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1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina

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Main article: 1972 United States presidential election
1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina
← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 8 0
Popular vote 478,427 189,270
Percentage 70.58% 27.92%
County Results
Nixon
  50-60%
  60-70%
  70-80%
  80-90%

President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elections in South Carolina
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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.

Nixon carried South Carolina with 70.58 percent of the vote to McGovern's 27.92 percent, a victory margin of 42.66 points.[1] This election provided the Republican Party with its best presidential result in South Carolina since 1872 and constitutes the only presidential election where the Republican candidate carried every county in the state. Nixon was also the first Republican since 1872 to carry the state twice.

This is the only time, as of the 2024 presidential election, 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, Fairfield County, Hampton County, Lee County, and Allendale County have voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[2] McCormick County would not vote Republican again until Donald Trump won it in 2016. Meanwhile, Clarendon and Jasper counties would not do so until Trump’s 2020 and 2024 victories, respectively.

Campaign

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85% of white voters supported Nixon while 13% supported McGovern.[3][4]

This is the only time, as of the 2020 presidential election, 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, Fairfield County, Hampton County, Lee County, and Allendale County have voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[2]

Polls

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Source Rating As of
Corvallis Gazette-Times[5] Safe R September 19, 1972
The Bradenton Herald[6] Certain R October 9, 1972
Sun Herald[7] Certain R November 5, 1972

Results

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1972 United States presidential election in South Carolina[8]
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[a] 0.00% 0
Totals 677,880 100.00% 8
Voter turnout -

Results by county

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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

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Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

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Notes

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  1. ^ These write-in votes were not separated by county, but given only as a state-wide total.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results - South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  5. ^ "Nixon May Sweep Dixie States". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Corvallis, Oregon. September 19, 1972. p. 24.
  6. ^ Phillips, Kevin P. (October 9, 1972). "Dixie May Swing Political Future". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. p. 7-B.
  7. ^ "Nixon Expected To Sweep South". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. November 5, 1972. p. C-9.
  8. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results - South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "SC US President Race, November 07, 1972". Our Campaigns.

Works cited

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