1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota explained

See main article: 1972 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Country:	Minnesota
Flag Year:	1957
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1968 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Previous Year:	1968
Next Election:	1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Next Year:	1976
Turnout:	70.31%^[1]
Election Date:	November 7, 1972
Image1:	Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg
Nominee1:	Richard Nixon
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	California
Running Mate1:	Spiro Agnew
Electoral Vote1:	10
Popular Vote1:	898,269
Percentage1:	51.58%
Nominee2:	George McGovern
Party2:	Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Home State2:	South Dakota
Running Mate2:	Sargent Shriver
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	802,346
Percentage2:	46.07%
Map Size:	320px
President
Before Election:	Richard Nixon
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Richard Nixon
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

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

Minnesota was won by the Republican Party candidate, incumbent President Richard Nixon, who won the state over U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota by a margin of 95,923 votes, or 5.51%, the closest state in the election. This result made Minnesota around 18% more Democratic than the nation as a whole. Nixon went on to win the election nationally, by a landslide margin of 23.15% of the popular vote. McGovern carried only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time Minnesota, a state that has generally favored Democrats since the New Deal, was carried by a Republican. Minnesota would go on to have the longest streak voting for Democrats out of any state after this election, as every other state would be won by Ronald Reagan in the landslide year of 1984. This is also the last time a Republican has won heavily populated Hennepin County. Nixon further became the first-ever Republican to win the White House without carrying Stevens County, which was one of six counties outside of McGovern's home state of South Dakota that he flipped nationwide.

During Nixon's second term as president, the Watergate scandal resulted in the loss of the Republican Party's credibility both nationally and in Minnesota. The damage caused by Watergate was so pronounced that the Republican Party of Minnesota was forced to rebrand itself as the "Independent-Republican Party" from 1975 to 1995 to distance itself from the national Republican Party.

Results

1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	898,269	51.58%	10
	Democratic (DFL)	George McGovern	802,346	46.07%	0
	American	John G. Schmitz	31,407	1.80%	0
	Socialist Labor	Louis Fisher	4,261	0.24%	0
	People's	Benjamin Spock	2,805	0.16%	0
	Write-ins	Write-ins	962	0.06%	0
	Socialist Workers	Linda Jenness	940	0.05%	0
	Communist	Gus Hall	662	0.04%	0
Invalid or blank votes					—
Totals			1,978,590	100.00%	10
Voter turnout			77%		—

