The 1972 United States presidential election in Vermont took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election which was held throughout all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Vermont voted for incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon of California and his running mate, Vice President Spiro Agnew of Maryland, defeating Democratic Senator George McGovern of South Dakota and his running mate U.S. Ambassador Sargent Shriver of Maryland.

Nixon took 62.66% of the vote to McGovern's 36.47%, a margin of 26.20%. Coming in a distant third was the People's Party candidate famed pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, who took 0.54% in Vermont on the Liberty Union ballot line.

Vermont historically was a bastion of Northeastern Republicanism, and by 1972 Vermont had gone Republican in every presidential election since the founding of the Republican Party, except in the Democratic landslide of 1964, when the GOP had nominated staunch New Right conservative Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona.

Richard Nixon was seen as a mainstream moderate Republican, and while winning nationally in a massive 49-state landslide, he easily held onto Vermont's three electoral votes. The only state McGovern carried was neighboring Massachusetts, along with the District of Columbia.

As Nixon won a historic landslide nationally, Vermont weighed in as about 3% more Republican than the nation.

Nixon won every county in Vermont, and broke 60% in every county except for Chittenden County, the most populous county, home to the state's largest city, Burlington whose precinct voted for McGovern. Though the state wouldn't vote for another Democratic presidential candidate until 1992, no subsequent Republican who won the state was able to match Nixon's 62% vote share. Nixon's 70.16% in Lamoille County is also the last time that a Republican has won over 70% of the vote in a Vermont county.

Richard Nixon had previously won Vermont against John F. Kennedy in 1960 and then again against Hubert Humphrey in 1968.

To date, this is the last time that the towns of Fairfield, Marshfield, Middlesex, Strafford, and Westminster voted Republican.

Results 1972 United States presidential election in VermontPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 117,149 62.66% 3 Democratic George McGovern 68,174 36.47% 0 Liberty Union (People's) Benjamin Spock 1,010 0.54% 0 No party Write-ins 318 0.17% 0 Socialist Workers Linda Jenness 296 0.16% 0 Totals 186,947 100.00% 3 Voter Turnout (Voting age/Registered) 61%/68%

Results by county CountyRichard NixonRepublicanGeorge McGovernDemocraticBenjamin SpockLiberty UnionVarious candidatesOther partiesLinda JennessSocialist WorkersMarginTotal votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # % Addison 6,467 65.99% 3,262 33.29% 48 0.49% 14 0.14% 9 0.09% 3,205 32.70% 9,800 Bennington 7,542 60.56% 4,804 38.58% 67 0.54% 16 0.13% 25 0.20% 2,738 21.98% 12,453 Caledonia 6,762 68.04% 3,094 31.13% 33 0.33% 37 0.37% 13 0.13% 3,668 36.91% 9,939 Chittenden 23,063 58.09% 16,163 40.71% 313 0.79% 65 0.16% 100 0.25% 6,900 17.38% 39,703 Essex 1,441 68.29% 655 31.04% 10 0.47% 4 0.19% 0 0.00% 786 37.25% 2,110 Franklin 8,109 67.21% 3,898 32.31% 37 0.31% 2 0.02% 19 0.16% 4,211 34.90% 12,065 Grand Isle 1,259 62.39% 743 36.82% 12 0.59% 4 0.20% 0 0.00% 516 25.57% 2,018 Lamoille 4,164 70.16% 1,659 27.95% 29 0.49% 80 1.35% 3 0.05% 2,505 42.21% 5,935 Orange 5,389 69.12% 2,332 29.91% 51 0.65% 14 0.18% 11 0.14% 3,057 39.21% 7,797 Orleans 4,906 63.21% 2,793 35.98% 29 0.37% 22 0.28% 12 0.15% 2,113 27.23% 7,762 Rutland 14,143 62.68% 8,261 36.61% 127 0.56% 15 0.07% 17 0.08% 5,882 26.07% 22,563 Washington 12,421 61.58% 7,596 37.66% 96 0.48% 15 0.07% 41 0.20% 4,825 23.92% 20,169 Windham 9,063 60.02% 5,925 39.24% 79 0.52% 13 0.09% 21 0.14% 3,137 20.78% 15,101 Windsor 12,421 63.59% 6,989 35.78% 79 0.40% 25 0.13% 18 0.09% 5,432 27.81% 19,532Totals117,14962.66%68,17436.47%1,0100.54%3170.16%2960.16%48,97526.19%186,946

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Chittenden Franklin

See also United States presidential elections in Vermont

References