1972 United States gubernatorial elections
← 1971 November 7, 1972 1973 →
20 governorships
18 states; 2 territories
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Democratic Republican
Seats before 30 20
Seats after 31 19
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1
Seats up 10 8
Seats won 11 7
1972 Arkansas gubernatorial election1972 Iowa gubernatorial election1972 Kansas gubernatorial election1972 South Dakota gubernatorial election1972 Texas gubernatorial election1972 Illinois gubernatorial election1972 Rhode Island gubernatorial election1972 Delaware gubernatorial election1972 Indiana gubernatorial election1972 Missouri gubernatorial election1972 Montana gubernatorial election1972 New Hampshire gubernatorial election1972 North Carolina gubernatorial election1972 North Dakota gubernatorial election1972 Utah gubernatorial election1972 Vermont gubernatorial election1972 Washington gubernatorial election1972 West Virginia gubernatorial election
  Republican hold
  Republican gain
  Democratic hold
  Democratic gain

United States gubernatorial elections were held on 7 November 1972 in 18 states and two territories, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election.

Gubernatorial elections were also held in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, and Texas. In these states, they were the last elections on a two-year cycle, before switching to a four-year term for governors (see 1970 United States gubernatorial elections for more information).

Arkansas

In Arkansas, Dale Bumpers was re-elected to another two-year term in a landslide. Arkansas had two-year terms for governors until 1984, when the state switched to four-year terms for governors with Amendment 63.[1]

Delaware and Illinois

In Delaware and Illinois, Republicans Russell W. Peterson and Richard B. Ogilvie were defeated by Democrats Sherman Willard Tribbitt and Dan Walker, respectively.

Indiana

Indiana changed the rules so that governors could serve two back-to-back four-year terms in 1972, but the amendment didn't take place until November 1972.[2] This ruling in effect said that Edgar Whitcomb was not eligible for another term.

Iowa

In Iowa, Republican incumbent governor Robert D. Ray won a third two-year term, defeating Democratic challenger Paul Franzenburg, whom Ray had defeated for governor four years earlier. This was the last gubernatorial election in Iowa where the winner served a two-year term; starting with the 1974 election, governors would serve a four-year term.

Kansas

In Kansas, incumbent governor Robert Docking won a fourth two-year term. Beginning with the 1974 election, governors in Kansas would serve a four-year term.

Missouri

In Missouri, during Governor Warren Hearnes' term, the rules were changed so that governors were allowed two back-to-back four-year terms.[3] By the 1972 race, Hearnes had served two terms and was term-limited.

Montana

In Montana, a new state constitution in 1972 allowed unlimited four-year terms for a governor.[4] Anderson did not run for another term because of health issues, and this bad health was considered the motive behind his suicide in 1989.[5]

North Carolina

In North Carolina, governors weren't allowed two consecutive terms in a row until 1977, thus term-limiting Scott.[6]

Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, governors served two-year terms until 1994, when the state switched to four-year terms for governors.[7]

Texas

In Texas, the defeat of Smith has been considered a casualty of the Sharpstown Scandal.[8] Texas also had a system of governors serving two-year terms until 1974, when the state switched to four-year terms.[9]

