1972 United States presidential election in West Virginia

1972 United States presidential election in West Virginia

November 7, 1972
Turnout72.87% (of registered voters)
63.51% (of voting age population)
 
Nominee Richard Nixon George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California South Dakota
Running mate Spiro Agnew Sargent Shriver
Electoral vote 6 0
Popular vote 484,964 277,435
Percentage 63.61% 36.39%

County Results

President before election

Richard Nixon
Republican

Elected President

Richard Nixon
Republican

The 1972 United States presidential election in West Virginia took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. West Virginia voters chose six representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

West Virginia was won by incumbent President Richard Nixon (RCalifornia), with 63.61 percent of the popular vote, against George McGovern (DSouth Dakota), with 36.39 percent of the popular vote. Nixon won every county in the state except for Logan County, which McGovern won by 2.62 percentage points.

In this socially conservative state, McGovern was largely portrayed as a left-wing extremist due to his support for busing and civil rights, alongside fears that McGovern would legalize abortion and illicit drugs if elected — despite the fact that his running mate (after Senator Thomas Eagleton was dropped from the ticket) Sargent Shriver was firmly opposed to abortion being legal. This was the only time West Virginia voted more Republican than the national popular vote between 1936 and 1996.