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1972 United States presidential election in Texas

Main article: 1972 United States presidential election

The 1972 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon overwhelmingly won the state of Texas with 66.20% of the vote,[2] to the Democratic Party candidate George McGovern's 33.24%, thus giving him the state's 26 electoral votes. This result made Texas 9.8% more Republican than the nation-at-large. This was the first time a Republican won the state of Texas since Texas-born Dwight D. Eisenhower won it in 1956, even as Democrat Dolph Briscoe won the gubernatorial election on the same Ballot.

1972 United States presidential election in Texas
← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →
Turnout66.59% (of registered voters)
44.90% (of voting age population)[1]
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 26 0
Popular vote 2,298,896 1,154,291
Percentage 66.20% 33.24%
President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Nixon's win in Texas made him the first ever Republican presidential candidate to break sixty percent of Texas' popular vote in a presidential election, surpassing former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's performance of 55.26% in 1956, and even native son Lyndon B. Johnson's 63.32% in 1964. Nixon is so far the only Republican candidate to break 65% of the state's popular vote. At the county level, 246 of Texas' 254 counties voted for Nixon, all by wide margins except heavily black Robertson County where Nixon won by a single vote. Nixon won 22 of Texas' 24 congressional districts – with the 18th (Harris County) and 20th (Bexar County) constituting the only congressional districts McGovern won anywhere in the former Confederacy. McGovern, however, did not win either county each of these districts were located in.

McGovern's only county wins came from the south Texas region along the U.S.-Mexico border and Cottle County in the northern part of the state, though even his performances here were underwhelming. In fact, in the oldest extant Democratic stronghold in the entire United States,[3] Nixon became the only Republican since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 to win Dimmit County and Presidio County. This is also the last election in which Zavala County voted Republican,[3] though that county did so even in 1960. Duval County, however, gave McGovern over 85 percent of the vote, which was the highest percentage of votes he received in any county nationally.[4] 1972 was the third successive election when Duval proved the most Democratic county in the nation. He was the first Republican to ever carry La Salle, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Willacy, Brooks, Cameron, Kenedy, and Nueces counties (all in South Texas), and the first since 1920 to carry Zavala County; and the first since 1928 to carry Dimmit, Frio, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. He was the first Republican to carry many historically Democratic East Texas counties as well.

Nixon had previously narrowly lost Texas to John F. Kennedy in 1960 and had lost it narrowly again to Hubert Humphrey in 1968. However, as with the rest of the country in 1972, with the exception of Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., Texas voted for the Republican ticket of incumbent Nixon and Agnew.

As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the best Republican election performance in Texas, as well as the last time every single county in the Texas Triangle was won by the Republican candidate. Jefferson County would not vote Republican again until 2016, La Salle and Jim Wells counties until 2020, and Hidalgo and Willacy counties until 2024.

Campaign

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McGovern campaign

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In the national race, McGovern was constantly portrayed throughout the election campaign as being a left-wing extremist because of his support for busing and civil rights, plus his opposition to the Vietnam War, support for granting amnesty to draft dodgers.[5] and support for a thousand-dollar giveaway to each American as a solution to poverty.[6] McGovern was also viewed as inconsistent following the replacement of his first running mate, Thomas Eagleton, while many Republican campaigners believed McGovern would legalize abortion and illicit drugs if he were elected[7] – despite the fact that his ultimate running mate Sargent Shriver was firmly pro-life.[citation needed]

McGovern's Texas campaign was managed by Bill Clinton.[8] Senator Lloyd Bentsen had originally been asked to manage the Texas campaign, but declined.[9]

While those working on the campaign expected McGovern to lose in Texas, they aimed to decrease his margin of defeat.[10] McGovern's campaign received little support from Democratic statewide officeholders.[9] Additionally, Dolph Briscoe, the Democratic nominee in the coinciding 1972 Texas gubernatorial election refused to make any campaign appearances alongside McGovern.[9] One of the few statewide office holders to support McGovern's campaign was Texas Land Commissioner Bob Armstrong.[9] Lloyd Bentsen also endorsed McGovern.[11]

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson would occasionally observe the Texas campaign operation.[9] In addition to manager Bill Clinton, a future United States president, and his then-girlfriend (and future wife) Hillary, a future Democratic Party presidential nominee herself, there were a number of individuals who worked on McGovern's Texas campaign effort who would later achieve individual notability.[10]

