The 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election . Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College , who voted for president and vice president .
1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina
County results
Congressional district results
Nixon
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
McGovern
50–60%
Amidst a nationwide landslide defeat especially felt in the South, McGovern won only two counties in North Carolina, neither of which have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the Fourth Party System era: Orange County in the Research Triangle region, home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , and majority-Black Northampton County in the northeast of the state.[ 1] Even in these counties, where most Democratic candidates receive over sixty percent of the vote (and where Walter Mondale in 1984 would still win by double digits), McGovern won by less than five points.[ 2] 78% of white voters supported Nixon, while only 20% supported McGovern.
1972 was the first election in which a presidential candidate received more than one million votes in North Carolina, and remains the best Republican presidential performance in its history. As of the 2024 presidential election , this is also the last election in which Bertie , Durham , Edgecombe , Halifax , Hertford , Hoke , Warren , or Washington counties voted for the Republican candidate. Richmond and Robeson counties would not vote Republican again until 2016 , and Anson county not until 2024.[ 5]
1972 North Carolina Democratic Party presidential primary
County Results
Wallace
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80%
Sanford
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
Alabama Governor, George Wallace, would defeat favorite son candidate, Terry Sanford.[ 6]
County[ 12]
Richard Nixon Republican
George McGovern Democratic
John G. Schmitz American
Margin
Total
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Alamance
22,046
74.61%
6,833
23.12%
670
2.27%
15,213
51.49%
29,549
Alexander
5,865
68.95%
2,468
29.01%
173
2.04%
3,397
39.94%
8,506
Alleghany
2,158
61.29%
1,304
37.03%
59
1.68%
854
24.26%
3,521
Anson
3,551
60.88%
2,188
37.51%
94
1.61%
1,363
23.37%
5,833
Ashe
5,784
62.95%
3,313
36.06%
91
0.99%
2,471
26.89%
9,188
Avery
3,510
83.99%
627
15.00%
42
1.01%
2,883
68.99%
4,179
Beaufort
6,915
69.65%
2,901
29.22%
112
1.13%
4,014
40.43%
9,928
Bertie
2,874
60.54%
1,819
38.32%
54
1.14%
1,055
22.22%
4,747
Bladen
4,205
64.72%
2,201
33.88%
91
1.40%
2,004
30.84%
6,497
Brunswick
6,153
69.06%
2,500
28.06%
256
2.88%
3,653
41.00%
8,909
Buncombe
32,091
70.38%
12,626
27.69%
877
1.93%
19,465
42.69%
45,594
Burke
14,447
68.96%
6,197
29.58%
306
1.46%
8,250
39.38%
20,950
Cabarrus
18,384
76.45%
5,336
22.19%
328
1.36%
13,048
54.26%
24,048
Caldwell
12,976
71.41%
4,886
26.89%
309
1.70%
8,090
44.52%
18,171
Camden
909
60.20%
556
36.82%
45
2.98%
353
23.38%
1,510
Carteret
8,463
74.14%
2,805
24.57%
147
1.29%
5,658
49.57%
11,415
Caswell
2,983
59.65%
1,922
38.43%
96
1.92%
1,061
21.22%
5,001
Catawba
24,106
74.46%
7,744
23.92%
525
1.62%
16,362
50.54%
32,375
Chatham
6,175
62.12%
3,624
36.46%
142
1.42%
2,551
25.66%
9,941
Cherokee
