1,686 | 28.74% | 2,494 | 42.52% | 5,866 |
| Atchison | 2,927 | 65.98% | 1,509 | 34.02% | 1,418 | 31.96% | 4,436 |
| Audrain | 7,197 | 66.01% | 3,706 | 33.99% | 3,491 | 32.02% | 10,903 |
| Barry | 7,295 | 69.73% | 3,167 | 30.27% | 4,128 | 39.46% | 10,462 |
| Barton | 4,026 | 77.93% | 1,140 | 22.07% | 2,886 | 55.86% | 5,166 |
| Bates | 5,314 | 63.76% | 3,020 | 36.24% | 2,294 | 27.52% | 8,334 |
| Benton | 3,537 | 71.31% | 1,423 | 28.69% | 2,114 | 42.62% | 4,960 |
| Bollinger | 3,069 | 62.80% | 1,818 | 37.20% | 1,251 | 25.60% | 4,887 |
| Boone | 17,488 | 56.13% | 13,666 | 43.87% | 3,822 | 12.26% | 31,154 |
| Buchanan | 21,850 | 65.72% | 11,395 | 34.28% | 10,455 | 31.44% | 33,245 |
| Butler | 9,198 | 72.63% | 3,466 | 27.37% | 5,732 | 45.26% | 12,664 |
| Caldwell | 3,167 | 72.01% | 1,231 | 27.99% | 1,936 | 44.02% | 4,398 |
| Callaway | 6,313 | 67.53% | 3,036 | 32.47% | 3,277 | 35.06% | 9,349 |
| Camden | 4,996 | 73.94% | 1,761 | 26.06% | 3,235 | 47.88% | 6,757 |
| Cape Girardeau | 15,693 | 71.42% | 6,280 | 28.58% | 9,413 | 42.84% | 21,973 |
| Carroll | 4,100 | 68.03% | 1,927 | 31.97% | 2,173 | 36.06% | 6,027 |
| Carter | 1,257 | 68.99% | 565 | 31.01% | 692 | 37.98% | 1,822 |
| Cass | 9,242 | 71.24% | 3,731 | 28.76% | 5,511 | 42.48% | 12,973 |
| Cedar | 3,520 | 75.34% | 1,152 | 24.66% | 2,368 | 50.68% | 4,672 |
| Chariton | 2,812 | 58.45% | 1,999 | 41.55% | 813 | 16.90% | 4,811 |
| Christian | 6,305 | 76.42% | 1,945 | 23.58% | 4,360 | 52.84% | 8,250 |
| Clark | 2,499 | 64.04% | 1,403 | 35.96% | 1,096 | 28.08% | 3,902 |
| Clay | 33,017 | 69.43% | 14,538 | 30.57% | 18,479 | 38.86% | 47,555 |
| Clinton | 3,924 | 66.87% | 1,944 | 33.13% | 1,980 | 33.74% | 5,868 |
| Cole | 16,685 | 77.83% | 4,754 | 22.17% | 11,931 | 55.66% | 21,439 |
| Cooper | 5,172 | 68.92% | 2,332 | 31.08% | 2,840 | 37.84% | 7,504 |
| Crawford | 4,595 | 67.15% | 2,248 | 32.85% | 2,347 | 34.30% | 6,843 |
| Dade | 2,624 | 77.84% | 747 | 22.16% | 1,877 | 55.68% | 3,371 |
| Dallas | 3,120 | 74.20% | 1,085 | 25.80% | 2,035 | 48.40% | 4,205 |
| Daviess | 2,840 | 66.51% | 1,430 | 33.49% | 1,410 | 33.02% | 4,270 |
| DeKalb | 2,766 | 67.38% | 1,339 | 32.62% | 1,427 | 34.76% | 4,105 |
| Dent | 3,024 | 63.88% | 1,710 | 36.12% | 1,314 | 27.76% | 4,734 |
| Douglas | 3,773 | 75.73% | 1,209 | 24.27% | 2,564 | 51.46% | 4,982 |
| Dunklin | 5,926 | 68.10% | 2,776 | 31.90% | 3,150 | 36.20% | 8,702 |
| Franklin | 13,785 | 64.87% | 7,464 | 35.13% | 6,321 | 29.74% | 21,249 |
| Gasconade | 4,944 | 80.13% | 1,226 | 19.87% | 3,718 | 60.26% | 6,170 |
| Gentry | 2,984 | 64.50% | 1,642 | 35.50% | 1,342 | 29.00% | 4,626 |
| Greene | 48,348 | 70.58% | 20,155 | 29.42% | 28,193 | 41.16% | 68,503 |
| Grundy | 3,969 | 73.54% | 1,428 | 26.46% | 2,541 | 47.08% | 5,397 |