Role of the Clintons

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Bill Clinton, and his then-girlfriend (and future wife) Hillary (both Yale Law School students at the time) had both moved to Austin to work on the Texas McGovern campaign.[10] Bill had originally planned to begin working as a southern states coordinator for the McGovern campaign during the summer of 1971. However, he postponed those plans in order to spend that summer with Hillary, who had taken a summer job in California.[12] The following summer, Bill took a job as the state manager of McGovern's campaign in Texas.[10][8] He asked Hillary if she would be interested in joining him there. In her memoir Living History, Hillary recalled, "Bill asked if I wanted to go too. I did, but only if I had a specific job."[10]

 
Hillary's workload of registering voters was large due to the 1972 presidential election being the first since the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18

Hillary was tasked with registering black and Hispanic voters in South Texas on behalf of the Democratic National Committee. With the 1972 election being the first in which 18-year-olds were able to vote, the task of voter registration was much greater than in other years.[10] In addition to registering voters, as a law student, Clinton was utilized as a legal resource.[13]

Hillary worked alongside Sara Ehrman, with whom she bonded.[10][14] She also bonded with Betsey Wright while working on the campaign, with whom she frequently would travel to Barton Springs.[10]

Bill, meanwhile, worked closely with Eddie Bernice Johnson. He also worked with Ron Kirk (future mayor of Dallas), Ann Richards (future governor of Texas).[15][16] He additionally worked with Steven Spielberg who, at the time, was a little-known television producer.[17] He traveled frequently across the state to organize events and to hang posters in county courthouses.[10] He spent considerable time in Dallas, where he had an office in the campaign's local headquarters on Lemmon Avenue.[15]

The Clintons worked with Garry Mauro, a University of Texas Law School student, on the campaign.[9][10] Mauro would go on to later serve as Texas Land Commissioner, and would head Bill's 1992 campaign in Texas.[10] They also worked alongside future Austin advertising executives Roy Spence and Judy Trabulsi, who would both go on to work on Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns. Spence would also work as a media adviser to Hillary in her 2008 presidential campaign, while Trablusi supported the candidacy of Barack Obama. Both worked in support of her 2016 presidential campaign.[10]

While working in Texas, the Clintons also networked with some donors that would later contribute to their own campaigns for political office, such as Bernard Rapoport.[10] Occasionally, Bill would receive phone calls from former president Lyndon B. Johnson, who would inquire about the campaign effort and offer advice.[9] Both Clintons were absent from attending their fall classes that term in order to work for the campaign. However, they both managed to ace their finals.[10]

Nixon campaign

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Incumbent president Richard Nixon emphasized on a good economy and his successes in foreign affairs, such as coming near to ending American involvement in the Vietnam War and establishing relations with China.[5] Though he had narrowly lost the state in 1968, Texas was beginning to trend Republican, with a lone Representative pickup and a pickup of a handful of state senate seats. He campaigned in Laredo at the Laredo Air Force Base, and he also visited Harlingen.[18] Nixon had the support of former Democratic Texas governor John Connally, who headed the group Democrats for Nixon.[9] Connally would, however, join the Republican party in 1973. Overall, Nixon's campaigning was less so than in 1968, as he rode a good economy and incumbency to a landslide victory in the state.

73% of white voters supported Nixon while 26% supported McGovern.[19][20]

Results

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1972 United States presidential election in Texas[2]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Richard Nixon (incumbent) 2,298,896 66.20% 26
Democratic George McGovern 1,154,291 33.24% 0
Socialist Workers Linda Jenness 8,664 0.25% 0
Write-in John G. Schmitz 7,098 0.20% 0
Write-ins – 3,765 0.11% 0
Totals 3,472,714 100.00% 26
Voter turnout —

