1972 United States presidential election in Colorado
← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 7 0
Popular vote 597,189 329,980
Percentage 62.61% 34.59%
County Results
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Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

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The 1972 United States presidential election in Colorado took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. State voters chose seven representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Colorado voted for the Republican incumbent, Richard Nixon, over the Democratic challenger, South Dakota Senator George McGovern. Nixon took 62.61% of the vote to McGovern's 34.59%, a margin of 28.01 points.

Like most of the rest of the Mountain West, Colorado voted powerfully Republican in 1972, giving Nixon a margin in excess of his national margin by 4.8%. Nevertheless, Pitkin County, home to Aspen, shifted powerfully against the national trend, switching from supporting Nixon in 1968 to supporting McGovern in 1972, one of five counties outside of McGovern's home state of South Dakota to do so. Nixon thus became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Pitkin county since William Howard Taft in 1908.

Results

1972 United States presidential election in Colorado[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 597,189 62.61% 7
Democratic George McGovern 329,980 34.59% 0
American Independent John G. Schmitz 17,269 1.81% 0
Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 4,361 0.46% 0
People's Benjamin Spock 2,403 0.25% 0
Libertarian John Hospers 1,111 0.12% 0
Socialist Workers Linda Jenness 666 0.07% 0
Prohibition E. Harold Munn 467 0.05% 0
Communist Gus Hall 432 0.05% 0
Write-ins Scattered (write-ins) 6 0.00% 0
Totals 953,884 100.00% 7
Voter turnout —