Results by county

County^[3]	Richard Nixon Republican		George McGovern DFL		John G. Schmitz American		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Aitkin		3,241		53.73%		2,687		44.55%		58		0.96%		46		0.76%		554		9.18%		6,032
	Anoka		29,546		49.77%		28,031		47.22%		1,312		2.21%		471		0.79%		1,515		2.55%		59,360
	Becker		6,033		55.43%		4,695		43.14%		123		1.13%		33		0.30%		1,338		12.29%		10,884
	Beltrami		5,947		52.20%		5,194		45.59%		210		1.84%		42		0.37%		753		6.61%		11,393
	Benton		4,652		49.35%		4,282		45.43%		438		4.65%		54		0.57%		370		3.92%		9,426
	Big Stone		1,748		43.52%		2,185		54.39%		71		1.77%		13		0.32%		-437		-10.87%		4,017
	Blue Earth		12,702		53.68%		10,638		44.96%		216		0.91%		106		0.45%		2,064		8.72%		23,662
	Brown		7,791		61.21%		4,347		34.15%		557		4.38%		34		0.27%		3,444		27.06%		12,729
	Carlton		5,445		42.77%		7,116		55.90%		111		0.87%		58		0.46%		-1,671		-13.13%		12,730
	Carver		8,546		61.46%		4,852		34.89%		446		3.21%		61		0.44%		3,694		26.57%		13,905
	Cass		4,906		57.70%		3,347		39.36%		219		2.58%		31		0.36%		1,559		18.34%		8,503
	Chippewa		3,787		50.18%		3,630		48.10%		114		1.51%		16		0.21%		157		2.08%		7,547
	Chisago		4,718		51.06%		4,174		45.17%		306		3.31%		43		0.47%		544		5.89%		9,241
	Clay		11,089		54.36%		9,076		44.49%		169		0.83%		66		0.32%		2,013		9.87%		20,400
	Clearwater		1,819		49.39%		1,751		47.54%		90		2.44%		23		0.62%		68		1.85%		3,683
	Cook		1,047		57.62%		742		40.84%		21		1.16%		7		0.39%		305		16.78%		1,817
	Cottonwood		4,396		60.19%		2,802		38.37%		94		1.29%		11		0.15%		1,594		21.82%		7,303
	Crow Wing		8,774		53.01%		7,328		44.28%		329		1.99%		120		0.73%		1,446		8.73%		16,551
	Dakota		34,967		53.96%		28,479		43.95%		951		1.47%		399		0.62%		6,488		10.01%		64,796
	Dodge		3,863		65.08%		1,921		32.36%		139		2.34%		13		0.22%		1,942		32.72%		5,936
	Douglas		6,678		52.97%		5,501		43.64%		389		3.09%		38		0.30%		1,177		9.33%		12,606
	Faribault		6,503		64.05%		3,519		34.66%		105		1.03%		26		0.26%		2,984		29.39%		10,153
	Fillmore		7,107		67.94%		3,155		30.16%		161		1.54%		37		0.35%		3,952		37.78%		10,460
	Freeborn		9,747		56.90%		7,163		41.82%		162		0.95%		58		0.34%		2,584		15.08%		17,130
	Goodhue		11,107		63.00%		6,147		34.86%		293		1.66%		84		0.48%		4,960		28.14%		17,631
	Grant		1,899		46.84%		2,085		51.43%		55		1.36%		15		0.37%		-186		-4.59%		4,054
	Hennepin		228,951		51.64%		205,943		46.45%		6,386		1.44%		2,078		0.47%		23,008		5.19%		443,358
	Houston		5,186		66.57%		2,467		31.67%		103		1.32%		34		0.44%		2,719		34.90%		7,790
	Hubbard		3,294		59.31%		2,136		38.46%		105		1.89%		19		0.34%		1,158		20.85%		5,554
	Isanti		3,715		48.66%		3,660		47.94%		223		2.92%		36		0.47%		55		0.72%		7,634
	Itasca		7,558		45.58%		8,683		52.36%		238		1.44%		104		0.63%		-1,125		-6.78%		16,583
	Jackson		3,599		51.50%		3,304		47.27%		65		0.93%		21		0.30%		295		4.23%		6,989
	Kanabec		2,395		51.71%		1,969		42.51%		243		5.25%		25		0.54%		426		9.20%		4,632
	Kandiyohi		6,624		45.74%		7,241		50.00%		511		3.53%		105		0.73%		-617		-4.26%		14,481
	Kittson		1,832		52.66%		1,584		45.53%		50		1.44%		13		0.37%		248		7.13%		3,479
	Koochiching		3,681		50.91%		3,396		46.97%		118		1.63%		35		0.48%		285		3.94%		7,230
	Lac qui Parle		2,773		48.43%		2,845		49.69%		96		1.68%		12		0.21%		-72		-1.26%		5,726
	Lake		2,575		40.70%		3,640		57.53%		65		1.03%		47		0.74%		-1,065		-16.83%		6,327
	Lake of the Woods		877		55.44%		672		42.48%		29		1.83%		4		0.25%		205		12.96%		1,582
	Le Sueur		5,388		52.50%		4,725		46.04%		107		1.04%		42		0.41%		663		6.46%		10,262
	Lincoln		1,881		45.93%		2,148		52.45%		55		1.34%		11		0.27%		-267		-6.52%		4,095
	Lyon		5,820		50.04%		5,614		48.27%		141		1.21%		55		0.47%		206		1.77%		11,630
	Mahnomen		1,246		46.30%		1,397		51.91%		37		1.37%		11		0.41%		-151		-5.61%		2,691
	Marshall		3,264		52.73%		2,790		45.07%		100		1.62%		36		0.58%		474		7.66%		6,190
	Martin		7,569		64.59%		3,816		32.57%		311		2.65%		22		0.19%		3,753		32.02%		11,718
	McLeod		7,820		61.42%		4,538		35.64%		321		2.52%		54		0.42%		3,282		25.78%		12,733
	Meeker		5,097		57.06%		3,601		40.31%		196		2.19%		39		0.44%		1,496		16.75%		8,933
	Mille Lacs		4,291		55.83%		3,221		41.91%		147		1.91%		27		0.35%		1,070		13.92%		7,686