Results by county

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County Richard Nixon
Republican 		George McGovern
Democratic 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # %
Anderson 5,826 72.24% 2,233 27.69% 6 0.07% 3,593 44.55% 8,065
Andrews 2,615 79.00% 677 20.45% 18 0.54% 1,938 58.55% 3,310
Angelina 11,453 69.04% 4,970 29.96% 166 1.00% 6,483 39.08% 16,589
Aransas 2,037 70.48% 844 29.20% 9 0.31% 1,193 41.28% 2,890
Archer 1,494 69.42% 632 29.37% 26 1.21% 862 40.05% 2,152
Armstrong 768 80.76% 177 18.61% 6 0.63% 591 62.15% 951
Atascosa 3,400 65.28% 1,804 34.64% 4 0.08% 1,596 30.64% 5,208
Austin 3,084 74.24% 1,043 25.11% 27 0.65% 2,041 49.13% 4,154
Bailey 1,837 79.70% 465 20.17% 3 0.13% 1,372 59.53% 2,305
Bandera 1,796 79.50% 434 19.21% 29 1.28% 1,362 60.29% 2,259
Bastrop 3,097 61.82% 1,906 38.04% 7 0.14% 1,191 23.78% 5,010
Baylor 1,190 66.52% 598 33.43% 1 0.06% 592 33.09% 1,789
Bee 3,779 64.42% 2,067 35.24% 20 0.34% 1,712 29.18% 5,866
Bell 17,525 71.79% 6,848 28.05% 38 0.16% 10,677 43.74% 24,411
Bexar 137,572 59.76% 91,662 39.82% 959 0.42% 45,910 19.94% 230,193
Blanco 1,215 71.68% 460 27.14% 20 1.18% 755 44.54% 1,695
Borden 330 76.21% 96 22.17% 7 1.62% 234 54.04% 433
Bosque 2,947 74.12% 1,014 25.50% 15 0.38% 1,933 48.62% 3,976
Bowie 14,722 73.55% 5,227 26.12% 66 0.33% 9,495 47.43% 20,015
Brazoria 21,045 64.89% 11,350 35.00% 37 0.11% 9,695 29.89% 32,432
Brazos 14,243 71.03% 5,692 28.39% 116 0.58% 8,551 42.64% 20,051
Brewster 1,524 62.31% 904 36.96% 18 0.74% 620 25.35% 2,446
Briscoe 642 64.20% 349 34.90% 9 0.90% 293 29.30% 1,000
Brooks 1,117 40.17% 1,657 59.58% 7 0.25% -540 -19.41% 2,781
Brown 5,990 72.76% 2,171 26.37% 72 0.87% 3,819 46.39% 8,233
Burleson 1,762 56.38% 1,361 43.55% 2 0.06% 401 12.83% 3,125
Burnet 3,438 73.34% 1,227 26.17% 23 0.49% 2,211 47.17% 4,688
Caldwell 3,171 61.45% 1,974 38.26% 15 0.29% 1,197 23.19% 5,160
Calhoun 3,614 64.93% 1,936 34.78% 16 0.29% 1,678 30.15% 5,566
Callahan 2,223 75.64% 665 22.63% 51 1.74% 1,558 53.01% 2,939
Cameron 20,816 60.69% 13,340 38.89% 144 0.42% 7,476 21.80% 34,300
Camp 1,599 60.55% 1,041 39.42% 1 0.04% 558 21.13% 2,641
Carson 1,868 75.75% 561 22.75% 37 1.50% 1,307 53.00% 2,466
Cass 5,303 72.76% 1,981 27.18% 4 0.05% 3,322 45.58% 7,288
Castro 1,685 68.75% 751 30.64% 15 0.61% 934 38.11% 2,451
Chambers 2,390 66.35% 1,206 33.48% 6 0.17% 1,184 32.87% 3,602
Cherokee 5,743 69.29% 2,467 29.77% 78 0.94% 3,276 39.52% 8,288
Childress 1,716 69.81% 729 29.66% 13 0.53% 987 40.15% 2,458
Clay 1,893 64.28% 1,023 34.74% 29 0.98% 870 29.54% 2,945
Cochran 1,106 72.01% 415 27.02% 15 0.98% 691 44.99% 1,536
Coke 761 67.11% 358 31.57% 15 1.32% 403 35.54% 1,134
Coleman 2,386 76.67% 721 23.17% 5 0.16% 1,665 53.50% 3,112
Collin 17,667 78.04% 4,783 21.13% 187 0.83% 12,884 56.91% 22,637
Collingsworth 1,250 71.39% 501 28.61% 0 0.00% 749 42.78% 1,751
Colorado 3,495 69.66% 1,502 29.94% 20 0.40% 1,993 39.72% 5,017
Comal 6,761 78.36% 1,823 21.13% 44 0.51% 4,938 57.23% 8,628
Comanche 2,608 68.31% 1,176 30.80% 34 0.89% 1,432 37.51% 3,818
Concho 709 66.95% 350 33.05% 0 0.00% 359 33.90% 1,059
