Montana gubernatorial election, 1972

Montana gubernatorial election, 1972
Montana
November 7, 1972
 
Nominee Thomas Lee Judge Ed Smith
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 172,523 146,231
Percentage 54.12% 45.88%
Governor before election

Forrest H. Anderson
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Thomas Lee Judge
Democratic

Elections in Montana

The 1972 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Governor of Montana Forrest H. Anderson, who was first elected in 1968, declined to seek re-election. Thomas Lee Judge, the Lieutenant Governor of Montana, won a competitive Democratic primary, and moved on to the general election, where he faced Ed Smith, a rancher and the Republican nominee. Despite the fact that then-President Richard Nixon won the state in a landslide in that year's presidential election, Judge managed to handily defeat Smith, winning his first of two terms as Governor.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thomas Lee Judge 75,917 59.87
Democratic Dick Dzivi 38,639 30.47
Democratic Eva Levengood Shunkwiler 5,707 4.50
Democratic Dallas E. Howard 4,255 3.36
Democratic David E. Burnham 2,276 1.80
Total votes 126,794 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican Primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Smith 39,552 40.65
Republican Frank Dunkle 37,375 38.41
Republican Tom A. Selstad 18,046 18.55
Republican Warren McMillan 2,331 2.40
Total votes 97,304 100.00

General election

Results

Montana gubernatorial election, 1972[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Thomas Lee Judge 172,523 54.12% +7.58%
Republican Ed Smith 146,231 45.88% +4.01%
Majority 26,292 8.25% -3.99%
Turnout 318,754
Democratic hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana and of the Vote Cast at the Separate Election for Ratification or Rejection of the Proposed Constitution, June 6, 1972" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Report of the Official Canvass of the Votes Cast at the General Election Held in the State of Montana, November 7, 1972". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved July 5, 2014.