The 1972 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 7, 1972 as part of the
1972 United States presidential election. State voters chose nine representatives, or electors, to the United States Electoral College, Electoral College, who voted for President of the United States, president and Vice President of the United States, vice president.
Washington (state), Washington voted for the Republican Party (United States), Republican incumbent, Richard Nixon, over the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic challenger, South Dakota United States Senate, Senator George McGovern. Nixon took 56.92% of the vote to McGovern's 38.64%, a margin of 18.28%, which still made the state 4.87% more Democratic than the nation at-large.
Nixon won every county except heavily unionized Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, in the process being the first Republican to carry Wahkiakum County, Washington, Wahkiakum County (another heavily unionized timber county), Kitsap County, Washington, Kitsap County and Snohomish County, Washington, Snohomish County since Herbert Hoover in 1928 United States presidential election in Washington (state), 1928.
[Menendez; ''The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States'', pp. 332-333 ]
Nixon's victory was the first of four consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Washington would not vote for a Democratic candidate again until Michael Dukakis in 1988 United States presidential election in Washington (state), 1988. Since then it has become a safe Democratic state.
Results
Results by county
See also
* United States presidential elections in Washington (state)
References
{{1972 United States elections
United States presidential elections in Washington (state), 1972
1972 United States presidential election by state, Washington
1972 Washington (state) elections