Cooke 6,317 78.28% 1,702 21.09% 51 0.63% 4,615 57.19% 8,070
Coryell 5,077 79.75% 1,235 19.40% 54 0.85% 3,842 60.35% 6,366
Cottle 564 49.69% 571 50.31% 0 0.00% -7 -0.62% 1,135
Crane 1,123 73.78% 349 22.93% 50 3.29% 774 50.85% 1,522
Crockett 851 72.12% 329 27.88% 0 0.00% 522 44.24% 1,180
Crosby 1,503 59.15% 1,021 40.18% 17 0.67% 482 18.97% 2,541
Culberson 555 69.12% 238 29.64% 10 1.25% 317 39.48% 803
Dallam 1,271 78.02% 327 20.07% 31 1.90% 944 57.95% 1,629
Dallas 305,112 69.53% 129,662 29.55% 4,021 0.92% 175,450 39.98% 438,795
Dawson 3,247 79.29% 846 20.66% 2 0.05% 2,401 58.63% 4,095
Deaf Smith 3,690 73.67% 1,240 24.76% 79 1.58% 2,450 48.91% 5,009
Delta 957 61.90% 581 37.58% 8 0.52% 376 24.32% 1,546
Denton 19,138 66.18% 9,720 33.61% 62 0.21% 9,418 32.57% 28,920
DeWitt 3,755 72.96% 1,357 26.36% 35 0.68% 2,398 46.60% 5,147
Dickens 708 56.87% 534 42.89% 3 0.24% 174 13.98% 1,245
Dimmit 1,172 51.81% 1,078 47.66% 12 0.53% 94 4.15% 2,262
Donley 1,229 77.74% 350 22.14% 2 0.13% 879 55.60% 1,581
Duval 623 14.32% 3,729 85.68% 0 0.00% -3,106 -71.36% 4,352
Eastland 4,106 71.50% 1,630 28.38% 7 0.12% 2,476 43.12% 5,743
Ector 21,386 79.32% 5,449 20.21% 125 0.46% 15,937 59.11% 26,960
Edwards 520 82.02% 109 17.19% 5 0.79% 411 64.83% 634
Ellis 8,779 69.53% 3,839 30.41% 8 0.06% 4,940 39.12% 12,626
El Paso 49,981 60.15% 32,435 39.04% 674 0.81% 17,546 21.11% 83,090
Erath 4,777 74.26% 1,648 25.62% 8 0.12% 3,129 48.64% 6,433
Falls 3,017 62.12% 1,825 37.57% 15 0.31% 1,192 24.55% 4,857
Fannin 3,826 61.90% 2,295 37.13% 60 0.97% 1,531 24.77% 6,181
Fayette 3,882 73.37% 1,400 26.46% 9 0.17% 2,482 46.91% 5,291
Fisher 1,207 56.22% 933 43.46% 7 0.33% 274 12.76% 2,147
Floyd 2,181 72.17% 841 27.83% 0 0.00% 1,340 44.34% 3,022
Foard 369 53.87% 312 45.55% 4 0.58% 57 8.32% 685
Fort Bend 10,475 69.42% 4,541 30.09% 73 0.48% 5,934 39.33% 15,089
Franklin 1,059 65.90% 546 33.98% 2 0.12% 513 31.92% 1,607
Freestone 2,459 65.61% 1,283 34.23% 6 0.16% 1,176 31.38% 3,748
Frio 1,904 54.23% 1,588 45.23% 19 0.54% 316 9.00% 3,511
Gaines 1,923 73.26% 669 25.49% 33 1.26% 1,254 47.77% 2,625
Galveston 30,936 57.49% 22,565 41.93% 310 0.58% 8,371 15.56% 53,811
Garza 1,153 72.11% 446 27.89% 0 0.00% 707 44.22% 1,599
Gillespie 3,490 85.67% 526 12.91% 58 1.42% 2,964 72.76% 4,074
Glasscock 288 78.05% 75 20.33% 6 1.63% 213 57.72% 369
Goliad 1,018 68.60% 464 31.27% 2 0.13% 554 37.33% 1,484
Gonzales 2,707 69.84% 1,164 30.03% 5 0.13% 1,543 39.81% 3,876
Gray 7,968 84.37% 1,367 14.47% 109 1.15% 6,601 69.90% 9,444
Grayson 16,769 70.65% 6,952 29.29% 13 0.05% 9,817 41.36% 23,734
Gregg 19,927 77.49% 5,325 20.71% 464 1.80% 14,602 56.78% 25,716
Grimes 2,243 66.44% 1,116 33.06% 17 0.50% 1,127 33.38% 3,376
Guadalupe 8,287 70.84% 3,404 29.10% 7 0.06% 4,883 41.74% 11,698
Hale 7,051 76.04% 2,135 23.02% 87 0.94% 4,916 53.02% 9,273
Hall 1,303 67.37% 607 31.39% 24 1.24% 696 35.98% 1,934
Hamilton 1,931 73.79% 685 26.18% 1 0.04% 1,246 47.61% 2,617
Hansford 1,947 88.90% 202 9.22% 41 1.87% 1,745 79.68% 2,190
Hardeman 1,357 68.29% 614 30.90% 16 0.81% 743 37.39% 1,987
Hardin 5,190 63.63% 2,952 36.19% 15 0.18% 2,238 27.44% 8,157
