1972 Republican Party presidential primaries

From March 7 to June 6, 1972, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1972 United States presidential election. Incumbent President Richard Nixon was again selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1972 Republican National Convention held from August 21 to August 23, 1972, in Miami, Florida.

1972 Republican Party presidential primaries
March 7 to June 6, 1972
 
Candidate Richard Nixon Uncommitted John M. Ashbrook
Home state California N/A Ohio
Contests won 18 0 0
Popular vote 5,378,704 317,048 311,543
Percentage 86.9% 5.1% 5.0%
First place finishes by preference primary results
Previous Republican nominee

Richard Nixon

 Republican nominee

Richard Nixon

Candidates

Nominee
Candidate Most recent office Home state Campaign

Withdrawal date

 Popular vote Contests won Running mate
Richard Nixon President of the United States
(1969–1974)		 California
California
(Campaign)
Secured nomination: August 23, 1972		 5,378,704
(96.9%)		 18 Spiro Agnew

Withdrew during primaries
Candidate Most recent office Home state Campaign

Withdrawal date

 Popular vote Contests won
John M. Ashbrook U.S. Representative from Ohio
(1961–1982)		 Ohio
Ohio		 311,543
(5.0%)		 0
Pete McCloskey U.S. Representative from California
(1967–1983)		 California
California		 132,731
(2.1%)		 0

Polling

National polling
Poll source Publication
William Knowland
Pete McCloskey
Richard Nixon
Gallup[1] Feb. 1972 5% 6% 83%

Overview of the race

Nixon was a popular incumbent president in 1972, as he seemed to have reached détente with China and the USSR. He shrugged off the first glimmers of what, after the election, became the massive Watergate scandal.

Polls showed that Nixon had a strong lead. He was challenged by two minor candidates, liberal Pete McCloskey of California and conservative John Ashbrook of Ohio. McCloskey ran as an anti-Vietnam war candidate dedicated to a much more clearer liberal position compared to Nixon's ambiguity approach within the party, while Ashbrook was dedicated to a much more clearer conservative position than Nixon and opposed Nixon's détente policies towards China and the Soviet Union. In the New Hampshire primary McCloskey's platform of peace garnered 19.7% of the vote to Nixon's 67.9%, with Ashbrook receiving 10.9% and comedian Pat Paulsen receiving 1.1%.[2] Having previously stated that he would withdraw from the race had he not achieved 20% of the vote, McCloskey did so.

Nixon won 1,347 of the 1,348 delegates to the GOP convention, with McCloskey receiving the vote of one delegate from New Mexico.[3]

Timeline of the race

March 7
1972 Republican Party primary in New Hampshire[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 79,239 67.6
Paul N. McCloskey 23,190 19.8
John M. Ashbrook 11,362 9.7
Others 3,417 2.9
Total votes 117,208 100.0

March 14
1972 Republican Party primary in Florida[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 360,278 87
John M. Ashbrook 36,617 8.8
Paul N. McCloskey 17,312 4.2
Total votes 414,207 100

March 21
1972 Republican Party primary in Illinois[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 32,550 97
John M. Ashbrook 170 0.5
Paul N. McCloskey 47 0.1
Others 802 2.4
Total votes 33,569 100

April 4
1972 Republican Party primary in Wisconsin[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 277,601 96.9
Paul N. McCloskey 3,651 1.3
John M. Ashbrook 2,604 0.9
"None of the names shown" 2,315 0.8
Others 273 0.1
Total votes 286,444 100

April 25
1972 Republican Party primary in Massachusetts[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 99,150 81.2
Paul N. McCloskey 16,435 13.5
John M. Ashbrook 4,864 4
Others 1,690 1.4
Total votes 122,139 100
1972 Republican Party primary in Pennsylvania[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 153,886 83.3
George C. Wallace 20,472 11.1
Others 10,443 5.7
Total votes 184,801 100

May 2
1972 Republican Party primary in Indiana[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 417,069 100
Total votes 417,069 100
1972 Republican Party primary in Ohio[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 692,828 100
Total votes 692,828 100

May 4
1972 Republican Party primary in Tennessee[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 109,696 95.8
John M. Ashbrook 2,419 2.1
Paul N. McCloskey 2,370 2.1
Others 4 0
Total votes 114,489 100

May 6
1972 Republican Party primary in North Carolina[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 159,167 94.8
Paul N. McCloskey 8,732 5.2
Total votes 167,899 100

May 9
1972 Republican Party primary in Nebraska[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 179,464 92.4
Paul N. McCloskey 9,011 4.6
John M. Ashbrook 4,996 2.6
Others 801 0.4
Total votes 194,272 100
1972 Republican Party primary in West Virginia[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Unpledged delegates at large 95,813 100
Total votes 95,813 100

May 16
1972 Republican Party primary in Maryland[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 99,308 86.2
Paul N. McCloskey 9,223 8
John M. Ashbrook 6,718 5.8
Total votes 115,249 100
1972 Republican Party primary in Michigan[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 321,652 95.5
Paul N. McCloskey 9,691 2.9
Unpledged delegates 5,370 1.6
Others 30 0
Total votes 336,743 100


May 23
1972 Republican Party primary in Oregon[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 231,151 82
Paul N. McCloskey 29,365 10.4
John M. Ashbrook 16,696 5.9
Others 4,798 1.7
Total votes 282,010 100
1972 Republican Party primary in Rhode Island[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 4,953 88.3
Paul N. McCloskey 337 6
John M. Ashbrook 175 3.1
Unpledged delegates at large 146 2.6
Total votes 5,611 100

June 6
1972 Republican Party primary in California[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 2,058,825 90.1
John M. Ashbrook 224,922 9.8
Others 175 0
Total votes 2,283,922 100
1972 Republican Party primary in New Jersey[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Unpledged delegates at large 215,719 100
Total votes 215,719 100
1972 Republican Party primary in New Mexico[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 49,067 88.5
Paul N. McCloskey 3,367 5.5
"None of the names shown" 3,035 5.5
Total votes 104,536 100
1972 Republican Party primary in South Dakota[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 52,820 100
Total votes 52,820 100
1972 Republican Party presidential primaries[4]
Candidate Votes  %
Richard M. Nixon (incumbent) 5,378,704 86.9
Unpledged delegates 317,048 5.1
John M. Ashbrook 311,543 5.0
Paul N. McCloskey 132,731 2.1
George C. Wallace 20,472 0.3
"None of the names shown" 5,350 0.1
Others 22,433 0.4
Total votes 6,188,281 100

See also

References
  1. "US President - R Primaries". OurCampaigns.com. 16 Nov 2004. Retrieved 29 Oct 2020.
  2. "New Hampshire Finals". The Miami Herald. UPI. March 15, 1972. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. "Nixon Renominated". Partners.nytimes.com. 1972-08-23. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  4. Kalb, Deborah, ed. (2010). Guide to U.S. Elections (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. pp. 412–415. ISBN 9781604265361.
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