1972 United States presidential election in New York

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Main article: 1972 United States presidential election
1972 United States presidential election in New York
← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Alliance Conservative Liberal
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 41 0
Popular vote 4,192,778 2,951,084
Percentage 58.54% 41.21%
President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Nixon while campaigning in Pocantico Hills, New York, 1972.
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The 1972 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 7, 1972. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 41 electors to the Electoral College, which voted for President and Vice President.

New York was won by incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon, who succeeded in securing re-election against Democratic Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. Nixon ran with Vice President, and former Maryland Governor, Spiro Agnew for vice president, and McGovern ran with United States Ambassador Sargent Shriver for vice president. In the midst of a nationwide Republican landslide, Nixon took 58.54% of the vote in New York State to McGovern's 41.21%, a margin of 17.34%. New York weighed in for this election as more Democratic than the national average by about 6%.

Nearly all counties in New York State turned out for Nixon, and only the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx voted for McGovern. McGovern was able to win New York City overall with his victories in these three boroughs, taking two-thirds of the vote in Manhattan and also winning majority votes in Brooklyn and the Bronx. However, Nixon was able to put in a relatively strong performance citywide, winning 56% of the vote in Queens and 74% of the vote in Staten Island. 1972 remains the last election in which a Republican presidential nominee has won any New York City borough other than Staten Island, Queens being a heavily populated county that was historically key to Republican competition in New York. This was also the last election in which a Republican presidential nominee has won the upstate counties of Erie County, where the city of Buffalo is located, and Albany County, where the state capital of Albany is located, as well as in turn, the last Republican to win every county of upstate New York.[1] Both of these counties have become solidly Democratic in the years that have followed.

The presidential election of 1972 was an extremely partisan election for New York, with 99.75% of the electorate voting either Republican or Democrat.[2] Having delivered as President a period of relative economic stability and growth, and showing promising movements towards peace in Vietnam, Nixon was able to gain reelection with electors from every State in the U.S., except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. The Vietnam War continued to be a strong issue during this election, with both candidates declaring desire to end the conflict.[3]

This was the first election since 1808 in which New York did not have the largest number of electors in the Electoral College, having fallen to 41 electors versus California's 45 as a result of the 1970 census. It is also the only presidential election from 1952 onwards in which New York did not vote the same way as Massachusetts. As of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, this is the last time that New York state voted more Republican than Michigan, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.

Campaign

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The number of votes cast on the Liberal Party of New York's ballot line declined by almost 60%.[4]

1972 Liberal Party state committee presidential vote[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George McGovern 215 96.41%
Liberal Benjamin Spock 8 3.59%
Total votes 223 100.00%

Results

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1972 United States presidential election in New York
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon 3,824,642 53.40%
Conservative Richard Nixon 368,136 5.14%
Total Richard Nixon (incumbent) 4,192,778 58.54% 41
Democratic George McGovern 2,767,956 38.65%
Liberal George McGovern 183,128 2.56%
Total George McGovern 2,951,084 41.21% 0
Socialist Workers Evelyn Reed 7,797 0.11% 0
Communist Gus Hall 5,641 0.08% 0
Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 4,530 0.06% 0
Totals 7,161,830 100.0% 41

New York City results

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1972 presidential election in New York City Manhattan The Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Total
Democratic-
Liberal 		George McGovern 354,326 243,345 387,768 328,316 29,241 1,342,996 51.46%
66.25% 55.16% 50.78% 43.42% 25.62%
Republican-
Conservative 		Richard Nixon 178,515 196,754 373,903 426,015 84,686 1,259,873 48.27%
33.38% 44.60% 48.96% 56.34% 74.21%
Communist Gus Hall 938 458 797 628 71 2,892 0.11%
0.18% 0.10% 0.10% 0.08% 0.06%
Socialist Workers Evelyn Reed 702 355 672 674 84 2,487 0.10%
0.13% 0.08% 0.09% 0.09% 0.07%
Socialist Labor Louis Fisher 382 262 480 454 41 1,619 0.06%
0.07% 0.06% 0.06% 0.06% 0.04%
TOTAL 534,863 441,174 763,620 756,087 114,123 2,609,867 100.00%