Harris 365,672 62.56% 215,916 36.94% 2,943 0.50% 149,756 25.62% 584,531
Harrison 9,600 68.28% 4,333 30.82% 127 0.90% 5,267 37.46% 14,060
Hartley 946 80.17% 206 17.46% 28 2.37% 740 62.71% 1,180
Haskell 1,744 64.74% 950 35.26% 0 0.00% 794 29.48% 2,694
Hays 5,406 56.79% 4,068 42.74% 45 0.47% 1,338 14.05% 9,519
Hemphill 942 81.42% 214 18.50% 1 0.09% 728 62.92% 1,157
Henderson 6,263 69.49% 2,741 30.41% 9 0.10% 3,522 39.08% 9,013
Hidalgo 22,920 55.23% 18,366 44.26% 213 0.51% 4,554 10.97% 41,499
Hill 4,481 70.25% 1,882 29.50% 16 0.25% 2,599 40.75% 6,379
Hockley 4,084 70.84% 1,625 28.19% 56 0.97% 2,459 42.65% 5,765
Hood 1,743 64.32% 949 35.02% 18 0.66% 794 29.30% 2,710
Hopkins 3,903 69.20% 1,710 30.32% 27 0.48% 2,193 38.88% 5,640
Houston 3,317 63.95% 1,844 35.55% 26 0.50% 1,473 28.40% 5,187
Howard 7,343 72.85% 2,714 26.92% 23 0.23% 4,629 45.93% 10,080
Hudspeth 467 64.24% 250 34.39% 10 1.38% 217 29.85% 727
Hunt 9,535 72.02% 3,655 27.61% 49 0.37% 5,880 44.41% 13,239
Hutchinson 7,411 81.25% 1,405 15.40% 305 3.34% 6,006 65.85% 9,121
Irion 363 76.10% 111 23.27% 3 0.63% 252 52.83% 477
Jack 1,719 68.57% 775 30.91% 13 0.52% 944 37.66% 2,507
Jackson 2,743 69.81% 1,163 29.60% 23 0.59% 1,580 40.21% 3,929
Jasper 4,575 62.46% 2,746 37.49% 4 0.05% 1,829 24.97% 7,325
Jeff Davis 382 64.20% 202 33.95% 11 1.85% 180 30.25% 595
Jefferson 45,819 60.42% 29,909 39.44% 109 0.14% 15,910 20.98% 75,837
Jim Hogg 765 47.28% 848 52.41% 5 0.31% -83 -5.13% 1,618
Jim Wells 5,283 54.48% 4,404 45.41% 11 0.11% 879 9.07% 9,698
Johnson 10,042 71.04% 3,968 28.07% 126 0.89% 6,074 42.97% 14,136
Jones 3,202 75.11% 1,050 24.63% 11 0.26% 2,152 50.48% 4,263
Karnes 2,639 59.60% 1,780 40.20% 9 0.20% 859 19.40% 4,428
Kaufman 5,100 64.51% 2,795 35.35% 11 0.14% 2,305 29.16% 7,906
Kendall 2,681 84.23% 484 15.21% 18 0.57% 2,197 69.02% 3,183
Kenedy 124 58.22% 88 41.31% 1 0.47% 36 16.91% 213
Kent 465 67.59% 223 32.41% 0 0.00% 242 35.18% 688
Kerr 6,039 77.82% 1,511 19.47% 210 2.71% 4,528 58.35% 7,760
Kimble 971 78.12% 266 21.40% 6 0.48% 705 56.72% 1,243
King 143 65.30% 75 34.25% 1 0.46% 68 31.05% 219
Kinney 425 64.39% 234 35.45% 1 0.15% 191 28.94% 660
Kleberg 5,312 54.19% 4,481 45.71% 10 0.10% 831 8.48% 9,803
Knox 1,148 63.78% 638 35.44% 14 0.78% 510 28.34% 1,800
Lamar 7,736 72.62% 2,865 26.90% 51 0.48% 4,871 45.72% 10,652
Lamb 3,981 74.19% 1,350 25.16% 35 0.65% 2,631 49.03% 5,366
Lampasas 2,251 76.33% 688 23.33% 10 0.34% 1,563 53.00% 2,949
La Salle 1,073 65.11% 567 34.41% 8 0.49% 506 30.70% 1,648
Lavaca 3,288 69.65% 1,429 30.27% 4 0.08% 1,859 39.38% 4,721
Lee 1,877 66.70% 920 32.69% 17 0.60% 957 34.01% 2,814
Leon 1,699 66.16% 863 33.61% 6 0.23% 836 32.55% 2,568
Liberty 6,111 64.79% 3,311 35.10% 10 0.11% 2,800 29.69% 9,432
Limestone 2,949 66.67% 1,452 32.83% 22 0.50% 1,497 33.84% 4,423
Lipscomb 1,226 87.57% 156 11.14% 18 1.29% 1,070 76.43% 1,400
Live Oak 1,745 73.97% 610 25.86% 4 0.17% 1,135 48.11% 2,359
Llano 2,164 73.53% 766 26.03% 13 0.44% 1,398 47.50% 2,943
Loving 55 88.71% 7 11.29% 0 0.00% 48 77.42% 62
Lubbock 43,564 73.47% 15,353 25.89% 379 0.64% 28,211 47.58% 59,296
