United States presidential election in Vermont, 1972

Main article: United States presidential election, 1972

United States presidential election in Vermont, 1972

November 7, 1972

Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern Party Republican Democratic Home state California South Dakota Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver Electoral vote 3 0 Popular vote 117,149 68,174 Percentage 62.66% 36.47%

200px County Results   Nixon—50-60%   Nixon—60-70%   Nixon—70-80%

President before election Richard Nixon Republican Elected President Richard Nixon Republican

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 3 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 liberal Northeastern Republicanism, and by 1972 the Green Mountain State 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 conservative Barry Goldwater.

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 3 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 2% 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.

Results

United States presidential election in Vermont, 1972
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Richard Nixon	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%