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 County results Bond: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Dowd: 50-60% 60-70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1972 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972 in the U.S state of Missouri and resulted in a victory for theRepublican nominee for the first time since 1940 incumbentState Auditor of MissouriKit Bond, over theDemocratic nominee, Edward L. Dowd, andNonpartisan Paul J. Leonard.Joseph P. Teasdale was a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination, before winning the nomination in the 1976 election, as was lieutenant governorWilliam S. Morris, whileGene McNary was a candidate for the Republican nomination.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kit Bond | 1,029,451 | 55.18 | +15.98 | |
| Democratic | Edward L. Dowd | 832,751 | 44.64 | −16.16 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul J. Leonard | 3,481 | 0.19 | +0.19 | |
| Majority | 196,700 | 10.54 | −11.06 | ||
| Turnout | 1,865,683 | 39.89 | −0.96 | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | Swing | ||||
