1972 Texas gubernatorial election
{{Short description|none}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1972 Texas gubernatorial election
| country = Texas
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1970 Texas gubernatorial election
| previous_year = 1970
| next_election = 1974 Texas gubernatorial election
| next_year = 1974
| election_date = November 7, 1972
| image1 = File:Dolph Briscoe, 1976 (3x4 crop).jpg
| image_size = 150x150px
| nominee1 = Dolph Briscoe
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 1,633,493
| percentage1 = 47.9%
| image2 = File:Sen. Henry C. Grover (3x4 crop).png
| nominee2 = Henry Grover
| party2 = Republican Party (United States)
| popular_vote2 = 1,533,986
| percentage2 = 45.0%
| image3 = File:Ramsey Muniz.jpg
| nominee3 = Ramsey Muñiz
| party3 = Raza Unida Party
| popular_vote3 = 214,118
| percentage3 = 6.3%
| map_image = 1972 Texas gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
| map_size = 310px
| map_caption = County results
Briscoe: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}
Grover: {{legend0|#ffb2b2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}}
Muñiz: {{legend0|#ffb061|40–50%}} {{legend0|#ff8649|50–60%}}
| title = Governor
| before_election = Preston Smith
| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
| after_election = Dolph Briscoe
| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Elections in Texas sidebar}}
The 1972 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Democratic governor Preston Smith ran for reelection, but lost renomination to businessman Dolph Briscoe. Smith was overwhelmingly rejected in the Democratic primary, taking fourth place with only 8% of the vote amid the fallout from the Sharpstown scandal. Briscoe went on to win the general election by a relatively small margin, winning 48% of the vote to Republican Henry Grover's 45%. Raza Unida candidate Ramsey Muniz won 6%.
As of 2022, this is the last time Jim Hogg and Brooks counties did not vote for the Democratic candidate, instead voting for the Raza Unida party.
The 1972 election marked the last time that a gubernatorial election was held concurrently with a presidential election and the last time that a governor was elected for a two-year term.
Democratic primary
=Candidates=
- Ben Barnes, lieutenant governor and former speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
- Dolph Briscoe, former state representative from Uvalde and candidate for governor in 1968
- Frances Farenthold, state representative from Corpus Christi
- Robert E. Looney
- William H. Posey
- Preston Smith, incumbent governor
- Gordon F. Wills
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
|title=Democratic primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Dolph Briscoe
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 963,397
|percentage = 43.93%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate =Frances Farenthold
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 612,051
|percentage = 27.91%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Ben Barnes
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 392,356
|percentage = 17.89%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Preston Smith (incumbent)
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 190,709
|percentage = 8.70%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = William H. Posey
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 13,727
|percentage = 0.62%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Gordon F. Wills
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 10,438
|percentage = 0.48%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Robert E. Looney
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 10,225
|percentage = 0.47%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 2,192,903
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Runoff=
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Democratic runoff results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Dolph Briscoe
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 1,095,168
|percentage = 55.32%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Frances Farenthold
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 884,594
|percentage = 44.68%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 1,979,762
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Republican primary
=Candidates=
- Albert B. Fay, Houston oilman
- Henry Grover, former state representative from Harris County
- John A. Hall Sr.
- J. A. Jenkins
- Tom McElroy
- David Reagan
=Results=
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Republican primary results{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/texasalmanac20000000unse/page/434/mode/2up |title=Texas Almanac, 2000-2001 |publisher=Dallas Morning News |year=1999 |location=Dallas |pages=434 |access-date=2022-06-22}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Henry Grover
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 37,118
|percentage = 32.56%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Albert B. Fay
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 24,329
|percentage = 21.34%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = David Reagan
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 20,119
|percentage = 17.65%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Tom McElroy
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 19,559
|percentage = 17.16%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = John A. Hall Sr.
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 8,018
|percentage = 7.03%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = J. A. Jenkins
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 4,864
|percentage = 4.27%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 114,007
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Runoff=
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Republican runoff results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Henry Grover
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 37,842
|percentage = 66.38%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Albert B. Fay
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 19,166
|percentage = 33.62%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 57,008
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
Results
[[File:Texas Gubernatorial Election Results by County, 1972 Raza Unida.svg|thumb|right|300px|Results for Raza Unida by county:
{{collapsible list
| title = Muñiz
|{{legend0|#ffc87b|0–5%}}
|{{legend0|#ffb061|5–10%}}
|{{legend0|#ff8649|10–15%}}
|{{legend0|#ff6d49|15–20%}}
|{{legend0|#ff5049|20–25%}}
|{{legend0|#ff322e|25–30%}}
|{{legend0|#ce0000|>30%}}
}}]]
{{Election box begin no change
|title = General election results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Dolph Briscoe
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|votes = 1,633,493
|percentage = 47.91%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Henry Grover
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|votes = 1,533,986
|percentage = 44.99%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Ramsey Muniz
|party = Raza Unida Party
|votes = 214,118
|percentage = 6.28%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|candidate = Deborah Leonard
|party = Socialist Workers Party (United States)
|votes = 24,103
|percentage = 0.71%
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|candidate =
|party = Others
|votes = 3,891
|percentage = 0.11%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 3,409,501
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
|winner = Democratic Party (United States)
|loser = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{1972 United States elections}}
{{Notable third party performances in United States elections}}
{{Elections in Texas footer}}