Results

State Incumbent Party First
elected 		Result Candidates
Arkansas Dale Bumpers Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected.[10] Green tickY Dale Bumpers (Democratic) 75.44%
Len E. Blaylock (Republican) 24.56%
Delaware Russell W. Peterson Republican 1968 Incumbent lost re-election.[11]
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.		 Green tickY Sherman W. Tribbitt (Democratic) 51.27%
Russell W. Peterson (Republican) 47.91%
Virginia M. Lyndall (American) 0.64%
Harry H. Conner (Prohibition) 0.17%
Illinois Richard B. Ogilvie Republican 1968 Incumbent lost re-election.[12]
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.		 Green tickY Dan Walker (Democratic) 50.68%
Richard B. Ogilvie (Republican) 49.02%
George LaForest (Socialist Labor) 0.17%
Ishmael Flory (Communist) 0.10%
Write in 0.03%
Indiana Edgar Whitcomb Republican 1968 Incumbent term-limited.[13]
New governor elected.
Republican hold.		 Green tickY Otis Bowen (Republican) 56.77%
Matthew E. Welsh (Democratic) 42.46%
Berryman S. Hurley (American Independent) 0.40%
Finley N. Campbell (Peace and Freedom) 0.30%
John Marion Morris (Socialist Labor) 0.08%
Iowa Robert D. Ray Republican 1968 Incumbent re-elected.[14] Green tickY Robert D. Ray (Republican) 58.43%
Paul Franzenburg (Democratic) 40.26%
Robert Dilley (American Independent) 1.30%
Kansas Robert Docking Democratic 1966 Incumbent re-elected.[15] Green tickY Robert Docking (Democratic) 61.99%
Morris Kay (Republican) 37.05%
Rolland Ernest Fisher (Prohibition) 0.96%
Missouri Warren E. Hearnes Democratic 1964 Incumbent term-limited.[16]
New governor elected.
Republican gain.		 Green tickY Kit Bond (Republican) 55.18%
Edward L. Doud (Democrat) 44.64%
Paul J. Leonard (Nonpartisan) 0.19%
Montana Forrest H. Anderson Democratic 1968 Incumbent retired.[17]
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.		 Green tickY Thomas Lee Judge (Democratic) 54.12%
Ed Smith (Republican) 45.88%
New Hampshire Walter R. Peterson Jr. Republican 1968 Incumbent lost renomination.[18]
New governor elected.[19]
Republican hold.		 Green tickY Meldrim Thomson Jr. (Republican) 41.38%
Roger J. Crowley (Democratic) 39.03%
Malcolm McLane (Independent) 19.56%
Scattering 0.03%
North Carolina Robert W. Scott Democratic 1968 Incumbent term-limited.[20]
New governor elected.
Republican gain.		 Green tickY James Holshouser (Republican) 51%
Skipper Bowles (Democratic) 48.45%
Arlis F. Pettyjohn (American) 0.55%
North Dakota William L. Guy Democratic-NPL 1960 Incumbent retired.[21]
New governor elected.
Democratic-NPL hold.		 Green tickY Arthur A. Link (Democratic-NPL) 51.04%
Richard F. Larsen (Republican) 48.96%
Rhode Island Frank Licht Democratic 1968 Incumbent retired.[22]
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.		 Green tickY Philip Noel (Democratic) 52.55%
Herbert F. DeSimone (Republican) 47.07%
Adam J. Varone (Independent) 0.39%
South Dakota Richard F. Kneip Democratic 1970 Incumbent re-elected.[23] Green tickY Richard F. Kneip (Democratic) 60.03%
Carveth Thompson (Republican) 39.97%
Texas Preston Smith Democratic 1968 Incumbent lost renomination.[24]
New governor elected.[25]
Democratic hold.		 Green tickY Dolph Briscoe (Democratic) 47.91%
Henry Grover (Republican) 44.99%
Ramsey Muniz (La Raza Unida) 6.28%
Debbie Leonard (Socialist Workers) 0.71%
Scattering 0.11%
Utah Cal Rampton Democratic 1964 Incumbent re-elected.[26] Green tickY Cal Rampton (Democratic) 69.68%
Nicholas L. Strike (Republican) 30.32%
Vermont Deane C. Davis Republican 1968 Incumbent retired.[27]
New governor elected.
Democratic gain.		 Green tickY Thomas P. Salmon (Democratic) 55.24%
Luther Fred Hackett (Republican) 43.59%
Bernie Sanders (Liberty Union) 1.15%
Scattering 0.02%
Washington Daniel J. Evans Republican 1964 Incumbent re-elected.[28] Green tickY Daniel J. Evans (Republican) 50.79%
Albert Rosellini (Democratic) 42.83%
Vick Gould (Taxpayers) 5.90%
Robin David (Socialist Workers) 0.31%
Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.18%
West Virginia Arch A. Moore Jr. Republican 1968 Incumbent re-elected.[29] Green tickY Arch A. Moore Jr. (Republican) 54.74%
Jay Rockefeller (Democratic) 45.26%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Office of the Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Article 5. Executive". Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Government". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  5. ^ AP (23 July 1989). "Forrest Anderson, Ex-Governor Of Montana, Kills Himself at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  6. ^ "North Carolina State and Local Government at a Glance" (PDF). Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  7. ^ Pengjie Gao and Yaxuan Qi. "Political Uncertainty and Public Financing Costs: Evidence from U.S. Municipal Bond Markets" (PDF). p. 8. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Modern Texas Part 1, 1949–1973". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Modern Texas Part 2, 1973–1991". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  10. ^ "AR Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  11. ^ "DE Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  12. ^ "IL Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  13. ^ "IN Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  14. ^ "IA Governor". Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  15. ^ "KS Governor". Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  16. ^ "MO Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  17. ^ "MT Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  18. ^ "NH Governor – R Primary". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  19. ^ "NH Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  20. ^ "NH Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  21. ^ "ND Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  22. ^ "RI Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  23. ^ "SD Governor". Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  24. ^ "TX Governor – D Primary". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  25. ^ "TX Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  26. ^ "UT Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  27. ^ "VT Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  28. ^ "WA Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  29. ^ "WV Governor". Retrieved 4 July 2012.
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