United States presidential election in South Dakota, 1972

United States presidential election in South Dakota, 1972
South Dakota
November 7, 1972
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 4 0
Popular vote 166,476 139,945
Percentage 54.15% 45.52%
President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

 Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elections in South Dakota

South Dakota was the home state of George McGovern, the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 United States presidential election.

Although McGovern, a member of the liberal wing of his party in relatively conservative state, was at the time of the election a popular two-term Senator, having won re-election in 1968 with 56.8% of the vote, he lost the presidential vote here by a significant margin to incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon.

McGovern's loss of South Dakota made him the second candidate in four years to lose his state of birth (in 1968 Hubert Humphrey also lost South Dakota, where he was born) and residence (also in 1968 Richard Nixon lost New York, where he then resided). McGovern remained the last candidate to lose his state of residence until 2000, when Al Gore lost Tennessee.

Results

Presidential candidate Party Home state Popular vote Electoral
vote		 Running mate
Count Pct Vice-presidential candidate Home state Elect. vote
Richard Nixon Republican California 166,476 54.15% 4 Spiro Agnew Maryland 4
George McGovern Democratic South Dakota 139,945 45.52% 0 Sargent Shriver Maryland 0
Linda Jenness Independent[1] Georgia 994 0.34% 0 Andrew Pulley Illinois 0
Total 307,415 100% 538 538
Needed to win 270 270

Notes

  1. ↑ Jenness was the nominee of the Socialist Workers Party, but appeared on the ballot in South Dakota as an independent candidate.

References