1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee explained

See main article: 1972 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1972 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Country:	Tennessee
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1968 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Previous Year:	1968
Next Election:	1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee
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:	10
Popular Vote1:	813,147
Percentage1:	67.70%
Nominee2:	George McGovern
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	South Dakota
Running Mate2:	Sargent Shriver
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	357,293
Percentage2:	29.75%
Map Size:	350px
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 Tennessee took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 10^[1] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Tennessee was won by incumbent President Richard Nixon (R–California), with 67.70% of the popular vote, against George McGovern (D–South Dakota), with 29.75% of the popular vote.^{[2] [3]} John G. Schmitz was the only other candidate on the ballot, and, as the candidate for the American Party, he received over 30,000 votes.

Stewart, Houston, Perry, Lewis, and Jackson counties were the only five of Tennessee's ninety-five counties to vote for McGovern. Alabama and Tennessee were the only states where McGovern won any county that voted for George Wallace in 1968., this is the best showing of any Republican candidate in the state, as well as the last election in which Haywood County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.

Background

Historically Tennessee was the southern state with the strongest amount of Republican support. From 1874 to 1952, the state's two Republican members of the United States House of Representatives were the only Republicans out of the 105 members from the South. From 1966 to 1970, the Republicans won both of Tennessee's seats in the United States Senate, the governorship, and increased its membership in the U.S. House to four of the state's nine seats.

Campaign

75% of white voters supported Nixon while 22% supported McGovern.

