The 1972 United States presidential election in West Virginia took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. West Virginia voters chose six[1] representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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County Results
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West Virginia was won by incumbent President Richard Nixon (R–California), with 63.61 percent of the popular vote, against George McGovern (D–South Dakota), with 36.39 percent of the popular vote.[2][3] Nixon won every county in the state except for Logan County, which McGovern won by 2.62 percentage points.[4]
In this socially conservative[5][6] state, McGovern was largely portrayed as a left-wing extremist due to his support for busing and civil rights, alongside fears that McGovern would legalize abortion and illicit drugs if elected[7] — despite the fact that his running mate (after Senator Thomas Eagleton was dropped from the ticket) Sargent Shriver was firmly opposed to abortion being legal.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Richard Nixon (inc.) | 484,964 | 63.61% | |
Democratic | George McGovern | 277,435 | 36.39% | |
Total votes | 762,399 | 100.00% |
County[8] | Richard Nixon Republican |
George McGovern Democratic |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Barbour | 4,432 | 66.25% | 2,258 | 33.75% | 2,174 | 32.50% | 6,690 |
Berkeley | 10,954 | 70.78% | 4,523 | 29.22% | 6,431 | 41.56% | 15,477 |
Boone | 5,985 | 52.84% | 5,342 | 47.16% | 643 | 5.68% | 11,327 |
Braxton | 3,155 | 53.24% | 2,771 | 46.76% | 384 | 6.48% | 5,926 |
Brooke | 7,544 | 59.08% | 5,226 | 40.92% | 2,318 | 18.16% | 12,770 |
Cabell | 29,582 | 67.39% | 14,312 | 32.61% | 15,270 | 34.78% | 43,894 |
Calhoun | 1,992 | 56.59% | 1,528 | 43.41% | 464 | 13.18% | 3,520 |
Clay | 2,186 | 54.23% | 1,830 | 45.77% | 338 | 8.46% | 3,998 |
Doddridge | 2,284 | 77.98% | 645 | 22.02% | 1,639 | 55.96% | 2,929 |
Fayette | 11,876 | 54.37% | 9,966 | 45.63% | 1,910 | 8.74% | 21,842 |
Gilmer | 2,056 | 60.20% | 1,359 | 39.80% | 697 | 20.40% | 3,415 |
Grant | 3,556 | 85.28% | 614 | 14.72% | 2,942 | 70.56% | 4,170 |
Greenbrier | 8,827 | 66.62% | 4,423 | 33.38% | 4,404 | 33.24% | 13,250 |
Hampshire | 3,084 | 65.33% | 1,637 | 34.67% | 1,447 | 30.66% | 4,721 |
Hancock | 10,634 | 61.25% | 6,727 | 38.75% | 3,907 | 22.50% | 17,361 |
Hardy | 2,609 | 63.34% | 1,510 | 36.66% | 1,099 | 26.68% | 4,119 |
Harrison | 22,196 | 63.23% | 12,910 | 36.77% | 9,286 | 26.46% | 35,106 |
Jackson | 7,226 | 70.61% | 3,007 | 29.39% | 4,219 | 41.22% | 10,233 |
Jefferson | 4,822 | 63.41% | 2,782 | 36.59% | 2,040 | 26.82% | 7,604 |
Kanawha | 65,021 | 63.09% | 38,032 | 36.91% | 26,989 | 26.18% | 103,053 |
Lewis | 5,778 | 73.70% | 2,062 | 26.30% | 3,716 | 47.40% | 7,840 |
Lincoln | 4,673 | 54.66% | 3,876 | 45.34% | 797 | 9.32% | 8,549 |
Logan | 9,533 | 48.69% | 10,045 | 51.31% | -512 | -2.62% | 19,578 |
Marion | 16,095 | 57.57% | 11,864 | 42.43% | 4,231 | 15.14% | 27,959 |
Marshall | 10,966 | 63.23% | 6,378 | 36.77% | 4,588 | 26.46% | 17,344 |
Mason | 7,129 | 64.01% | 4,008 | 35.99% | 3,121 | 28.02% | 11,137 |
McDowell | 8,942 | 56.76% | 6,811 | 43.24% | 2,131 | 13.52% | 15,753 |
Mercer | 17,846 | 69.52% | 7,826 | 30.48% | 10,020 | 39.04% | 25,672 |
Mineral | 7,157 | 68.60% | 3,276 | 31.40% | 3,881 | 37.20% | 10,433 |
Mingo | 7,484 | 57.27% | 5,585 | 42.73% | 1,899 | 14.54% | 13,069 |
Monongalia | 16,758 | 60.98% | 10,721 | 39.02% | 6,037 | 21.96% | 27,479 |
Monroe | 3,716 | 63.74% | 2,114 | 36.26% | 1,602 | 27.48% | 5,830 |
Morgan | 3,014 | 72.94% | 1,118 | 27.06% | 1,896 | 45.88% | 4,132 |
Nicholas | 5,907 | 61.95% | 3,628 | 38.05% | 2,279 | 23.90% | 9,535 |
Ohio | 18,435 | 63.73% | 10,491 | 36.27% | 7,944 | 27.46% | 28,926 |
Pendleton | 2,207 | 63.88% | 1,248 | 36.12% | 959 | 27.76% | 3,455 |
Pleasants | 2,025 | 62.65% | 1,207 | 37.35% | 818 | 25.30% | 3,232 |
Pocahontas | 2,391 | 59.39% | 1,635 | 40.61% | 756 | 18.78% | 4,026 |
Preston | 7,807 | 72.39% | 2,977 | 27.61% | 4,830 | 44.78% | 10,784 |
Putnam | 8,265 | 63.40% | 4,771 | 36.60% | 3,494 | 26.80% | 13,036 |
Raleigh | 19,150 | 64.40% | 10,586 | 35.60% | 8,564 | 28.80% | 29,736 |
Randolph | 6,923 | 64.51% | 3,809 | 35.49% | 3,114 | 29.02% | 10,732 |
Ritchie | 3,635 | 78.59% | 990 | 21.41% | 2,645 | 57.18% | 4,625 |
Roane | 4,253 | 64.06% | 2,386 | 35.94% | 1,867 | 28.12% | 6,639 |
Summers | 3,895 | 60.74% | 2,518 | 39.26% | 1,377 | 21.48% | 6,413 |
Taylor | 4,385 | 67.77% | 2,085 | 32.23% | 2,300 | 35.54% | 6,470 |
Tucker | 2,163 | 59.75% | 1,457 | 40.25% | 706 | 19.50% | 3,620 |
Tyler | 3,362 | 74.93% | 1,125 | 25.07% | 2,237 | 49.86% | 4,487 |
Upshur | 6,449 | 78.23% | 1,795 | 21.77% | 4,654 | 56.46% | 8,244 |
Wayne | 9,775 | 60.99% | 6,251 | 39.01% | 3,524 | 21.98% | 16,026 |
Webster | 2,114 | 50.54% | 2,069 | 49.46% | 45 | 1.08% | 4,183 |
Wetzel | 6,046 | 64.86% | 3,276 | 35.14% | 2,770 | 29.72% | 9,322 |
Wirt | 1,442 | 67.60% | 691 | 32.40% | 751 | 35.20% | 2,133 |
Wood | 27,315 | 71.50% | 10,886 | 28.50% | 16,429 | 43.00% | 38,201 |
Wyoming | 7,926 | 63.95% | 4,468 | 36.05% | 3,458 | 27.90% | 12,394 |
Totals | 484,964 | 63.61% | 277,435 | 36.39% | 207,529 | 27.22% | 762,399 |