Lynn 1,766 71.47% 697 28.21% 8 0.32% 1,069 43.26% 2,471
McCulloch 1,769 70.06% 753 29.82% 3 0.12% 1,016 40.24% 2,525
McLennan 33,377 67.45% 15,947 32.23% 161 0.33% 17,430 35.22% 49,485
McMullen 304 76.77% 88 22.22% 4 1.01% 216 54.55% 396
Madison 1,540 73.30% 561 26.70% 0 0.00% 979 46.60% 2,101
Marion 1,680 60.22% 1,106 39.64% 4 0.14% 574 20.58% 2,790
Martin 935 75.22% 287 23.09% 21 1.69% 648 52.13% 1,243
Mason 1,096 73.71% 369 24.82% 22 1.48% 727 48.89% 1,487
Matagorda 5,003 66.75% 2,473 33.00% 19 0.25% 2,530 33.75% 7,495
Maverick 1,477 46.20% 1,710 53.49% 10 0.31% -233 -7.29% 3,197
Medina 4,059 71.85% 1,507 26.68% 83 1.47% 2,552 45.17% 5,649
Menard 644 69.92% 273 29.64% 4 0.43% 371 40.28% 921
Midland 18,905 79.60% 4,388 18.48% 457 1.92% 14,517 61.12% 23,750
Milam 3,554 62.14% 2,159 37.75% 6 0.10% 1,395 24.39% 5,719
Mills 1,089 73.43% 388 26.16% 6 0.40% 701 47.27% 1,483
Mitchell 1,790 71.83% 699 28.05% 3 0.12% 1,091 43.78% 2,492
Montague 3,463 72.63% 1,286 26.97% 19 0.40% 2,177 45.66% 4,768
Montgomery 15,067 77.48% 4,358 22.41% 22 0.11% 10,709 55.07% 19,447
Moore 3,620 79.77% 863 19.02% 55 1.21% 2,757 60.75% 4,538
Morris 2,699 69.47% 1,162 29.91% 24 0.62% 1,537 39.56% 3,885
Motley 657 72.52% 230 25.39% 19 2.10% 427 47.13% 906
Nacogdoches 8,757 70.41% 3,656 29.40% 24 0.19% 5,101 41.01% 12,437
Navarro 6,039 64.91% 3,246 34.89% 18 0.19% 2,793 30.02% 9,303
Newton 1,946 53.98% 1,636 45.38% 23 0.64% 310 8.60% 3,605
Nolan 3,634 73.03% 1,338 26.89% 4 0.08% 2,296 46.14% 4,976
Nueces 41,682 55.39% 33,277 44.22% 291 0.39% 8,405 11.17% 75,250
Ochiltree 2,861 89.35% 298 9.31% 43 1.34% 2,563 80.04% 3,202
Oldham 666 77.17% 173 20.05% 24 2.78% 493 57.12% 863
Orange 13,234 64.63% 7,172 35.02% 72 0.35% 6,062 29.61% 20,478
Palo Pinto 5,058 69.79% 2,181 30.10% 8 0.11% 2,877 39.69% 7,247
Panola 4,324 73.74% 1,511 25.77% 29 0.49% 2,813 47.97% 5,864
Parker 7,152 69.11% 3,184 30.77% 13 0.13% 3,968 38.34% 10,349
Parmer 2,304 81.62% 495 17.53% 24 0.85% 1,809 64.09% 2,823
Pecos 2,419 73.10% 847 25.60% 43 1.30% 1,572 47.50% 3,309
Polk 3,048 63.13% 1,760 36.45% 20 0.41% 1,288 26.68% 4,828
Potter 18,891 74.56% 6,264 24.72% 180 0.71% 12,627 49.84% 25,335
Presidio 785 53.69% 674 46.10% 3 0.21% 111 7.59% 1,462
Rains 865 61.61% 532 37.89% 7 0.50% 333 23.72% 1,404
Randall 18,557 83.13% 3,470 15.54% 296 1.33% 15,087 67.59% 22,323
Reagan 703 73.61% 244 25.55% 8 0.84% 459 48.06% 955
Real 483 75.23% 150 23.36% 9 1.40% 333 51.87% 642
Red River 3,112 69.54% 1,361 30.41% 2 0.04% 1,751 39.13% 4,475
Reeves 2,427 61.57% 1,510 38.31% 5 0.13% 917 23.26% 3,942
Refugio 1,937 64.57% 1,060 35.33% 3 0.10% 877 29.24% 3,000
Roberts 467 84.91% 71 12.91% 12 2.18% 396 72.00% 550
Robertson 1,977 50.01% 1,976 49.99% 0 0.00% 1 0.02% 3,953
Rockwall 1,890 75.06% 610 24.23% 18 0.71% 1,280 50.83% 2,518
Runnels 2,752 78.83% 739 21.17% 0 0.00% 2,013 57.66% 3,491
Rusk 8,179 73.87% 2,867 25.89% 26 0.23% 5,312 47.98% 11,072
Sabine 1,333 58.64% 936 41.18% 4 0.18% 397 17.46% 2,273
San Augustine 1,508 66.49% 753 33.20% 7 0.31% 755 33.29% 2,268
San Jacinto 1,296 55.81% 1,020 43.93% 6 0.26% 276 11.88% 2,322
