1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi explained

See main article: 1972 United States presidential election.

Election Date:	November 7, 1972
Country:	Mississippi
Flag Image:	Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).svg
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Next Year:	1976
Next Election:	1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi
Previous Year:	1968
Previous Election:	1968 United States presidential election in Mississippi
Image1:	Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg
Nominee1:	Richard Nixon
Home State1:	California
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Electoral Vote1:	7
Running Mate1:	Spiro Agnew
Percentage1:	78.20%
Popular Vote1:	505,125
Nominee2:	George McGovern
Home State2:	South Dakota
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Electoral Vote2:	0
Running Mate2:	Sargent Shriver
Percentage2:	19.63%
Popular Vote2:	126,782
President
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Before Election:	Richard Nixon
After Election:	Richard Nixon
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Map Size:	304px
Election Name:	1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi

The 1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent President Nixon won the state of Mississippi with 78.20% of the vote.^[1] This was the highest percentage Nixon received in any state in the election. Nixon even received a higher share of the vote in Mississippi than McGovern did in the District of Columbia, making this one of only two elections where Washington, D.C. wasn't the largest margin for either candidate, along with 1964.

In Mississippi, voters voted for electors individually instead of as a slate, as in the other states. McGovern carried only three counties – Claiborne, Holmes, and Jefferson – all of which have overwhelming majority black populations.^[2] Nixon would also be the first presidential candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to win Mississippi and the election.

, this is the last election in which the following counties voted for a Republican presidential candidate: Marshall, Quitman, Bolivar, Sharkey, Wilkinson, Humphreys, Coahoma, Noxubee, and Tunica.^[3] The proportion of white voters supporting McGovern was utterly negligible and estimated at maximally three percent.^[4] Calculated estimates indicate that 100% of white voters supported Nixon while 0% supported McGovern.

Results

1972 United States presidential election in Mississippi
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	505,125	78.20%	7
	Democrat	George McGovern	126,782	19.63%	0
	Independent	John Schmitz	11,598	1.80%	0
	Independent	Linda Jenness	2,458	0.38%	0
Totals			645,963	100.0%	7

Results by individual elector

General election results^[5] ! colspan=2

Party	Pledged to	Elector	Votes
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	B. B. McClendon, Jr.	505,125
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	H. F. McCarty, Jr.	500,702
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	Clyde Q. Sheely	500,493
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	Paul V. Lacoste	500,378
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	J. B. Bright	499,990
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	William Neville, Jr.	499,194
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon	Joe A. Moore	497,430
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Frank A. Riley	126,782
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Robert S. Reeves	126,116
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Bobby Garraway	124,922
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Mathew Page	124,871
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Daniel Harvey	124,037
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Obie Clark	123,664
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	William Bruce Guy	123,080
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	William Hollis Burrow	11,598
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	Homer Brown Wells	11,030
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	Robert L. Baker	10,993
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	Robert W. Schaffer	10,925
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	Mrs. Robert W. Saul	10,888
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	Curtis W. Caine	10,789
bgcolor=		Independent	John G. Schmitz	Andrew Cvitanovich	10,569
bgcolor=		Independent	Linda Jenness	John Earl Brown	2,458
bgcolor=		Independent	Linda Jenness	Robert Donnell	1,478
bgcolor=		Independent	Linda Jenness	Shirley M. Roberts	1,415
bgcolor=		Independent	Linda Jenness	Delores Buford	1,386
bgcolor=		Independent	Linda Jenness	James Westley Miggins	1,359
bgcolor=		Independent	Linda Jenness	Darius Singleton	1,313
Total votes				645,963