4,113
62.28%
2,411
36.51%
80
1.21%
1,702
25.77%
6,604
Chowan
1,906
66.39%
936
32.60%
29
1.01%
970
33.79%
2,871
Clay
1,545
65.19%
797
33.63%
28
1.18%
748
31.56%
2,370
Cleveland
13,726
72.06%
4,994
26.22%
328
1.72%
8,732
45.84%
19,048
Columbus
8,468
70.64%
3,305
27.57%
214
1.79%
5,163
43.07%
11,987
Craven
9,372
78.74%
2,384
20.03%
147
1.23%
6,988
58.71%
11,903
Cumberland
24,376
70.46%
9,853
28.48%
366
1.06%
14,523
41.98%
34,595
Currituck
1,578
66.67%
718
30.33%
71
3.00%
860
36.34%
2,367
Dare
1,986
75.20%
634
24.01%
21
0.79%
1,352
51.19%
2,641
Davidson
24,875
74.79%
7,691
23.12%
696
2.09%
17,184
51.67%
33,262
Davie
5,613
75.69%
1,578
21.28%
225
3.03%
4,035
54.41%
7,416
Duplin
7,153
70.61%
2,857
28.20%
120
1.19%
4,296
42.41%
10,130
Durham
25,576
61.38%
15,566
37.36%
525
1.26%
10,010
24.02%
41,667
Edgecombe
8,244
62.53%
4,635
35.16%
305
2.31%
3,609
27.37%
13,184
Forsyth
46,415
67.69%
20,928
30.52%
1,226
1.79%
25,487
37.17%
68,569
Franklin
5,431
68.37%
2,341
29.47%
172
2.16%
3,090
38.90%
7,944
Gaston
27,956
75.76%
8,462
22.93%
483
1.31%
19,494
52.83%
36,901
Gates
1,264
51.01%
1,177
47.50%
37
1.49%
87
3.51%
2,478
Graham
1,699
61.05%
1,057
37.98%
27
0.97%
642
23.07%
2,783
Granville
6,037
66.82%
2,918
32.30%
80
0.88%
3,119
34.52%
9,035
Greene
2,788
75.68%
847
22.99%
49
1.33%
1,941
52.69%
3,684
Guilford
61,381
69.46%
25,800
29.20%
1,185
1.34%
35,581
40.26%
88,366
Halifax
8,908
66.60%
4,241
31.71%
226
1.69%
4,667
34.89%
13,375
Harnett
10,259
74.64%
3,347
24.35%
138
1.01%
6,912
50.29%
13,744
Haywood
8,903
64.84%
4,515
32.88%
313
2.28%
4,388
31.96%
13,731
Henderson
12,134
80.17%
2,701
17.85%
300
1.98%
9,433
62.32%
15,135
Hertford
2,794
58.34%
1,928
40.26%
67
1.40%
866
18.08%
4,789
Hoke
1,927
56.25%
1,466
42.79%
33
0.96%
461
13.46%
3,426
Hyde
1,112
69.28%
403
25.11%
90
5.61%
709
44.17%
1,605
Iredell
16,736
73.79%
5,088
22.43%
858
3.78%
11,648
51.36%
22,682
Jackson
4,709
59.11%
3,169
39.78%
89
1.11%
1,540
19.33%
7,967
Johnston
14,272
79.24%
3,488
19.37%
251
1.39%
10,784
59.87%
18,011
Jones
1,650
58.93%
1,093
39.04%
57
2.03%
557
19.89%
2,800
Lee
5,836
72.71%
2,024
25.22%
166
2.07%
3,812
47.49%
8,026
Lenoir
11,065
73.89%
3,672
24.52%
238
1.59%
7,393
49.37%
14,975
Lincoln
8,597
61.88%
5,100
36.71%
195
1.41%
3,497
25.17%
13,892
Macon
4,134
69.20%
1,749
29.28%
91
1.52%
2,385
39.92%
5,974
Madison
3,273
61.18%
2,039
38.11%
38
0.71%
1,234
23.07%
5,350
Martin
4,188
68.76%
1,840
30.21%
63
1.03%
2,348
38.55%
6,091
McDowell
6,570
72.09%
2,348
25.76%
196
2.15%
4,222
46.33%
9,114
Mecklenburg
77,546
68.52%
33,730
29.80%
1,900
1.68%
43,816
38.72%
113,176
Mitchell
4,240
83.45%
800
15.74%
41
0.81%
3,440
67.71%
5,081
Montgomery
4,417
65.67%
2,175
32.34%
134
1.99%
2,242
33.33%
6,726
Moore
9,406
70.68%
3,627
27.25%
275
2.07%
5,779
43.43%
13,308
Nash
12,679
71.39%
4,503
25.35%
579
3.26%
8,176
46.04%
17,761
New Hanover
19,060
74.41%
5,894
23.01%
661
2.58%
13,166
51.40%
25,615
Northampton
2,997
47.71%
3,233
51.46%
52
0.83%
−236
−3.75%
6,282
Onslow
10,343
80.05%
2,424
18.76%
154
1.19%
7,919
61.29%
12,921
Orange
11,632
47.66%
12,634
51.76%
142
0.58%
−1,002
−4.10%
24,408
Pamlico
1,847
66.11%
919
32.89%
28
1.00%
928
33.22%
2,794
Pasquotank
3,906
63.07%
2,115
34.15%
172
2.78%
