| Election Name: | 1972 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Country: | United States |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | No |
| Previous Election: | 1971 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Previous Year: | 1971 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1972 |
| Next Election: | 1973 United States gubernatorial elections |
| Next Year: | 1973 |
| Seats For Election: | 20 governorships 18 states; 2 territories |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Seats won |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Seats Before1: | 30 |
| Seats After1: | 31 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| 1Data1: | 10 |
| 2Data1: | 11 |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Seats After2: | 19 |
| Seats Before2: | 20 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| 1Data2: | 8 |
| 2Data2: | 7 |
| Map Size: | 324px |
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).
| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Democratic | 1970 | Incumbent re-elected.[1] | Dale Bumpers (Democratic) 75.44% Len E. Blaylock (Republican) 24.56% | |||
| Delaware | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent lost re-election.[2] New governor elected. Democratic gain. | 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 | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent lost re-election.[3] New governor elected. Democratic gain. | 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 | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent term-limited.[4] New governor elected. Republican hold. | 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 | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent re-elected.[5] | 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.[6] | Robert Docking (Democratic) 61.99% Morris Kay (Republican) 37.05% Rolland Ernest Fisher (Prohibition) 0.96% | ||
| Missouri | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent term-limited.[7] New governor elected. Republican gain. | Kit Bond (Republican) 55.18% Edward L. Doud (Democrat) 44.64% Paul J. Leonard (Nonpartisan) 0.19% | |||
| Montana | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent retired.[8] New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Thomas Lee Judge (Democratic) 54.12% Ed Smith (Republican) 45.88% | |||
| New Hampshire | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent lost renomination.[9] New governor elected.[10] Republican hold. | Meldrim Thomson Jr. (Republican) 41.38% Roger J. Crowley (Democratic) 39.03% Malcolm McLane (Independent) 19.56% Scattering 0.03% | |||
| North Carolina | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent term-limited.[11] New governor elected. Republican gain. | James Holshouser (Republican) 51% Skipper Bowles (Democratic) 48.45% Arlis F. Pettyjohn (American) 0.55% | |||
| North Dakota | Democratic-NPL | 1960 | Incumbent retired.[12] New governor elected. Democratic-NPL hold. | Arthur A. Link (Democratic-NPL) 51.04% Richard F. Larsen (Republican) 48.96% | |||
| Rhode Island | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent retired.[13] New governor elected. Democratic hold. | 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.[14] | Richard F. Kneip (Democratic) 60.03% Carveth Thompson (Republican) 39.97% | ||
| Texas | Democratic | 1968 | Incumbent lost renomination.[15] New governor elected.[16] Democratic hold. | 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 | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent re-elected.[17] | Cal Rampton (Democratic) 69.68% Nicholas L. Strike (Republican) 30.32% | |||
| Vermont | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent retired.[18] New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Thomas P. Salmon (Democratic) 55.24% Luther Fred Hackett (Republican) 43.59% Bernie Sanders (Liberty Union) 1.15% Scattering 0.02% | |||
| Washington | Republican | 1964 | Incumbent re-elected.[19] | 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 | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent re-elected.[20] | Arch A. Moore Jr. (Republican) 54.74% Jay Rockefeller (Democratic) 45.26% |
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.[21]
In Delaware and Illinois, Republicans Russell W. Peterson and Richard B. Ogilvie were defeated by Democrats Sherman Willard Tribbitt and Dan Walker, respectively.
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.[22] This ruling in effect said that Edgar Whitcomb was not eligible for another term.
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.
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.
In Missouri, during Governor Warren Hearnes' term, the rules were changed so that governors were allowed two back-to-back four-year terms.[23] By the 1972 race, Hearnes had served two terms and was term-limited.
In Montana, a new state constitution in 1972 allowed unlimited four-year terms for a governor.[24] Anderson did not run for another term because of health issues, and this bad health was considered the motive behind his suicide in 1989.[25]
In North Carolina, governors weren't allowed two consecutive terms in a row until 1977, thus term-limiting Scott.[26]
In Rhode Island, governors served two-year terms until 1994, when the state switched to four-year terms for governors.[27]
In Texas, the defeat of Smith has been considered a casualty of the Sharpstown Scandal.[28] Texas also had a system of governors serving two-year terms until 1974, when the state switched to four-year terms.[29]