1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina explained

See main article: 1972 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina
Country:	South Carolina
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1968 United States presidential election in South Carolina
Previous Year:	1968
Next Election:	1976 United States presidential election in South Carolina
Next Year:	1976
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:	8
Popular Vote1:	478,427
Percentage1:	70.58%
Nominee2:	George McGovern
Party2:	Democratic
Home State2:	South Dakota
Running Mate2:	Sargent Shriver
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	189,270
Percentage2:	27.92%
Map Size:	325px
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 South Carolina took place on November 7, 1972. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. South Carolina voters chose 8 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

South Carolina overwhelmingly voted for the Republican nominees, incumbent President Richard Nixon of California and his running mate Vice President Spiro Agnew of Maryland. Nixon and Agnew defeated the Democratic nominees, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota and his running mate U.S. Ambassador Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

Campaign

85% of white voters supported Nixon while 13% supported McGovern.

This is the only time, that Marlboro County has voted for a Republican presidential candidate since that county was founded in 1896, and the last time when Orangeburg County, Williamsburg County, Marion County, Jasper County, Fairfield County, Hampton County, Lee County, and Allendale County have voted for a Republican presidential candidate.^[1]

Polls

Source	Rating	As of
Corvallis Gazette-Times^[2]		September 19, 1972
The Bradenton Herald^[3]		October 9, 1972
Sun Herald^[4]		November 5, 1972

Results

1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	478,427	70.58%	8
	Democratic	George McGovern	189,270	27.92%	0
	Independent	John G. Schmitz	10,166	1.50%	0
	Write-ins	Write-ins	17	0.00%	0
Totals			677,880	100.00%	8
Voter turnout					-