Results by county

County^[6]	Richard Nixon Republican		George McGovern Democratic		John G. Schmitz Independent		Linda Jenness Independent		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Adams		8,500		67.16%		3,697		29.21%		255		2.01%		205		1.62%		4,803		37.95%		12,657
	Alcorn		5,732		83.28%		982		14.27%		134		1.95%		35		0.51%		4,750		69.01%		6,883
	Amite		2,846		68.94%		1,185		28.71%		93		2.25%		4		0.10%		1,661		40.23%		4,128
	Attala		4,738		79.50%		1,103		18.51%		116		1.95%		3		0.05%		3,635		60.99%		5,960
	Benton		1,483		66.35%		701		31.36%		51		2.28%		0		0.00%		782		34.99%		2,235
	Bolivar		7,397		66.12%		3,616		32.32%		155		1.39%		19		0.17%		3,781		33.80%		11,187
	Calhoun		3,023		90.37%		245		7.32%		75		2.24%		2		0.06%		2,778		83.05%		3,345
	Carroll		1,777		73.31%		580		23.93%		66		2.72%		1		0.04%		1,197		49.38%		2,424
	Chickasaw		3,753		84.66%		579		13.06%		62		1.40%		39		0.88%		3,174		71.60%		4,433
	Choctaw		2,301		86.57%		326		12.26%		29		1.09%		2		0.08%		1,975		74.31%		2,658
	Claiborne		1,521		41.76%		2,076		57.00%		31		0.85%		14		0.38%		-555		-15.24%		3,642
	Clarke		4,561		81.56%		954		17.06%		74		1.32%		3		0.05%		3,607		64.50%		5,592
	Clay		4,035		71.39%		1,410		24.95%		116		2.05%		91		1.61%		2,625		46.44%		5,652
	Coahoma		6,602		61.56%		3,708		34.57%		333		3.10%		82		0.76%		2,894		26.99%		10,725
	Copiah		5,498		73.11%		1,803		23.98%		125		1.66%		94		1.25%		3,695		49.13%		7,520
	Covington		3,842		84.09%		642		14.05%		77		1.69%		8		0.18%		3,200		70.04%		4,569
	DeSoto		7,917		80.88%		1,557		15.91%		314		3.21%		1		0.01%		6,360		64.97%		9,789
	Forrest		14,418		80.56%		2,933		16.39%		531		2.96%		16		0.09%		11,485		64.17%		17,898
	Franklin		2,361		78.73%		561		18.71%		63		2.10%		14		0.47%		1,800		60.02%		2,999
	George		3,979		92.90%		270		6.30%		33		0.77%		1		0.02%		3,709		86.60%		4,283
	Greene		2,884		83.52%		513		14.86%		43		1.25%		13		0.38%		2,371		68.66%		3,453
	Grenada		4,800		75.09%		1,471		23.01%		107		1.67%		14		0.22%		3,329		52.08%		6,392
	Hancock		5,133		86.28%		745		12.52%		64		1.08%		7		0.12%		4,388		73.76%		5,949
	Harrison		28,962		84.02%		4,761		13.81%		534		1.55%		213		0.62%		24,201		70.21%		34,470
	Hinds		49,877		77.82%		12,679		19.78%		1,126		1.76%		414		0.65%		37,198		58.04%		64,096
	Holmes		3,158		47.23%		3,459		51.73%		57		0.85%		12		0.18%		-301		-4.50%		6,686
	Humphreys		2,334		69.01%		892		26.37%		86		2.54%		70		2.07%		1,442		42.64%		3,382
	Issaquena		701		60.80%		395		34.26%		34		2.95%		23		1.99%		306		26.54%		1,153
	Itawamba		4,419		89.20%		509		10.27%		24		0.48%		2		0.04%		3,910		78.93%		4,954
	Jackson		22,204		88.68%		2,534		10.12%		282		1.13%		18		0.07%		19,670		78.56%		25,038
	Jasper		3,597		78.47%		935		20.40%		50		1.09%		2		0.04%		2,662		58.07%		4,584
	Jefferson		1,131		43.37%		1,457		55.87%		16		0.61%		4		0.15%		-326		-12.50%		2,608
	Jefferson Davis		2,830		72.83%		1,005		25.86%		43		1.11%		8		0.21%		1,825		46.97%		3,886
	Jones		16,489		83.79%		2,790		14.18%		320		1.63%		80		0.41%		13,699		69.61%		19,679
	Kemper		2,748		75.25%		837		22.92%		65		1.78%		2		0.05%		1,911		52.33%		3,652
	Lafayette		5,391		76.89%		1,545		22.04%		67		0.96%		8		0.11%		3,846		54.85%		7,011
	Lamar		5,022		88.38%		493		8.68%		161		2.83%		6		0.11%		4,529		79.70%		5,682
	Lauderdale		18,337		81.79%		3,453		15.40%		613		2.73%		17		0.08%		14,884		66.39%		22,420
	Lawrence		3,394		81.70%		709		17.07%		50		1.20%		1		0.02%		2,685		64.63%		4,154
	Leake		4,217		79.13%		1,053		19.76%		56		1.05%		3		0.06%		3,164		59.37%		5,329