Results

Results by county

County	Richard Nixon^[4] Republican		George McGovern Democratic		John G. Schmitz American		Various candidates Write-ins		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%
	Anderson		13,865		66.03%		6,713		31.97%		416		1.98%		5		0.02%		7,152		34.06%		20,999
	Bedford		4,262		59.73%		2,565		35.95%		302		4.23%		6		0.08%		1,697		23.78%		7,135
	Benton		2,614		61.83%		1,479		34.98%		135		3.19%						1,135		26.85%		4,228
	Bledsoe		1,952		65.90%		899		30.35%		111		3.75%						1,053		35.55%		2,962
	Blount		16,078		73.85%		5,303		24.36%		390		1.79%						10,775		49.49%		21,771
	Bradley		10,440		77.26%		2,804		20.75%		269		1.99%						7,636		56.51%		13,513
	Campbell		4,909		73.41%		1,629		24.36%		147		2.20%		2		0.03%		3,280		49.05%		6,687
	Cannon		1,615		62.38%		911		35.19%		63		2.43%						704		27.19%		2,589
	Carroll		5,784		69.28%		2,290		27.43%		275		3.29%						3,494		41.85%		8,349
	Carter		11,102		82.15%		2,191		16.21%		217		1.61%		4		0.03%		8,911		65.94%		13,514
	Cheatham		2,235		60.10%		1,321		35.52%		163		4.38%						914		24.58%		3,719
	Chester		2,787		71.70%		961		24.72%		133		3.42%		6		0.15%		1,826		46.98%		3,887
	Claiborne		3,632		73.94%		1,230		25.04%		50		1.02%						2,402		48.90%		4,912
	Clay		982		59.01%		648		38.94%		34		2.04%						334		20.07%		1,664
	Cocke		5,268		85.62%		805		13.08%		80		1.30%						4,463		72.54%		6,153
	Coffee		6,416		66.18%		2,973		30.67%		303		3.13%		3		0.03%		3,443		35.51%		9,695
	Crockett		2,642		75.40%		735		20.98%		115		3.28%		12		0.34%		1,907		54.42%		3,504
	Cumberland		4,593		73.78%		1,482		23.81%		150		2.41%						3,111		49.97%		6,225
	Davidson		82,636		61.30%		48,869		36.25%		3,292		2.44%						33,767		25.05%		134,797
	Decatur		2,368		64.79%		1,187		32.48%		99		2.71%		1		0.03%		1,181		32.31%		3,655
	DeKalb		2,014		60.66%		1,243		37.44%		63		1.90%						771		23.22%		3,320
	Dickson		3,645		56.55%		2,619		40.63%		182		2.82%						1,026		15.92%		6,446
	Dyer		6,066		75.94%		1,600		20.03%		321		4.02%		1		0.01%		4,466		55.91%		7,988
	Fayette		3,264		59.75%		2,067		37.84%		132		2.42%						1,197		21.91%		5,463
	Fentress		2,154		75.50%		665		23.31%		34		1.19%						1,489		52.19%		2,853
	Franklin		4,136		57.51%		2,896		40.27%		160		2.22%						1,240		17.24%		7,192
	Gibson		9,900		71.05%		3,625		26.02%		408		2.93%		1		0.01%		6,275		45.03%		13,934
	Giles		2,914		57.69%		1,875		37.12%		261		5.17%		1		0.02%		1,039		20.57%		5,051
	Grainger		2,842		76.54%		828		22.30%		43		1.16%						2,014		54.24%		3,713
	Greene		9,772		76.89%		2,764		21.75%		171		1.35%		2		0.02%		7,008		55.14%		12,709
	Grundy		1,364		54.49%		1,005		40.15%		134		5.35%						359		14.34%		2,503
	Hamblen		8,879		76.39%		2,563		22.05%		180		1.55%		2		0.02%		6,316		54.34%		11,624
	Hamilton		58,469		70.62%		20,657		24.95%		3,668		4.43%						37,812		45.67%		82,794
	Hancock		1,813		81.59%		393		17.69%		16		0.72%						1,420		63.90%		2,222
	Hardeman		3,494		66.00%		1,550		29.28%		183		3.46%		67		1.27%		1,944		36.72%		5,294
	Hardin		4,401		76.29%		1,202		20.84%		166		2.88%						3,199		55.45%		5,769
	Hawkins		7,791		72.31%		2,608		24.20%		373		3.46%		3		0.03%		5,183		48.11%		10,775
	Haywood		3,123		59.45%		1,966		37.43%		164		3.12%						1,157		22.02%		5,253
	Henderson		5,122		77.64%		1,313		19.90%		162		2.46%						3,809		57.74%		6,597
	Henry		4,613		60.61%		2,694		35.40%		302		3.97%		2		0.03%		1,919		25.21%		7,611
	Hickman		1,943		56.06%		1,393		40.19%		130		3.75%						550		15.87%		3,466
	Houston		800		46.38%		870		50.43%		55		3.19%						-70		-4.05%		1,725
	Humphreys		2,263		52.17%		1,973		45.48%		102		2.35%						290		6.69%		4,338
	Jackson		956		45.98%		1,085		52.19%		38		1.83%						-129		-6.21%		2,079
	Jefferson		5,925		80.26%		1,357		18.38%		100		1.35%						4,568		61.88%		7,382
	Johnson		3,362		87.08%		450		11.66%		49		1.27%						2,912		75.42%		3,861
	Knox		64,747		71.56%		24,076		26.61%		1,661		1.84%						40,671		44.95%		90,484
	Lake		1,147		65.69%		536		30.70%		62		3.55%		1		0.06%		611		34.99%		1,746
	Lauderdale		3,597		64.40%		1,771		31.71%		217		3.89%						1,826		32.69%		5,585
	Lawrence		6,438		67.90%		2,824		29.78%		219		2.31%		1		0.01%		3,614		38.12%		9,482
	Lewis		1,056		46.98%		1,138		50.62%		54		2.40%						-82		-3.64%		2,248
	Lincoln		3,266		61.84%		1,867		35.35%		148		2.80%						1,399		26.49%		5,281
	Loudon		5,357		75.12%		1,604		22.49%		170		2.38%						3,753		52.63%		7,131