Results by county

County	Richard Nixon Republican		George McGovern Democratic		John G. Schmitz Independent		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%
	Abbeville		3,266		68.95%		1,349		28.48%		122		2.58%		1,917		40.47%		4,737
	Aiken		21,117		77.05%		5,745		20.96%		545		1.99%		15,372		56.09%		27,407
	Allendale		1,741		55.34%		1,386		44.06%		19		0.60%		355		11.28%		3,146
	Anderson		17,514		75.19%		5,241		22.50%		537		2.31%		12,273		52.69%		23,292
	Bamberg		2,537		59.65%		1,680		39.50%		36		0.85%		857		20.15%		4,253
	Barnwell		3,955		71.71%		1,560		28.29%		0		0.00%		2,395		43.42%		5,515
	Beaufort		5,929		64.12%		3,237		35.01%		81		0.88%		2,692		29.11%		9,247
	Berkeley		9,345		66.66%		4,497		32.08%		177		1.26%		4,848		34.58%		14,019
	Calhoun		1,867		60.91%		1,148		37.46%		50		1.63%		719		23.45%		3,065
	Charleston		39,863		68.79%		16,855		29.09%		1,229		2.12%		23,008		39.70%		57,947
	Cherokee		7,570		77.24%		2,107		21.50%		123		1.26%		5,463		55.74%		9,800
	Chester		4,724		66.20%		2,352		32.96%		60		0.84%		2,372		33.24%		7,136
	Chesterfield		5,230		63.56%		2,938		35.70%		61		0.74%		2,292		27.86%		8,229
	Clarendon		3,958		54.34%		3,276		44.98%		50		0.69%		682		9.36%		7,284
	Colleton		5,723		69.51%		2,376		28.86%		134		1.63%		3,347		40.65%		8,233
	Darlington		11,756		72.04%		4,414		27.05%		149		0.91%		7,342		44.99%		16,319
	Dillon		4,364		72.32%		1,604		26.58%		66		1.09%		2,760		45.74%		6,034
	Dorchester		8,095		68.11%		3,606		30.34%		185		1.56%		4,489		37.77%		11,886
	Edgefield		2,812		66.67%		1,326		31.44%		80		1.90%		1,486		35.23%		4,218
	Fairfield		2,608		50.68%		2,492		48.43%		46		0.89%		116		2.25%		5,146
	Florence		18,106		65.30%		9,455		34.10%		165		0.60%		8,651		31.20%		27,726
	Georgetown		6,114		57.27%		4,446		41.64%		116		1.09%		1,668		15.63%		10,676
	Greenville		46,360		79.62%		10,143		17.42%		1,726		2.96%		36,217		62.20%		58,229
	Greenwood		9,370		72.22%		3,400		26.20%		205		1.58%		5,970		46.02%		12,975
	Hampton		2,891		57.56%		2,086		41.53%		46		0.92%		805		16.03%		5,023
	Horry		15,324		76.84%		4,437		22.25%		183		0.92%		10,887		54.59%		19,944
	Jasper		1,650		57.21%		1,203		41.71%		31		1.07%		447		15.50%		2,884
	Kershaw		8,035		74.79%		2,531		23.56%		178		1.66%		5,504		51.23%		10,744
	Lancaster		9,016		77.86%		2,461		21.25%		103		0.89%		6,555		56.61%		11,580
	Laurens		8,141		74.46%		2,650		24.24%		142		1.30%		5,491		50.22%		10,933
	Lee		3,076		60.31%		1,996		39.14%		28		0.55%		1,080		21.17%		5,100
	Lexington		25,327		84.75%		4,069		13.62%		490		1.64%		21,258		71.13%		29,886
	Marion		4,719		64.66%		2,545		34.87%		34		0.47%		2,174		29.79%		7,298
	Marlboro		3,838		65.58%		1,999		34.16%		15		0.26%		1,839		31.42%		5,852
	McCormick		1,302		60.22%		844		39.04%		16		0.74%		458		21.18%		2,162
	Newberry		7,325		76.94%		2,035		21.37%		161		1.69%		5,290		55.57%		9,521
	Oconee		6,824		78.19%		1,740		19.94%		164		1.88%		5,084		58.25%		8,728
	Orangeburg		11,711		59.31%		7,652		38.75%		382		1.93%		4,059		20.56%		19,745
	Pickens		11,776		82.37%		2,255		15.77%		265		1.85%		9,521		66.60%		14,296
	Richland		39,746		64.11%		21,462		34.62%		787		1.27%		18,284		29.49%		61,995
	Saluda		3,095		73.85%		1,022		24.39%		74		1.77%		2,073		49.46%		4,191
	Spartanburg		31,308		75.34%		9,586		23.07%		662		1.59%		21,722		52.27%		41,556
	Sumter		10,892		64.83%		5,801		34.53%		107		0.64%		5,091		30.30%		16,800
	Union		8,337		75.35%		2,676		24.18%		52		0.47%		5,661		51.17%		11,065
	Williamsburg		5,729		52.01%		5,213		47.33%		73		0.66%		516		4.68%		11,015
	York		14,441		68.68%		6,374		30.31%		211		1.00%		8,067		38.37%		21,026
Totals	478,427	70.58%	189,270	27.92%	10,166	1.50%	289,157	42.66%	677,880

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Allendale
• Bamberg
• Beaufort
• Berkeley
• Calhoun
• Chester
• Clarendon
• Dorchester
• Fairfield
• Georgetown
• Hampton
• Jasper
• Lee
• McCormick
• Marion
• Marlboro
• Orangeburg
• Sumter
• Williamsburg

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

• Abbeville
• Anderson
• Barnwell
• Cherokee
• Chesterfield
• Darlington
• Greenwood
• Horry
• Lancaster
• Oconee
• Saluda
• Union

Works cited

• Book: Black . Earl . Earl Black (political scientist) . Black . Merle . Merle Black . The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected . . 1992 . 0674941306.

Notes and References

1. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
2. News: Nixon May Sweep Dixie States. Corvallis Gazette-Times. Corvallis, Oregon. September 19, 1972. 24.
3. News: Phillips. Kevin P.. Dixie May Swing Political Future. The Bradenton Herald. October 9, 1972. Bradenton, Florida. 7-B.
4. News: Nixon Expected To Sweep South. Sun Herald. November 5, 1972. Biloxi, Mississippi. C-9.
5. Web site: 1972 Presidential General Election Results - South Carolina. 2015-10-02 . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.