San Patricio 7,179 57.42% 5,097 40.77% 226 1.81% 2,082 16.65% 12,502
San Saba 1,106 65.79% 567 33.73% 8 0.48% 539 32.06% 1,681
Schleicher 630 71.51% 250 28.38% 1 0.11% 380 43.13% 881
Scurry 3,777 74.79% 1,223 24.22% 50 0.99% 2,554 50.57% 5,050
Shackelford 909 73.07% 331 26.61% 4 0.32% 578 46.46% 1,244
Shelby 4,292 70.45% 1,792 29.42% 8 0.13% 2,500 41.03% 6,092
Sherman 996 84.34% 169 14.31% 16 1.35% 827 70.03% 1,181
Smith 23,671 74.37% 8,041 25.26% 115 0.36% 15,630 49.11% 31,827
Somervell 703 71.23% 284 28.77% 0 0.00% 419 42.46% 987
Starr 2,389 41.82% 3,320 58.11% 4 0.07% -931 -16.29% 5,713
Stephens 2,259 76.73% 678 23.03% 7 0.24% 1,581 53.70% 2,944
Sterling 286 74.67% 94 24.54% 3 0.78% 192 50.13% 383
Stonewall 662 61.58% 394 36.65% 19 1.77% 268 24.93% 1,075
Sutton 705 73.67% 245 25.60% 7 0.73% 460 48.07% 957
Swisher 1,790 57.34% 1,300 41.64% 32 1.02% 490 15.70% 3,122
Tarrant 151,596 68.55% 69,187 31.29% 355 0.16% 82,409 37.26% 221,138
Taylor 22,417 78.02% 6,024 20.97% 290 1.01% 16,393 57.05% 28,731
Terrell 467 79.02% 124 20.98% 0 0.00% 343 58.04% 591
Terry 3,057 72.96% 1,099 26.23% 34 0.81% 1,958 46.73% 4,190
Throckmorton 568 61.81% 348 37.87% 3 0.33% 220 23.94% 919
Titus 3,671 68.07% 1,703 31.58% 19 0.35% 1,968 36.49% 5,393
Tom Green 15,784 71.87% 6,082 27.69% 95 0.43% 9,702 44.18% 21,961
Travis 70,561 56.30% 54,157 43.21% 611 0.49% 16,404 13.09% 125,329
Trinity 1,467 63.92% 826 35.99% 2 0.09% 641 27.93% 2,295
Tyler 2,955 68.88% 1,321 30.79% 14 0.33% 1,634 38.09% 4,290
Upshur 4,736 71.50% 1,879 28.37% 9 0.14% 2,857 43.13% 6,624
Upton 1,186 81.07% 256 17.50% 21 1.44% 930 63.57% 1,463
Uvalde 3,883 72.89% 1,438 26.99% 6 0.11% 2,445 45.90% 5,327
Val Verde 4,052 66.17% 2,049 33.46% 23 0.38% 2,003 32.71% 6,124
Van Zandt 4,839 71.33% 1,939 28.58% 6 0.09% 2,900 42.75% 6,784
Victoria 11,246 72.56% 4,226 27.27% 26 0.17% 7,020 45.29% 15,498
Walker 5,082 63.20% 2,940 36.56% 19 0.24% 2,142 26.64% 8,041
Waller 2,263 58.95% 1,538 40.06% 38 0.99% 725 18.89% 3,839
Ward 2,687 70.86% 1,049 27.66% 56 1.48% 1,638 43.20% 3,792
Washington 3,862 74.30% 1,323 25.45% 13 0.25% 2,539 48.85% 5,198
Webb 6,011 41.58% 8,435 58.34% 12 0.08% -2,424 -16.76% 14,458
Wharton 6,271 64.27% 3,481 35.68% 5 0.05% 2,790 28.59% 9,757
Wheeler 1,766 77.87% 502 22.13% 0 0.00% 1,264 55.74% 2,268
Wichita 25,197 68.69% 10,948 29.85% 537 1.46% 14,249 38.84% 36,682
Wilbarger 3,183 70.44% 1,139 25.20% 197 4.36% 2,044 45.24% 4,519
Willacy 2,317 62.12% 1,384 37.10% 29 0.78% 933 25.02% 3,730
Williamson 6,998 64.40% 3,806 35.02% 63 0.58% 3,192 29.38% 10,867
Wilson 2,953 58.68% 2,072 41.18% 7 0.14% 881 17.50% 5,032
Winkler 2,467 79.71% 602 19.45% 26 0.84% 1,865 60.26% 3,095
Wise 4,230 70.43% 1,741 28.99% 35 0.58% 2,489 41.44% 6,006
Wood 4,746 71.28% 1,842 27.67% 70 1.05% 2,904 43.61% 6,658
Yoakum 1,952 79.90% 457 18.71% 34 1.39% 1,495 61.19% 2,443
Young 3,353 69.28% 1,486 30.70% 1 0.02% 1,867 38.58% 4,840
Zapata 695 47.51% 768 52.49% 0 0.00% -73 -4.98% 1,463
Zavala 1,288 52.96% 1,122 46.13% 22 0.90% 166 6.83% 2,432
Totals 2,298,896 66.20% 1,154,291 33.24% 19,527 0.56% 1,144,605 32.96% 3,472,714

