1972 United States presidential election in Montana
← 1968 November 7, 1972 (1972-11-07) 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 4 0
Popular vote 183,976 120,197
Percentage 57.93% 37.85%
County Results
President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

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The 1972 United States presidential election in Montana took place on November 7, 1972, and was part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose four representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Montana strongly voted for the Republican nominee, President Richard Nixon, over the Democratic nominee, Senator George McGovern. Nixon won Montana by a margin of 20.08%, making Montana around 4% more Democratic than the nation at large; McGovern's vote share was 0.4% higher than it was nationally. This was the first time since 1928 that Sheridan County voted Republican. As of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, this is the last time Montana shifted in favor of the incumbent President's party, as in the 12 subsequent presidential elections after 1972, it would shift away from every incumbent President's party.

Results

1972 United States presidential election in Montana[1]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 183,976 57.93% 4
Democratic George McGovern 120,197 37.85% 0
American Independent John G. Schmitz 13,430 4.23% 0
Totals 317,603 100.00% 4

Results by county

County Richard Milhous Nixon
Republican 		George Stanley McGovern
Democratic 		John George Schmitz
American Independent 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Beaverhead 2,460 71.99% 775 22.68% 182 5.33% 1,685 49.31% 3,417
Big Horn 2,148 56.17% 1,552 40.59% 124 3.24% 596 15.59% 3,824
Blaine 1,513 54.44% 1,151 41.42% 115 4.14% 362 13.03% 2,779
Broadwater 916 66.57% 411 29.87% 49 3.56% 505 36.70% 1,376
Carbon 2,378 61.91% 1,292 33.64% 171 4.45% 1,086 28.27% 3,841
Carter 726 73.86% 218 22.18% 39 3.97% 508 51.68% 983
Cascade 16,159 52.40% 12,899 41.83% 1,778 5.77% 3,260 10.57% 30,836
Chouteau 2,027 59.64% 1,149 33.80% 223 6.56% 878 25.83% 3,399
Custer 3,486 63.31% 1,875 34.05% 145 2.63% 1,611 29.26% 5,506
Daniels 973 61.82% 570 36.21% 31 1.97% 403 25.60% 1,574
Dawson 3,207 63.96% 1,685 33.61% 122 2.43% 1,522 30.36% 5,014
Deer Lodge 2,373 35.93% 3,979 60.25% 252 3.82% -1,606 -24.32% 6,604
Fallon 1,034 64.46% 531 33.10% 39 2.43% 503 31.36% 1,604
Fergus 4,082 67.48% 1,652 27.31% 315 5.21% 2,430 40.17% 6,049
Flathead 10,417 60.72% 5,412 31.55% 1,327 7.73% 5,005 29.17% 17,156
Gallatin 10,663 66.28% 5,096 31.68% 329 2.05% 5,567 34.60% 16,088
Garfield 695 77.83% 173 19.37% 25 2.80% 522 58.45% 893
Glacier 2,143 56.11% 1,469 38.47% 207 5.42% 674 17.65% 3,819
Golden Valley 359 64.92% 170 30.74% 24 4.34% 189 34.18% 553
Granite 804 62.28% 422 32.69% 65 5.03% 382 29.59% 1,291
Hill 3,759 53.06% 3,061 43.20% 265 3.74% 698 9.85% 7,085
Jefferson 1,281 56.06% 904 39.56% 100 4.38% 377 16.50% 2,285
Judith Basin 961 59.54% 557 34.51% 96 5.95% 404 25.03% 1,614
Lake 4,172 62.09% 2,260 33.64% 287 4.27% 1,912 28.46% 6,719
Lewis and Clark 10,719 61.90% 6,081 35.12% 516 2.98% 4,638 26.78% 17,316
Liberty 808 65.43% 365 29.55% 62 5.02% 443 35.87% 1,235
Lincoln 3,276 52.77% 2,402 38.69% 530 8.54% 874 14.08% 6,208
McCone 854 58.29% 562 38.36% 49 3.34% 292 19.93% 1,465
Madison 1,780 68.78% 669 25.85% 139 5.37% 1,111 42.93% 2,588
Meagher 674 71.55% 230 24.42% 38 4.03% 444 47.13% 942
Mineral 706 49.75% 659 46.44% 54 3.81% 47 3.31% 1,419
Missoula 15,557 51.77% 13,784 45.87% 708 2.36% 1,773 5.90% 30,049
Musselshell 1,202 61.11% 689 35.03% 76 3.86% 513 26.08% 1,967
Park 3,771 63.89% 1,923 32.58% 208 3.52% 1,848 31.31% 5,902
Petroleum 232 71.38% 87 26.77% 6 1.85% 145 44.62% 325
Phillips 1,659 64.88% 828 32.38% 70 2.74% 831 32.50% 2,557
Pondera 1,890 57.41% 1,215 36.91% 187 5.68% 675 20.50% 3,292
Powder River 844 69.35% 267 21.94% 106 8.71% 577 47.41% 1,217
Powell 1,720 59.68% 1,050 36.43% 112 3.89% 670 23.25% 2,882
Prairie 685 68.57% 303 30.33% 11 1.10% 382 38.24% 999
Ravalli 4,611 61.83% 2,480 33.25% 367 4.92% 2,131 28.57% 7,458
Richland 2,645 61.51% 1,438 33.44% 217 5.05% 1,207 28.07% 4,300
Roosevelt 2,304 58.97% 1,464 37.47% 139 3.56% 840 21.50% 3,907
Rosebud 1,486 63.23% 777 33.06% 87 3.70% 709 30.17% 2,350
Sanders 1,779 54.72% 1,197 36.82% 275 8.46% 582 17.90% 3,251
Sheridan 1,500 53.96% 1,197 43.06% 83 2.99% 303 10.90% 2,780
Silver Bow 7,967 39.05% 11,704 57.36% 733 3.59% -3,737 -18.32% 20,404
Stillwater 1,698 67.95% 716 28.65% 85 3.40% 982 39.30% 2,499
Sweet Grass 1,260 76.00% 350 21.11% 48 2.90% 910 54.89% 1,658
Teton 1,991 59.95% 1,121 33.75% 209 6.29% 870 26.20% 3,321
Toole 1,679 59.64% 897 31.87% 239 8.49% 782 27.78% 2,815
Treasure 377 65.68% 176 30.66% 21 3.66% 201 35.02% 574
Valley 3,210 60.02% 1,973 36.89% 165 3.09% 1,237 23.13% 5,348
Wheatland 761 57.39% 445 33.56% 120 9.05% 316 23.83% 1,326
Wibaux 390 55.48% 283 40.26% 30 4.27% 107 15.22% 703
Yellowstone 25,205 62.64% 13,602 33.80% 1,430 3.55% 11,603 28.84% 40,237
Totals 183,976 57.93% 120,197 37.85% 13,430 4.23% 63,779 20.08% 317,603

See also

References

  1. ^ David Leip. "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Montana". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
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