1972 Democratic Party presidential primaries


From January 24 to June 20, 1972, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1972 United States presidential election. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections, caucuses, and state party conventions, culminating in the 1972 Democratic National Convention held from July 10 to July 13, 1972, in Miami, Florida.

Background

1968 election

The 1968 election was one of the most eventful and influential in the history of the Democratic Party. The primaries were contested by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Senator Eugene McCarthy, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. In a shock, McCarthy forced the incumbent president out of the race early by his strong showing in the New Hampshire primary. Kennedy joined the race soon thereafter, and the two ran on their opposition to Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War. They traded primary victories until Kennedy was assassinated in June.
Although Kennedy and McCarthy contested the popular elections, most of the delegates in 1968 were not popularly elected. Thus, with Kennedy dead and McCarthy lacking support from the party establishment, Johnson's vice president Hubert H. Humphrey was easily nominated on the first ballot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Humphrey's nomination, the continuing Vietnam War, and the generally closed nature of the nomination process drew massive protests to Chicago; the convention was generally seen as a major embarrassment for the party, and Humphrey was narrowly defeated in the general election by Richard Nixon.

McGovern-Fraser Commission

In response to the 1968 debacle, party leadership established a twenty-eight member committee selected by Senator Fred R. Harris to reform the presidential nomination process for 1972. The committee was led by Senator George McGovern and Representative Donald M. Fraser. After less than nine months, the committee delivered its guidelines.
The committee focused on two main principles: uniformity and equity. Guidelines required states adopt uniform, explicit delegate selection rules and weight the delegate allocation in favor of politically marginalized groups, including the use of quotas.
In general, the state parties complied with the McGovern-Fraser guidelines by adopting the use of primary elections, rather than delegate selection caucuses or conventions. Thus, the 1972 Democratic nomination is typically considered the first modern presidential primary campaign. Harris and McGovern, having played a direct role in the reforms and having a detailed knowledge of their impact, were seen to gain an advantage as potential candidates for the nomination.

Nixon administration and 1970 midterm elections

As 1972 approached, President Richard Nixon faced uncertain re-election prospects. Nixon had been elected on a platform to end American involvement in Vietnam, but his strategy of gradual "Vietnamization" had proceeded more slowly than planned. The Paris Peace Talks had bogged down, dimming hopes for a negotiated settlement to the war. In fact, Nixon had widened the conflict by invading Cambodia in 1970, a move that ignited criticism in the press and Congress and widespread disorder on college campuses, including the Kent State shootings in May 1970.
On the domestic front, a sharp recession had shaken investor confidence, and Nixon's plan to control inflation with wage and price controls had failed to meet its objective. The administration's attempt to steer a middle course on desegregation busing and affirmative action had displeased liberals and conservatives alike.
In the 1970 midterm elections, Democrats gained a dozen seats in the House, although their Senate majority was reduced by three seats. Their main success was not in Congress, however, but the states. Eleven different Democratic governors were elected to seats held by Republicans and not a single incumbent Democrat lost re-election.

Pre-primary maneuvering

Given Nixon's apparent weakness and the novel use of the primary system, a large field of credible Democratic challengers emerged. 14 Democrats sought their party's nomination the largest field of candidates until it was surpassed by 16 candidates in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries and then 29 candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.
Early speculation surrounded Senator Ted Kennedy, the brother of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy who had contested the 1968 nomination. He ruled himself out early in 1971, but nevertheless continued to lead in opinion polling. In the event of a brokered convention, some believed Kennedy could emerge as the consensus nominee. Kennedy supporters took key positions on a number of presidential campaigns, strengthening his odds of gaining the candidates' support in the event they could not secure the required delegates.
With Kennedy out, the establishment favorite for the Democratic nomination was Edmund Muskie, a moderate senator who had acquitted himself well as Humphrey's running mate in 1968. In August 1971 polling amid a growing economic crisis, Muskie led Nixon.
U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm from Queens, New York, announced her candidacy in January 1972, making her the first black candidate to contest a major party's nomination for president. Chisholm was also the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination; she was later joined by Patsy Mink of Hawaii.

Candidates

The following politicians stood as candidates for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination:

Nominee

Other major candidates

These candidates participated in multiple state primaries or were included in multiple major national polls.

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Declined

National polling

Poll sourcePublication
GallupJan. 1969—————21%——45%—15%3%—17%———
GallupOct. 1969—————29%——27%—10%5%—24%———
GallupMay. 1970———1%1%16%10%—17%—9%3%—23%———
GallupNov. 1970—————16%4%—31%1%6%2%—33%2%——
GallupFeb. 1971—————21%5%—25%—4%5%—26%———
GallupApr. 19711%—1%—1%18%4%2%29%2%3%5%1%21%2%——
GallupApr. 19711%—1%—1%18%4%2%29%2%3%5%1%21%2%——
GallupJul. 19712%—1%—1%18%3%2%22%1%6%5%1%22%1%——
GallupAug. 1971—————13%6%—26%—4%6%—22%———
HarrisSep. 1971———1%—16%7%2%26%—5%4%2%19%1%——
HarrisSep. 1971———1%—27%11%2%——7%5%2%27%2%——
GallupNov. 1971—————19%4%6%29%—5%6%—24%———
HarrisNov. 1971—————15%9%2%25%—3%5%1%22%1%—1%
HarrisNov. 1971—————25%12%2%——4%6%2%27%2%—1%
GallupDec. 1971—————19%4%4%32%—4%5%—25%——1%
GallupDec. 1971—————34%8%5%——5%8%—31%——1%
GallupJan. 1972—2%———17%5%2%27%—5%3%—32%——2%
GallupJan. 1972—2%———29%7%3%——8%3%—39%——2%
HarrisJan. 1972—3%———23%7%5%——6%5%—30%——1%
GallupFeb. 1972—2%———23%2%3%24%—3%5%—29%——1%
GallupFeb. 1972—3%———32%5%4%——4%6%—35%——1%
HarrisFeb. 1972—5%———18%6%4%15%—5%5%—22%—11%1%
HarrisFeb. 1972—6%———21%7%3%——5%8%—28%—12%1%
GallupMar. 1972—2%———31%7%3%——5%6%2%23%—15%*
GallupMar. 1972—3%———35%8%5%——6%7%2%28%——1%
GallupMar. 1972—4%———31%5%5%——4%5%1%22%—17%*
GallupApr. 1972—5%———30%—4%——3%17%1%17%—19%1%
GallupMay 1972—3%———35%—3%——3%20%2%11%—18%—
GallupMay 1972—————26%—————25%———26%—
GallupJun. 1972—3%———27%—3%——2%30%1%6%—25%—