Results by county

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County Richard Nixon
Republican/Conservative 		George McGovern
Democratic/Liberal 		Evelyn Reed[6]
Socialist Workers 		Gus Hall[6]
Communist 		Louis Fisher[6]
Socialist Labor 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Albany 81,848 54.76% 67,297 45.02% 158 0.11% 85 0.06% 87 0.06% 14,551 9.74% 149,475
Allegany 13,426 73.43% 4,812 26.32% 28 0.15% 9 0.05% 9 0.05% 8,614 47.11% 18,284
Bronx 196,754 44.60% 243,345 55.16% 355 0.08% 458 0.10% 262 0.06% −46,591 −10.56% 441,174
Broome 55,736 59.84% 37,154 39.89% 132 0.14% 49 0.05% 64 0.07% 18,582 19.95% 93,135
Cattaraugus 21,906 66.53% 10,909 33.13% 66 0.20% 21 0.06% 25 0.08% 10,997 33.40% 32,927
Cayuga 22,774 67.08% 11,097 32.68% 34 0.10% 11 0.03% 36 0.11% 11,677 34.40% 33,952
Chautauqua 37,158 58.44% 26,253 41.29% 77 0.12% 39 0.06% 56 0.09% 10,905 17.15% 63,583
Chemung 26,200 67.28% 12,650 32.48% 50 0.13% 16 0.04% 28 0.07% 13,550 34.80% 38,944
Chenango 13,770 70.58% 5,695 29.19% 28 0.14% 5 0.03% 11 0.06% 8,075 41.39% 19,509
Clinton 17,048 63.60% 9,703 36.20% 31 0.12% 10 0.04% 12 0.04% 7,345 27.40% 26,804
Columbia 17,995 70.27% 7,558 29.51% 26 0.10% 12 0.05% 19 0.07% 10,437 40.76% 25,610
Cortland 12,885 70.97% 5,234 28.83% 20 0.11% 10 0.06% 7 0.04% 7,651 42.14% 18,156
Delaware 15,136 74.10% 5,243 25.67% 27 0.13% 10 0.05% 10 0.05% 9,893 48.43% 20,426
Dutchess 64,864 69.82% 27,872 30.00% 79 0.09% 38 0.04% 50 0.05% 36,992 39.82% 92,903
Erie 256,462 53.88% 218,105 45.82% 568 0.12% 377 0.08% 511 0.11% 38,357 8.06% 476,023
Essex 11,763 70.22% 4,955 29.58% 14 0.08% 13 0.08% 7 0.04% 6,808 40.64% 16,752
Franklin 10,959 67.40% 5,266 32.39% 20 0.12% 3 0.02% 12 0.07% 5,693 35.01% 16,260
Fulton 15,200 67.33% 7,303 32.35% 28 0.12% 16 0.07% 28 0.12% 7,897 34.98% 22,575
Genesee 17,107 66.28% 8,631 33.44% 41 0.16% 11 0.04% 21 0.08% 8,476 32.84% 25,811
Greene 14,313 72.96% 5,260 26.81% 28 0.14% 10 0.05% 7 0.04% 9,053 46.15% 19,618
Hamilton 2,597 77.89% 731 21.93% 1 0.03% 1 0.03% 4 0.12% 1,866 55.96% 3,334
Herkimer 20,194 67.84% 9,487 31.87% 46 0.15% 23 0.08% 17 0.06% 10,707 35.97% 29,767
Jefferson 23,123 66.41% 11,629 33.40% 31 0.09% 15 0.04% 19 0.05% 11,494 33.01% 34,817
Kings 373,903 48.96% 387,768 50.78% 672 0.09% 797 0.10% 480 0.06% −13,865 −1.82% 763,620
Lewis 6,591 68.60% 2,987 31.09% 14 0.15% 6 0.06% 10 0.10% 3,604 37.51% 9,608
Livingston 15,886 69.13% 7,031 30.60% 31 0.13% 15 0.07% 17 0.07% 8,855 38.53% 22,980
Madison 18,392 74.47% 6,241 25.27% 32 0.13% 14 0.06% 18 0.07% 12,151 49.20% 24,697
Monroe 196,579 61.95% 120,031 37.83% 358 0.11% 162 0.05% 175 0.06% 76,548 24.12% 317,305
Montgomery 16,640 63.58% 9,460 36.15% 44 0.17% 11 0.04% 16 0.06% 7,180 27.43% 26,171
Nassau 438,723 63.31% 252,831 36.48% 723 0.10% 418 0.06% 332 0.05% 185,892 26.83% 693,027
New York 178,515 33.38% 354,326 66.25% 702 0.13% 938 0.18% 382 0.07% −175,811 −32.87% 534,863
Niagara 54,777 58.22% 38,991 41.44% 156 0.17% 90 0.10% 77 0.08% 15,786 16.78% 94,091
Oneida 78,549 69.86% 33,642 29.92% 135 0.12% 54 0.05% 64 0.06% 44,907 39.94% 112,444
Onondaga 140,039 69.18% 61,895 30.58% 231 0.11% 105 0.05% 146 0.07% 78,144 38.60% 202,416