	Lee		10,730		82.60%		1,632		12.56%		520		4.00%		109		0.84%		9,098		70.04%		12,991
	Leflore		6,779		75.58%		2,038		22.72%		148		1.65%		4		0.04%		4,741		52.86%		8,969
	Lincoln		7,593		86.01%		1,070		12.12%		161		1.82%		4		0.05%		6,523		73.89%		8,828
	Lowndes		10,098		78.70%		2,398		18.69%		326		2.54%		9		0.07%		7,700		60.01%		12,831
	Madison		5,047		57.20%		3,464		39.26%		239		2.71%		74		0.84%		1,583		17.94%		8,824
	Marion		6,805		79.40%		1,693		19.75%		65		0.76%		7		0.08%		5,112		59.65%		8,570
	Marshall		3,326		62.10%		1,875		35.01%		115		2.15%		40		0.75%		1,451		27.09%		5,356
	Monroe		7,273		84.10%		1,279		14.79%		84		0.97%		12		0.14%		5,994		69.31%		8,648
	Montgomery		3,210		76.32%		925		21.99%		67		1.59%		4		0.10%		2,285		54.33%		4,206
	Neshoba		6,815		88.22%		812		10.51%		93		1.20%		5		0.06%		6,003		77.71%		7,725
	Newton		5,585		88.05%		597		9.41%		157		2.48%		4		0.06%		4,988		78.64%		6,343
	Noxubee		2,239		66.28%		1,052		31.14%		83		2.46%		4		0.12%		1,187		35.14%		3,378
	Oktibbeha		6,160		75.56%		1,880		23.06%		100		1.23%		13		0.16%		4,280		52.50%		8,153
	Panola		5,284		70.61%		2,091		27.94%		105		1.40%		3		0.04%		3,193		42.67%		7,483
	Pearl River		7,487		88.04%		901		10.60%		111		1.31%		5		0.06%		6,586		77.44%		8,504
	Perry		2,689		84.14%		446		13.95%		60		1.88%		1		0.03%		2,243		70.19%		3,196
	Pike		6,542		72.08%		2,332		25.69%		188		2.07%		14		0.15%		4,210		46.39%		9,076
	Pontotoc		4,476		89.45%		488		9.75%		40		0.80%		0		0.00%		3,988		79.70%		5,004
	Prentiss		4,607		91.12%		398		7.87%		51		1.01%		0		0.00%		4,209		83.25%		5,056
	Quitman		2,524		74.41%		790		23.29%		59		1.74%		19		0.56%		1,734		51.12%		3,392
	Rankin		12,187		85.19%		1,913		13.37%		197		1.38%		8		0.06%		10,274		71.82%		14,305
	Scott		5,244		79.95%		1,213		18.49%		91		1.39%		11		0.17%		4,031		61.46%		6,559
	Sharkey		1,426		67.94%		655		31.21%		15		0.71%		3		0.14%		771		36.73%		2,099
	Simpson		5,669		85.87%		871		13.19%		51		0.77%		11		0.17%		4,798		72.68%		6,602
	Smith		4,419		92.35%		329		6.88%		36		0.75%		1		0.02%		4,090		85.47%		4,785
	Stone		2,467		88.49%		293		10.51%		27		0.97%		1		0.04%		2,174		77.98%		2,788
	Sunflower		5,389		73.27%		1,874		25.48%		77		1.05%		15		0.20%		3,515		47.79%		7,355
	Tallahatchie		3,442		77.37%		835		18.77%		157		3.53%		15		0.34%		2,607		58.60%		4,449
	Tate		3,966		75.74%		1,151		21.98%		104		1.85%		15		0.27%		2,815		53.76%		5,236
	Tippah		3,937		85.87%		569		12.41%		76		1.66%		3		0.07%		3,368		73.46%		4,585
	Tishomingo		4,177		89.23%		443		9.46%		52		1.11%		9		0.19%		3,734		79.77%		4,681
	Tunica		1,446		62.19%		858		36.90%		18		0.77%		3		0.13%		588		25.29%		2,325
	Union		5,477		87.91%		658		10.56%		90		1.44%		5		0.08%		4,819		77.35%		6,230
	Walthall		3,110		79.66%		747		19.13%		41		1.05%		6		0.15%		2,363		60.53%		3,904
	Warren		10,420		71.97%		3,480		24.04%		452		3.12%		126		0.87%		6,940		47.93%		14,478
	Washington		9,634		63.78%		4,623		30.61%		535		3.54%		312		2.07%		5,011		33.17%		15,104
	Wayne		4,648		82.08%		975		17.22%		35		0.62%		5		0.09%		3,673		64.86%		5,663
	Webster		3,624		89.15%		403		9.91%		38		0.93%		0		0.00%		3,221		79.24%		4,065
	Wilkinson		1,608		52.65%		1,409		46.14%		32		1.05%		5		0.16%		199		6.51%		3,054
	Winston		5,155		78.64%		1,354		20.66%		39		0.59%		7		0.11%		3,801		57.98%		6,555
	Yalobusha		2,944		77.53%		797		20.99%		48		1.26%		8		0.21%		2,147		56.54%		3,797
	Yazoo		5,555		72.58%		2,008		26.23%		84		1.10%		7		0.09%		3,547		46.35%		7,654
Totals	505,125	78.20%	126,782	19.63%	11,598	1.80%	2,458	0.38%	378,343	58.57%	645,963