	Macon		2,295		75.67%		653		21.53%		83		2.74%		2		0.07%		1,642		54.14%		3,033
	Madison		15,481		72.31%		5,203		24.30%		666		3.11%		59		0.28%		10,278		48.01%		21,409
	Marion		3,711		63.56%		1,929		33.04%		199		3.41%						1,782		30.52%		5,839
	Marshall		2,593		59.23%		1,526		34.86%		256		5.85%		3		0.07%		1,067		24.37%		4,378
	Maury		7,371		66.28%		3,262		29.33%		483		4.34%		5		0.04%		4,109		36.95%		11,121
	McMinn		7,423		70.56%		2,838		26.98%		259		2.46%						4,585		43.58%		10,520
	McNairy		4,774		73.23%		1,610		24.70%		135		2.07%						3,164		48.53%		6,519
	Meigs		1,052		64.34%		539		32.97%		44		2.69%						513		31.37%		1,635
	Monroe		5,657		65.52%		2,870		33.24%		97		1.12%		10		0.12%		2,787		32.28%		8,634
	Montgomery		7,839		56.40%		5,691		40.95%		363		2.61%		6		0.04%		2,148		15.45%		13,899
	Moore		608		61.04%		356		35.74%		32		3.21%						252		25.30%		996
	Morgan		2,531		69.59%		1,084		29.80%		22		0.60%						1,447		39.79%		3,637
	Obion		5,800		70.36%		2,243		27.21%		200		2.43%						3,557		43.15%		8,243
	Overton		1,947		54.17%		1,573		43.77%		74		2.06%						374		10.40%		3,594
	Perry		900		48.10%		937		50.08%		34		1.82%						-37		-1.98%		1,871
	Pickett		957		72.23%		357		26.94%		11		0.83%						600		45.29%		1,325
	Polk		2,285		60.58%		1,431		37.94%		56		1.48%						854		22.64%		3,772
	Putnam		6,038		60.39%		3,738		37.38%		223		2.23%						2,300		23.01%		9,999
	Rhea		3,842		72.50%		1,312		24.76%		145		2.74%						2,530		47.74%		5,299
	Roane		8,742		70.10%		3,433		27.53%		295		2.37%						5,309		42.57%		12,470
	Robertson		4,175		56.43%		2,985		40.34%		239		3.23%						1,190		16.09%		7,399
	Rutherford		11,256		64.12%		5,811		33.10%		486		2.77%		1		0.01%		5,445		31.02%		17,554
	Scott		2,775		79.24%		679		19.39%		45		1.28%		3		0.09%		2,096		59.85%		3,502
	Sequatchie		1,298		64.58%		629		31.29%		83		4.13%						669		33.29%		2,010
	Sevier		8,273		86.38%		1,128		11.78%		177		1.85%						7,145		74.60%		9,578
	Shelby		161,922		65.32%		81,089		32.71%		4,816		1.94%		55		0.02%		80,833		32.61%		247,882
	Smith		1,812		56.84%		1,260		39.52%		116		3.64%						552		17.32%		3,188
	Stewart		790		40.83%		1,098		56.74%		47		2.43%						-308		-15.91%		1,935
	Sullivan		27,593		71.64%		10,007		25.98%		824		2.14%		93		0.24%		17,586		45.66%		38,517
	Sumner		10,020		66.11%		4,596		30.32%		538		3.55%		3		0.02%		5,424		35.79%		15,157
	Tipton		5,542		71.52%		1,853		23.91%		353		4.56%		1		0.01%		3,689		47.61%		7,749
	Trousdale		663		53.90%		539		43.82%		28		2.28%						124		10.08%		1,230
	Unicoi		3,877		81.35%		822		17.25%		67		1.41%						3,055		64.10%		4,766
	Union		1,927		76.26%		570		22.56%		30		1.19%						1,357		53.70%		2,527
	Van Buren		629		61.61%		364		35.65%		28		2.74%						265		25.96%		1,021
	Warren		3,565		60.49%		2,118		35.93%		210		3.56%		1		0.02%		1,447		24.56%		5,894
	Washington		17,343		74.79%		5,284		22.79%		556		2.40%		5		0.02%		12,059		52.00%		23,188
	Wayne		2,898		79.79%		673		18.53%		61		1.68%						2,225		61.26%		3,632
	Weakley		5,836		71.48%		2,027		24.83%		302		3.70%						3,809		46.65%		8,165
	White		2,252		60.42%		1,392		37.35%		83		2.23%						860		23.07%		3,727
	Williamson		7,556		71.53%		2,616		24.76%		392		3.71%						4,940		46.77%		10,564
	Wilson		6,486		65.77%		3,096		31.40%		277		2.81%		2		0.02%		3,390		34.37%		9,861
Totals	813,147	67.70%	357,293	29.75%	30,373	2.53%	369	0.03%	455,854	37.95%	1,201,182

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Overton
• Shelby
• Trousdale

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

• Bedford
• Benton
• Cannon
• Cheatham
• Chester
• Coffee
• Crockett
• Davidson
• Decatur
• Dickson
• Dyer
• Fayette
• Franklin
• Gibson
• Giles
• Grundy
• Hamilton
• Hardeman
• Haywood
• Henry
• Hickman
• Humphreys
• Lake
• Lauderdale
• Lincoln
• Madison
• Marion
• Marshall
• Maury
• Montgomery
• Moore
• Obion
• Robertson
• Rutherford
• Sequatchie
• Smith
• Sumner
• Tipton
• Van Buren
• Warren
• Weakley
• Wilson
• Williamson
• White

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Democratic

• Houston
• Perry
• Stewart

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 Election for the Forty-Seventh Term (1973-77). January 8, 2017.
2. Web site: 1972 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee. January 8, 2017.
3. Web site: The American Presidency Project – Election of 1972. January 8, 2017.
4. Our Campaigns; TN US President, November 07, 1972