1,791
28.92%
6,193
Pender
3,327
68.90%
1,415
29.30%
87
1.80%
1,912
39.60%
4,829
Perquimans
1,299
62.57%
723
34.83%
54
2.60%
576
27.74%
2,076
Person
5,941
71.89%
2,246
27.18%
77
0.93%
3,695
44.71%
8,264
Pitt
14,406
70.41%
5,858
28.63%
195
0.96%
8,548
41.78%
20,459
Polk
3,121
67.31%
1,416
30.54%
100
2.15%
1,705
36.77%
4,637
Randolph
18,724
76.02%
5,346
21.71%
559
2.27%
13,378
54.31%
24,629
Richmond
5,692
60.84%
3,508
37.49%
156
1.67%
2,184
23.35%
9,356
Robeson
11,362
59.99%
7,391
39.02%
188
0.99%
3,971
20.97%
18,941
Rockingham
14,519
71.15%
5,530
27.10%
358
1.75%
8,989
44.05%
20,407
Rowan
20,735
73.34%
6,834
24.17%
705
2.49%
13,901
49.17%
28,274
Rutherford
9,506
68.80%
4,140
29.97%
170
1.23%
5,366
38.83%
13,816
Sampson
9,684
65.76%
4,888
33.19%
154
1.05%
4,796
32.57%
14,726
Scotland
3,485
63.69%
1,938
35.42%
49
0.89%
1,547
28.27%
5,472
Stanly
12,459
69.32%
5,218
29.03%
295
1.65%
7,241
40.29%
17,972
Stokes
7,118
66.86%
3,254
30.57%
274
2.57%
3,864
36.29%
10,646
Surry
10,497
67.78%
4,706
30.39%
284
1.83%
5,791
37.39%
15,487
Swain
2,052
64.45%
1,101
34.58%
31
0.97%
951
29.87%
3,184
Transylvania
5,860
69.73%
2,321
27.62%
223
2.65%
3,539
42.11%
8,404
Tyrrell
676
59.30%
459
40.26%
5
0.44%
217
19.04%
1,140
Union
10,264
71.60%
3,886
27.11%
186
1.29%
6,378
44.49%
14,336
Vance
6,491
66.85%
3,117
32.10%
102
1.05%
3,374
34.75%
9,710
Wake
56,808
70.32%
22,807
28.23%
1,174
1.45%
34,001
42.09%
80,789
Warren
2,603
59.62%
1,698
38.89%
65
1.49%
905
20.73%
4,366
Washington
2,559
61.65%
1,546
37.24%
46
1.11%
1,013
24.41%
4,151
Watauga
6,017
62.85%
3,451
36.05%
105
1.10%
2,566
26.80%
9,573
Wayne
14,352
72.33%
5,234
26.38%
256
1.29%
9,118
45.95%
19,842
Wilkes
13,105
72.83%
4,634
25.75%
255
1.42%
8,471
47.08%
17,994
Wilson
12,060
73.04%
4,166
25.23%
286
1.73%
7,894
47.81%
16,512
Yadkin
6,824
79.16%
1,592
18.47%
205
2.37%
5,232
60.69%
8,621
Yancey
3,106
57.10%
2,278
41.88%
56
1.02%
828
15.22%
5,440
Totals
1,054,889
69.46%
438,705
28.89%
25,018
1.65%
616,184
40.57%
1,518,612
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
edit
Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican
edit
^ These write-in votes were not separated by county but given only as a state-wide total.[ 12]
^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’ ; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review ; June 29, 2016.
^ David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; 1984 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina
^ "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – North Carolina" . David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
^ "Our Campaigns - NC US President - D Primary Race - May 06, 1972" .
^ "Nixon May Sweep Dixie States". Corvallis Gazette-Times . Corvallis, Oregon . September 19, 1972. p. 24.
^ Phillips, Kevin P. (October 9, 1972). "Dixie May Swing Political Future". The Bradenton Herald . Bradenton, Florida . p. 7-B.
^
^ "Nixon Expected To Sweep South". Sun Herald . Biloxi, Mississippi . November 5, 1972. p. C-9.
^ "1972 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – North Carolina" . David Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
^ a b Our Campaigns; NC US President Race, November 07, 1972