Results by county

County Richard Milhous Nixon[3]
Republican 		George Stanley McGovern[3]
Democratic 		John George Schmitz[3]
American Independent 		Various candidates[3]
Other parties 		Margin
% # % # % # % # % #
Hinsdale 77.83% 172 19.91% 44 2.26% 5 0.00% 0 57.92% 128
Rio Blanco 77.29% 1,586 20.18% 414 2.24% 46 0.29% 6 57.12% 1,172
Jackson 76.82% 623 21.95% 178 0.86% 7 0.37% 3 54.87% 445
Ouray 74.67% 669 20.76% 186 3.68% 33 0.89% 8 53.91% 483
Douglas 75.60% 3,625 21.86% 1,048 2.09% 100 0.46% 22 53.74% 2,577
Baca 74.00% 1,645 23.71% 527 2.25% 50 0.04% 1 50.29% 1,118
Elbert 73.52% 1,416 23.42% 451 2.91% 56 0.16% 3 50.10% 965
Custer 71.53% 495 22.25% 154 6.21% 43 0.00% 0 49.28% 341
Dolores 71.86% 498 23.95% 166 4.04% 28 0.14% 1 47.91% 332
Montezuma 73.49% 3,391 26.51% 1,223 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 46.99% 2,168
Moffat 67.70% 1,928 20.75% 591 11.55% 329 0.00% 0 46.95% 1,337
Arapahoe 72.60% 52,283 25.87% 18,631 1.13% 816 0.40% 289 46.73% 33,652
Kit Carson 70.93% 2,316 25.24% 824 3.80% 124 0.03% 1 45.70% 1,492
Washington 69.90% 1,837 24.47% 643 5.14% 135 0.49% 13 45.43% 1,194
Yuma 71.10% 2,873 26.38% 1,066 2.33% 94 0.20% 8 44.72% 1,807
Teller 70.62% 1,440 26.24% 535 2.45% 50 0.69% 14 44.38% 905
Rio Grande 69.74% 2,787 25.75% 1,029 4.28% 171 0.23% 9 43.99% 1,758
Crowley 70.76% 1,094 26.78% 414 2.26% 35 0.19% 3 43.98% 680
Mineral 71.18% 247 27.67% 96 1.15% 4 0.00% 0 43.52% 151
Park 70.39% 1,001 27.14% 386 1.62% 23 0.84% 12 43.25% 615
Morgan 70.48% 5,365 27.34% 2,081 1.81% 138 0.37% 28 43.14% 3,284
Jefferson 70.25% 80,082 27.68% 31,555 1.59% 1,813 0.48% 544 42.57% 48,527
Grand 70.10% 1,721 27.90% 685 1.63% 40 0.37% 9 42.20% 1,036
El Paso 69.15% 53,892 27.25% 21,234 2.90% 2,262 0.70% 543 41.91% 32,658
Lincoln 70.06% 1,678 28.60% 685 1.17% 28 0.17% 4 41.46% 993
Delta 67.79% 4,890 26.38% 1,903 5.49% 396 0.33% 24 41.41% 2,987
Mesa 68.70% 15,527 28.13% 6,358 2.78% 628 0.39% 89 40.57% 9,169
Fremont 68.46% 6,701 28.74% 2,813 2.53% 248 0.27% 26 39.72% 3,888
Sedgwick 67.93% 1,129 29.18% 485 2.59% 43 0.30% 5 38.75% 644
Montrose 64.78% 4,571 26.50% 1,870 8.29% 585 0.43% 30 38.28% 2,701
Kiowa 67.97% 849 29.78% 372 2.16% 27 0.08% 1 38.19% 477
Logan 67.31% 5,352 30.51% 2,426 1.89% 150 0.29% 23 36.80% 2,926
Garfield 66.31% 4,452 31.10% 2,088 2.13% 143 0.46% 31 35.21% 2,364
Chaffee 66.83% 2,859 31.65% 1,354 1.05% 45 0.47% 20 35.18% 1,505
Weld 66.68% 24,695 31.57% 11,690 1.12% 416 0.63% 233 35.12% 13,005
Phillips 65.34% 1,480 30.33% 687 4.15% 94 0.18% 4 35.01% 793
Otero 66.40% 6,016 32.33% 2,929 0.77% 70 0.50% 45 34.07% 3,087
Archuleta 64.67% 606 32.02% 300 3.20% 30 0.11% 1 32.66% 306
Larimer 65.30% 27,462 32.65% 13,731 1.56% 658 0.48% 202 32.65% 13,731
Cheyenne 63.42% 815 31.13% 400 5.29% 68 0.16% 2 32.30% 415
La Plata 62.28% 5,691 30.97% 2,830 6.29% 575 0.46% 42 31.31% 2,861
Bent 64.35% 1,525 33.21% 787 2.19% 52 0.25% 6 31.14% 738
Gunnison 64.05% 2,231 34.08% 1,187 1.67% 58 0.20% 7 29.97% 1,044
Clear Creek 62.66% 1,557 32.80% 815 3.78% 94 0.76% 19 29.86% 742
Alamosa 62.52% 2,916 33.02% 1,540 4.10% 191 0.36% 17 29.50% 1,376
Saguache 63.21% 1,062 34.40% 578 2.26% 38 0.12% 2 28.81% 484
Prowers 61.64% 3,272 35.04% 1,860 3.00% 159 0.32% 17 26.60% 1,412
Adams 61.19% 40,372 36.63% 24,170 1.72% 1,133 0.46% 306 24.56% 16,202
San Juan 58.48% 238 34.40% 140 6.88% 28 0.25% 1 24.08% 98
Routt 59.36% 2,629 36.42% 1,613 3.59% 159 0.63% 28 22.94% 1,016
Summit 59.09% 1,082 38.61% 707 0.76% 14 1.53% 28 20.48% 375
Eagle 58.22% 1,920 39.60% 1,306 1.52% 50 0.67% 22 18.62% 614
Conejos 55.53% 1,658 38.18% 1,140 6.16% 184 0.13% 4 17.35% 518
Gilpin 57.14% 516 40.09% 362 2.10% 19 0.66% 6 17.05% 154
Boulder 57.00% 40,766 41.22% 29,484 1.17% 837 0.61% 433 15.77% 11,282
San Miguel 55.05% 583 40.23% 426 3.97% 42 0.76% 8 14.83% 157
Pueblo 55.01% 25,607 42.15% 19,620 2.39% 1,113 0.45% 211 12.86% 5,987
Denver 54.50% 121,995 43.81% 98,062 1.03% 2,306 0.66% 1,485 10.69% 23,933
Lake 54.12% 1,556 43.93% 1,263 0.97% 28 0.97% 28 10.19% 293
Huerfano 53.59% 1,620 44.36% 1,341 1.59% 48 0.46% 14 9.23% 279
Las Animas 52.63% 3,659 46.35% 3,222 0.85% 59 0.17% 12 6.29% 437
Pitkin 44.20% 2,064 54.20% 2,531 0.71% 33 0.90% 42 -10.00% -467
Costilla 42.79% 602 52.88% 744 1.28% 18 3.06% 43 -10.09% -142

References

  1. ^ "Guide to U.S. Elections (p. 848)". CQ Press (12 January 2016). Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  2. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results - Colorado". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Our Campaigns; CO US President, November 07, 1972
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