| Election Name: | 1972 Texas gubernatorial election |
| Country: | Texas |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1970 Texas gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1970 |
| Next Election: | 1974 Texas gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1974 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Image1: | File:Dolph Briscoe, 1976 (3x4 crop).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Dolph Briscoe |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,633,493 |
| Percentage1: | 47.9% |
| Nominee2: | Henry Grover |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,533,986 |
| Percentage2: | 45.0% |
| Image3: | File:Ramsey Muniz.jpg |
| Nominee3: | Ramsey Muñiz |
| Party3: | Raza Unida Party |
| Popular Vote3: | 214,118 |
| Percentage3: | 6.3% |
| Map Size: | 310px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Preston Smith |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Dolph Briscoe |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1972 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic Governor Preston Smith ran for reelection, but lost renomination to businessman Dolph Briscoe. Smith was overwhelmingly rejected in the Democratic primary, taking fourth place with only 8% of the vote amid the fallout from the Sharpstown scandal. Briscoe went on to win the general election by a relatively small margin, winning 48% of the vote to Republican Henry Grover's 45%. Raza Unida candidate Ramsey Muniz won 6%.
As of 2022, this is the last time Jim Hogg and Brooks counties did not vote for the Democratic candidate, instead voting for the Raza Unida party.
The 1972 election marked the last time that a gubernatorial election was held concurrently with a presidential election and the last time that a governor was elected for a two-year term.