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

• Adams
• Bolivar
• Carroll
• Coahoma
• Covington
• Choctaw
• Clarke
• Desoto
• Forrest
• Franklin
• Grenada
• George
• Greene
• Hancock
• Humphreys
• Harrison
• Hinds
• Jackson
• Jones
• Lamar
• Lauderdale
• Marshall
• Lawrence
• Lincoln
• Lowndes
• Marion
  • Neshoba Noxubee
• Newton
• Oktibbeha
• Quitman
• Sharkey
• Pearl River
• Perry
• Stone
• Tunica
• Wilkinson
• Wayne
• Webster
• Alcorn
• Amite
• Attala
• Benton
• Calhoun
• Chickasaw
• Clarke
• Clay
• Copiah
• Issaquena
• Itawamba
• Jasper
• Jefferson Davis
• Kemper
  • Lafayette Leake
  • Lee Leflore
• Madison
• Monroe
  • Montgomery Panola
• Pike
• Pontotoc
• Prentiss
• Rankin
• Scott
• Simpson
• Smith
• Sunflower
• Tallahatchie
  • • Tate Tippah Tishomingo
  • Union Walthall
• Washington
• Yalobusha
• Winston
• Warren
• Yazoo

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Coahoma
• Madison
• Marshall
• Tunica
• Wilkinson

Works cited

• Book: Black . Earl . Earl Black (political scientist) . Black . Merle . Merle Black . The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected . . 1992 . 0674941306.
• Book: Moreland . Laurence . Steed . Robert . Baker . Tod . The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics . . 1991 . 0275931455.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1972 Presidential General Election Results – Mississippi. May 13, 2016.
2. Book: Grantham, Dewey W.. The South in Modern America: A Region at Odds. 247–248. 1610753895.
3. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
4. Book: Black, Earl. Competing Responses to the New Southern Politics: Republican and Democratic Southern Strategies, 1964-76. Perspectives on the American South: An Annual Review of Society, Politics, and Culture. Reed. John Shelton. Black. Merle. 2021. 9781136764882.
5. Web site: Mississippi 1972 Presidential Elector Candidates . PoliticalGraveyard.com.
6. Web site: MS US President Race, November 07, 1972. Our Campaigns.