| Harrison | 3,574 | 72.10% | 1,383 | 27.90% | 2,191 | 44.20% | 4,957 |
| Henry | 5,802 | 64.99% | 3,125 | 35.01% | 2,677 | 29.98% | 8,927 |
| Hickory | 1,851 | 74.85% | 622 | 25.15% | 1,229 | 49.70% | 2,473 |
| Holt | 2,578 | 71.83% | 1,011 | 28.17% | 1,567 | 43.66% | 3,589 |
| Howard | 2,613 | 56.15% | 2,041 | 43.85% | 572 | 12.30% | 4,654 |
| Howell | 7,253 | 72.18% | 2,795 | 27.82% | 4,458 | 44.36% | 10,048 |
| Iron | 2,203 | 62.07% | 1,346 | 37.93% | 857 | 24.14% | 3,549 |
| Jackson | 129,989 | 58.34% | 92,830 | 41.66% | 37,159 | 16.68% | 222,819 |
| Jasper | 22,482 | 74.61% | 7,652 | 25.39% | 14,830 | 49.22% | 30,134 |
| Jefferson | 21,947 | 61.42% | 13,787 | 38.58% | 8,160 | 22.84% | 35,734 |
| Johnson | 7,228 | 70.37% | 3,044 | 29.63% | 4,184 | 40.74% | 10,272 |
| Knox | 1,896 | 64.78% | 1,031 | 35.22% | 865 | 29.56% | 2,927 |
| Laclede | 6,152 | 73.78% | 2,186 | 26.22% | 3,966 | 47.56% | 8,338 |
| Lafayette | 9,187 | 69.34% | 4,063 | 30.66% | 5,124 | 38.68% | 13,250 |
| Lawrence | 8,445 | 72.96% | 3,130 | 27.04% | 5,315 | 45.92% | 11,575 |
| Lewis | 2,738 | 61.76% | 1,695 | 38.24% | 1,043 | 23.52% | 4,433 |
| Lincoln | 5,127 | 64.81% | 2,784 | 35.19% | 2,343 | 29.62% | 7,911 |
| Linn | 4,595 | 59.92% | 3,073 | 40.08% | 1,522 | 19.84% | 7,668 |
| Livingston | 5,253 | 66.37% | 2,662 | 33.63% | 2,591 | 32.74% | 7,915 |
| Macon | 4,538 | 61.47% | 2,844 | 38.53% | 1,694 | 22.94% | 7,382 |
| Madison | 2,837 | 66.16% | 1,451 | 33.84% | 1,386 | 32.32% | 4,288 |
| Maries | 2,082 | 63.07% | 1,219 | 36.93% | 863 | 26.14% | 3,301 |
| Marion | 7,197 | 63.31% | 4,171 | 36.69% | 3,026 | 26.62% | 11,368 |
| McDonald | 4,339 | 70.83% | 1,787 | 29.17% | 2,552 | 41.66% | 6,126 |
| Mercer | 1,592 | 72.40% | 607 | 27.60% | 985 | 44.80% | 2,199 |
| Miller | 5,682 | 78.05% | 1,598 | 21.95% | 4,084 | 56.10% | 7,280 |
| Mississippi | 2,727 | 64.97% | 1,470 | 35.03% | 1,257 | 29.94% | 4,197 |
| Moniteau | 3,963 | 73.96% | 1,395 | 26.04% | 2,568 | 47.92% | 5,358 |
| Monroe | 2,141 | 48.22% | 2,299 | 51.78% | −158 | −3.56% | 4,440 |
| Montgomery | 3,707 | 68.67% | 1,691 | 31.33% | 2,016 | 37.34% | 5,398 |
| Morgan | 4,021 | 70.47% | 1,685 | 29.53% | 2,336 | 40.94% | 5,706 |
| New Madrid | 4,735 | 57.50% | 3,500 | 42.50% | 1,235 | 15.00% | 8,235 |
| Newton | 10,701 | 71.38% | 4,291 | 28.62% | 6,410 | 42.76% | 14,992 |
| Nodaway | 5,942 | 64.14% | 3,322 | 35.86% | 2,620 | 28.28% | 9,264 |
| Oregon | 2,118 | 61.04% | 1,352 | 38.96% | 766 | 22.08% | 3,470 |
| Osage | 4,266 | 74.18% | 1,485 | 25.82% | 2,781 | 48.36% | 5,751 |
| Ozark | 2,119 | 77.22% | 625 | 22.78% | 1,494 | 54.44% | 2,744 |
| Pemiscot | 4,697 | 69.96% | 2,017 | 30.04% | 2,680 | 39.92% | 6,714 |
| Perry | 4,736 | 70.80% | 1,953 | 29.20% | 2,783 | 41.60% | 6,689 |
