| Election Name: | 1972 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary |
| Country: | New Hampshire |
| Flag Year: | 1931 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1968 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary |
| Previous Year: | 1968 |
| Next Election: | 1976 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
| Candidate1: | Edmund Muskie |
| Colour1: | 803300 |
| Home State1: | Maine |
| Popular Vote1: | 41,235 |
| Percentage1: | 46.4% |
| Candidate2: | George McGovern |
| Colour2: | ff0000 |
| Home State2: | South Dakota |
| Popular Vote2: | 33,007 |
| Percentage2: | 37.1% |
See main article: 1972 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
The 1972 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary was held on March 7, 1972, in New Hampshire as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1972 United States presidential election.
The first-in-the-nation primary was won by Edmund Muskie, but by a much narrower margin than expected over his much more liberal opponent, George McGovern.[1] [2] Muskie's surprisingly close victory would slow his momentum to a halt, eventually leading him to drop out of the race altogether.[3] McGovern would go on to become the 1972 Democratic nominee, but he lost to incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon in a 49-state landslide.