	Morrison		5,714		46.35%		5,993		48.61%		568		4.61%		54		0.44%		-279		-2.26%		12,329
	Mower		9,929		48.36%		10,286		50.10%		193		0.94%		122		0.59%		-357		-1.74%		20,530
	Murray		2,959		49.92%		2,893		48.81%		58		0.98%		17		0.29%		66		1.11%		5,927
	Nicollet		6,230		56.28%		4,680		42.28%		110		0.99%		49		0.44%		1,550		14.00%		11,069
	Nobles		4,951		47.04%		5,464		51.91%		72		0.68%		38		0.36%		-513		-4.87%		10,525
	Norman		2,536		50.76%		2,444		48.92%		2		0.04%		14		0.28%		92		1.84%		4,996
	Olmsted		23,806		68.96%		9,817		28.44%		753		2.18%		145		0.42%		13,989		40.52%		34,521
	Otter Tail		13,519		62.21%		7,881		36.27%		264		1.21%		67		0.31%		5,638		25.94%		21,731
	Pennington		3,548		53.72%		2,892		43.79%		147		2.23%		18		0.27%		656		9.93%		6,605
	Pine		3,881		48.41%		3,794		47.32%		306		3.82%		36		0.45%		87		1.09%		8,017
	Pipestone		3,543		55.57%		2,758		43.26%		59		0.93%		16		0.25%		785		12.31%		6,376
	Polk		8,139		51.24%		7,366		46.37%		337		2.12%		43		0.27%		773		4.87%		15,885
	Pope		2,610		45.94%		2,910		51.22%		150		2.64%		11		0.19%		-300		-5.28%		5,681
	Ramsey		95,716		45.59%		108,392		51.63%		3,559		1.70%		2,284		1.09%		-12,676		-6.04%		209,951
	Red Lake		1,052		41.40%		1,409		55.45%		72		2.83%		8		0.31%		-357		-14.05%		2,541
	Redwood		5,776		62.43%		3,177		34.34%		275		2.97%		24		0.26%		2,599		28.09%		9,252
	Renville		5,329		53.06%		4,499		44.79%		177		1.76%		39		0.39%		830		8.27%		10,044
	Rice		9,195		52.62%		8,065		46.15%		156		0.89%		59		0.34%		1,130		6.47%		17,475
	Rock		3,470		61.83%		2,089		37.22%		44		0.78%		9		0.16%		1,381		24.61%		5,612
	Roseau		2,844		53.22%		2,396		44.84%		85		1.59%		19		0.36%		448		8.38%		5,344
	St. Louis		41,435		39.77%		61,103		58.65%		862		0.83%		780		0.75%		-19,668		-18.88%		104,180
	Scott		7,310		50.85%		6,745		46.92%		259		1.80%		62		0.43%		565		3.93%		14,376
	Sherburne		4,332		50.03%		4,070		47.01%		209		2.41%		47		0.54%		262		3.02%		8,658
	Sibley		4,543		64.17%		2,433		34.36%		77		1.09%		27		0.38%		2,110		29.81%		7,080
	Stearns		18,951		45.78%		19,315		46.65%		2,873		6.94%		261		0.63%		-364		-0.87%		41,400
	Steele		7,678		64.69%		4,010		33.79%		146		1.23%		34		0.29%		3,668		30.90%		11,868
	Stevens		2,830		48.70%		2,870		49.39%		92		1.58%		19		0.33%		-40		-0.69%		5,811
	Swift		2,673		40.40%		3,823		57.78%		116		1.75%		5		0.08%		-1,150		-17.38%		6,617
	Todd		5,387		53.14%		4,270		42.12%		447		4.41%		33		0.33%		1,117		11.02%		10,137
	Traverse		1,276		41.77%		1,744		57.09%		30		0.98%		5		0.16%		-468		-15.32%		3,055
	Wabasha		5,158		61.31%		3,017		35.86%		214		2.54%		24		0.29%		2,141		25.45%		8,413
	Wadena		3,408		57.05%		2,430		40.68%		124		2.08%		12		0.20%		978		16.37%		5,974
	Waseca		5,064		63.89%		2,767		34.91%		69		0.87%		26		0.33%		2,297		28.98%		7,926
	Washington		19,142		53.03%		16,102		44.61%		615		1.70%		239		0.66%		3,040		8.42%		36,098
	Watonwan		3,960		63.35%		2,229		35.66%		49		0.78%		13		0.21%		1,731		27.69%		6,251
	Wilkin		2,292		56.00%		1,739		42.49%		47		1.15%		15		0.37%		553		13.51%		4,093
	Winona		10,910		56.45%		8,080		41.81%		237		1.23%		100		0.52%		2,830		14.64%		19,327
	Wright		9,996		51.56%		8,695		44.85%		615		3.17%		80		0.41%		1,301		6.71%		19,386
	Yellow Medicine		3,683		50.32%		3,462		47.30%		128		1.75%		46		0.63%		221		3.02%		7,319
Totals	898,269	51.58%	802,346	46.07%	31,407	1.80%	9,630	0.55%	95,923	5.51%	1,741,652

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Aitkin
• Anoka
• Beltrami
• Becker
• Benton
• Chippewa
• Clay
• Clearwater
• Chisago
• Crow Wing
• Dakota
• Freeborn
• Hennepin
• Isanti
• Jackson
• Kanabec
• Kittson
• Koochiching
• Le Sueur
• Lincoln
• Mahnomen
• Marshall
• Meeker
• Mille Lacs
• Norman
• Pine
• Pennington
• Polk
• Roseau
• Rice
• Scott
• Sherburne
• Washington
• Winona
• Yellow Medicine
• Wright

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Stevens

See also

• United States presidential elections in Minnesota

Notes and References

1. Web site: Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State. sos.state.mn.us. en. July 22, 2017.
2. Web site: 1972 Presidential Election Results, 1972 . January 24, 2014 . Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
3. Our Campaigns; MN US President Race, November 07, 1972