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

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See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Turnout and Voter Registration Figures (1970–current)". www.sos.state.tx.us.
  2. ^ a b "1972 Presidential General Election Results – Texas". Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Sullivan, Robert David; 'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  4. ^ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; 1972 Presidential Election Statistics
  5. ^ a b Perry, James Moorhead; Us and Them: How the Press Covered the 1972 Election, p. 136 ISBN 0517505525
  6. ^ Grantham, Dewey W.; The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History, p. 179 ISBN 0813148723
  7. ^ Davis, Lanny; Scandal: How "Gotcha" Politics Is Destroying America, pp. 65–66 ISBN 1466892803
  8. ^ a b "Manager of George McGovern's 1972 Presidential campaign in Texas Bill Clinton and unidentified woman (photograph)". tamucc-ir.tdl.org. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Wisk, Allison (March 1, 2016). "From the archives: Lone Star stumping gig in '72 race helped shape Hillary Clinton's '08 bid". Dallas News. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Livingston, Abby (May 16, 2015). "Allies Remember a Driven Hillary Rodham During 1972 Texas Campaign". www.texastribune.org. Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  11. ^ Naughton, Jim (May 2, 1989). "The Prime of Lloyd Bentsen". Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Gerstein, Josh (November 26, 2007). "The Clintons' Berkeley Summer of Love". The New York Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  13. ^ Todd Wiseman and Abby, Todd; Livingston, Abby (May 16, 2015). "A Current Look at Some of Hillary and Bill Clinton's 1972 Texas Haunts". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Barnes, Bart (June 3, 2017). "Sara Ehrman, Hill staffer, Mideast peace activist and Hillary Clinton mentor, dies at 98". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Medley, Jasmine (July 20, 2013). "William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center and the Clinton School of Public Service". National Association of State Judicial Educators. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  16. ^ Slater, Wayne (December 16, 2007). "Texas stumping in '72 helped shape Clinton's campaign". No. December 16, 2007. Dallas Morning News. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  17. ^ Felsenthal, Carol (May 7, 2008). "George McGovern and Bill Clinton: the State of the Friendship". No. May 7, 2008. Huffington Post. Huffington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  18. ^ "Campaign 1972: Nixon Through the Lens". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  19. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  20. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

Works cited

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