Ontario 23,828 68.23% 11,012 31.53% 42 0.12% 22 0.06% 17 0.05% 12,816 36.70% 34,921
Orange 63,556 71.00% 25,778 28.80% 92 0.10% 36 0.04% 53 0.06% 37,778 42.20% 89,515
Orleans 10,938 71.35% 4,371 28.51% 13 0.08% 3 0.02% 4 0.03% 6,567 42.84% 15,329
Oswego 29,109 71.84% 11,317 27.93% 44 0.11% 16 0.04% 32 0.08% 17,792 43.91% 40,518
Otsego 17,364 68.58% 7,898 31.19% 33 0.13% 11 0.04% 15 0.06% 9,466 37.39% 25,321
Putnam 21,673 73.48% 7,747 26.26% 32 0.11% 23 0.08% 22 0.07% 13,926 47.22% 29,497
Queens 426,015 56.34% 328,316 43.42% 674 0.09% 628 0.08% 454 0.06% 97,699 12.92% 756,087
Rensselaer 48,864 66.87% 24,019 32.87% 79 0.11% 54 0.07% 55 0.08% 24,845 34.00% 73,071
Richmond 84,686 74.21% 29,241 25.62% 84 0.07% 71 0.06% 41 0.04% 55,445 48.59% 114,123
Rockland 64,753 64.29% 35,771 35.52% 73 0.07% 54 0.05% 69 0.07% 28,982 28.77% 100,720
St. Lawrence 26,145 63.00% 15,286 36.83% 77 0.13% 35 0.06% 38 0.06% 10,859 26.17% 41,503
Saratoga 40,582 69.22% 17,899 30.53% 98 0.13% 42 0.05% 51 0.07% 22,683 38.69% 58,631
Schenectady 47,529 61.46% 29,619 38.30% 15 0.12% 16 0.13% 1 0.01% 17,910 23.16% 77,339
Schoharie 8,644 69.68% 3,730 30.07% 5 0.07% 1 0.01% 3 0.04% 4,914 39.61% 12,406
Schuyler 4,945 71.76% 1,937 28.11% 18 0.13% 5 0.04% 10 0.07% 3,008 43.65% 6,891
Seneca 9,368 67.68% 4,441 32.08% 44 0.11% 10 0.02% 18 0.04% 4,927 35.60% 13,842
Steuben 28,708 75.05% 9,462 24.74% 39 0.10% 17 0.04% 27 0.07% 19,246 50.31% 38,253
Suffolk 316,452 70.34% 132,441 29.44% 505 0.11% 273 0.06% 227 0.05% 184,011 40.90% 449,898
Sullivan 17,035 63.24% 9,847 36.55% 30 0.11% 15 0.06% 11 0.04% 7,188 26.69% 26,938
Tioga 13,396 70.84% 5,470 28.93% 29 0.15% 5 0.03% 10 0.05% 7,926 41.91% 18,910
Tompkins 17,605 58.66% 12,344 41.13% 32 0.11% 16 0.05% 14 0.05% 5,261 17.53% 30,011
Ulster 46,883 68.51% 21,371 31.23% 81 0.12% 45 0.07% 53 0.08% 25,512 37.28% 68,433
Warren 16,649 74.11% 5,760 25.64% 33 0.15% 6 0.03% 17 0.08% 10,889 48.47% 22,465
Washington 16,136 73.80% 5,677 25.97% 24 0.11% 8 0.04% 19 0.09% 10,459 47.83% 21,864
Wayne 23,379 73.89% 8,203 25.92% 34 0.11% 19 0.06% 7 0.02% 15,176 47.97% 31,642
Westchester 262,901 62.83% 154,412 36.90% 548 0.13% 345 0.08% 229 0.05% 108,489 25.93% 418,435
Wyoming 11,184 71.75% 4,365 28.00% 22 0.14% 9 0.06% 8 0.05% 6,819 43.75% 15,588
Yates 6,639 77.04% 1,958 22.72% 11 0.13% 4 0.05% 6 0.07% 4,681 54.32% 8,618
Totals 4,192,778 58.54% 2,951,084 41.21% 7,797 0.11% 5,641 0.08% 4,530 0.06% 1,241,694 17.33% 7,161,830

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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See also

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References

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  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. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results – New York". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  3. ^ R. W. Apple Jr. (January 18, 1971). "McGovern Enters '72 Race, Pledging Troop Withdrawal" (fee required). The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  4. ^ Soyer 2021, pp. 253–254.
  5. ^ Soyer 2021, p. 253.
  6. ^ a b c Our Campaigns; NY US President 1972

Works cited

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