| Pettis | 10,065 | 66.74% | 5,016 | 33.26% | 5,049 | 33.48% | 15,081 |
| Phelps | 7,598 | 68.05% | 3,567 | 31.95% | 4,031 | 36.10% | 11,165 |
| Pike | 4,452 | 62.61% | 2,659 | 37.39% | 1,793 | 25.22% | 7,111 |
| Platte | 8,764 | 67.69% | 4,183 | 32.31% | 4,581 | 35.38% | 12,947 |
| Polk | 5,409 | 70.67% | 2,245 | 29.33% | 3,164 | 41.34% | 7,654 |
| Pulaski | 4,243 | 69.04% | 1,903 | 30.96% | 2,340 | 38.08% | 6,146 |
| Putnam | 2,112 | 78.72% | 571 | 21.28% | 1,541 | 57.44% | 2,683 |
| Ralls | 1,827 | 57.13% | 1,371 | 42.87% | 456 | 14.26% | 3,198 |
| Randolph | 5,195 | 57.66% | 3,814 | 42.34% | 1,381 | 15.32% | 9,009 |
| Ray | 4,205 | 59.65% | 2,844 | 40.35% | 1,361 | 19.30% | 7,049 |
| Reynolds | 1,541 | 59.91% | 1,031 | 40.09% | 510 | 19.82% | 2,572 |
| Ripley | 2,810 | 67.37% | 1,361 | 32.63% | 1,449 | 34.74% | 4,171 |
| St. Charles | 25,677 | 69.94% | 11,034 | 30.06% | 14,643 | 39.88% | 36,711 |
| St. Clair | 2,847 | 66.88% | 1,410 | 33.12% | 1,437 | 33.76% | 4,257 |
| St. Francois | 8,812 | 65.42% | 4,658 | 34.58% | 4,154 | 30.84% | 13,470 |
| St. Louis | 264,147 | 62.16% | 160,801 | 37.84% | 103,346 | 24.32% | 424,948 |
| St. Louis City | 72,402 | 37.67% | 119,817 | 62.33% | −47,415 | −24.66% | 192,219 |
| Ste. Genevieve | 2,900 | 56.34% | 2,247 | 43.66% | 653 | 12.68% | 5,147 |
| Saline | 6,641 | 65.75% | 3,460 | 34.25% | 3,181 | 31.50% | 10,101 |
| Schuyler | 1,495 | 60.14% | 991 | 39.86% | 504 | 20.28% | 2,486 |
| Scotland | 1,918 | 60.18% | 1,269 | 39.82% | 649 | 20.36% | 3,187 |
| Scott | 7,316 | 66.74% | 3,646 | 33.26% | 3,670 | 33.48% | 10,962 |
| Shannon | 1,623 | 58.87% | 1,134 | 41.13% | 489 | 17.74% | 2,757 |
| Shelby | 2,057 | 56.73% | 1,569 | 43.27% | 488 | 13.46% | 3,626 |
| Stoddard | 6,282 | 70.44% | 2,636 | 29.56% | 3,646 | 40.88% | 8,918 |
| Stone | 4,180 | 79.26% | 1,094 | 20.74% | 3,086 | 58.52% | 5,274 |
| Sullivan | 2,611 | 62.18% | 1,588 | 37.82% | 1,023 | 24.36% | 4,199 |
| Taney | 4,982 | 77.64% | 1,435 | 22.36% | 3,547 | 55.28% | 6,417 |
| Texas | 5,104 | 65.09% | 2,737 | 34.91% | 2,367 | 30.18% | 7,841 |
| Vernon | 4,892 | 61.54% | 3,057 | 38.46% | 1,835 | 23.08% | 7,949 |
| Warren | 3,530 | 74.24% | 1,225 | 25.76% | 2,305 | 48.48% | 4,755 |
| Washington | 3,818 | 63.14% | 2,229 | 36.86% | 1,589 | 26.28% | 6,047 |
| Wayne | 3,091 | 63.90% | 1,746 | 36.10% | 1,345 | 27.80% | 4,837 |
| Webster | 5,095 | 68.50% | 2,343 | 31.50% | 2,752 | 37.00% | 7,438 |
| Worth | 1,170 | 61.68% | 727 | 38.32% | 443 | 23.36% | 1,897 |
| Wright | 4,350 | 76.08% | 1,368 | 23.92% | 2,982 | 52.16% | 5,718 |
| Totals | 1,154,058 | 62.29% | 698,531 | 37.71% | 455,527 | 24.58% | 1,852,589 |
State and district results of the1972 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
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