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MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
November 7, 1972
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| Turnout | 64.41%[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in North Carolina |
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The 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Amidst a nationwide landslide defeat especially felt in the South, McGovern won only two counties in North Carolina, neither of which have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the Fourth Party System era: Orange County in the Research Triangle region, home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and majority-Black Northampton County in the northeast of the state.[2] Even in these counties, where most Democratic candidates receive over sixty percent of the vote (and where Walter Mondale in 1984 would still win by double digits), McGovern won by less than five points.[3] Among white voters, 78% supported Nixon, while only 20% supported McGovern.[4][5]
May 6, 1972
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County Results
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Alabama Governor, George Wallace, would defeat favorite son candidate, Terry Sanford.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Wallace | 413,518 | 50.34% | |
| Democratic | Terry Sanford | 306,014 | 37.26% | |
| Democratic | Shirley Chisholm | 61,723 | 7.51% | |
| Democratic | Edmund Muskie | 30,739 | 3.74% | |
| Democratic | Henry M. Jackson | 9,416 | 1.15% | |
| Total votes | 821,410 | 100 | ||
| Source | Rating | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Corvallis Gazette-Times[7] | Safe R | September 19, 1972 |
| The Bradenton Herald[8] | Certain R | October 9, 1972 |
| The Austin American[9] | Certain R | November 1, 1972 |
| Sun Herald[10] | Certain R | November 5, 1972 |
| 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina[11] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Richard Nixon (incumbent) | 1,054,889 | 69.46% | 13 | |
| Democratic | George McGovern | 438,705 | 28.89% | 0 | |
| American Independent | John G. Schmitz | 25,018 | 1.65% | 0 | |
| Write-ins[a] | Various candidates | 162 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,518,774 | 100.0% | 13 | ||
| Voter turnout | 44.35% | — | |||
| County[12] | Richard Nixon Republican |
George McGovern Democratic |
John G. Schmitz American |
Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alamance | 22,046 | 74.61% | 6,833 | 23.12% | 670 | 2.27% | 15,213 | 51.49% | 29,549 |
| Alexander | 5,865 | 68.95% | 2,468 | 29.01% | 173 | 2.04% | 3,397 | 39.94% | 8,506 |
| Alleghany | 2,158 | 61.29% | 1,304 | 37.03% | 59 | 1.68% | 854 | 24.26% | 3,521 |
| Anson | 3,551 | 60.88% | 2,188 | 37.51% | 94 | 1.61% | 1,363 | 23.37% | 5,833 |
| Ashe | 5,784 | 62.95% | 3,313 | 36.06% | 91 | 0.99% | 2,471 | 26.89% | 9,188 |
| Avery | 3,510 | 83.99% | 627 | 15.00% | 42 | 1.01% | 2,883 | 68.99% | 4,179 |
| Beaufort | 6,915 | 69.65% | 2,901 | 29.22% | 112 | 1.13% | 4,014 | 40.43% | 9,928 |
| Bertie | 2,874 | 60.54% | 1,819 | 38.32% | 54 | 1.14% | 1,055 | 22.22% | 4,747 |
| Bladen | 4,205 | 64.72% | 2,201 | 33.88% | 91 | 1.40% | 2,004 | 30.84% | 6,497 |
| Brunswick | 6,153 | 69.06% | 2,500 | 28.06% | 256 | 2.88% | 3,653 | 41.00% | 8,909 |
| Buncombe | 32,091 | 70.38% | 12,626 | 27.69% | 877 | 1.93% | 19,465 | 42.69% | 45,594 |
| Burke | 14,447 | 68.96% | 6,197 | 29.58% | 306 | 1.46% | 8,250 | 39.38% | 20,950 |
| Cabarrus | 18,384 | 76.45% | 5,336 | 22.19% | 328 | 1.36% | 13,048 | 54.26% | 24,048 |
| Caldwell | 12,976 | 71.41% | 4,886 | 26.89% | 309 | 1.70% | 8,090 | 44.52% | 18,171 |
| Camden | 909 | 60.20% | 556 | 36.82% | 45 | 2.98% | 353 | 23.38% | 1,510 |
| Carteret | 8,463 | 74.14% | 2,805 | 24.57% | 147 | 1.29% | 5,658 | 49.57% | 11,415 |
| Caswell | 2,983 | 59.65% | 1,922 | 38.43% | 96 | 1.92% | 1,061 | 21.22% | 5,001 |
| Catawba | 24,106 | 74.46% | 7,744 | 23.92% | 525 | 1.62% | 16,362 | 50.54% | 32,375 |
| Chatham | 6,175 | 62.12% | 3,624 | 36.46% | 142 | 1.42% | 2,551 | 25.66% | 9,941 |
| Cherokee | 4,113 | 62.28% | 2,411 | 36.51% | 80 | 1.21% | 1,702 | 25.77% | 6,604 |
| Chowan | 1,906 | 66.39% | 936 | 32.60% | 29 | 1.01% | 970 | 33.79% | 2,871 |
| Clay | 1,545 | 65.19% | 797 | 33.63% | 28 | 1.18% | 748 | 31.56% | 2,370 |
| Cleveland | 13,726 | 72.06% | 4,994 | 26.22% | 328 | 1.72% | 8,732 | 45.84% | 19,048 |
| Columbus | 8,468 | 70.64% | 3,305 | 27.57% | 214 | 1.79% | 5,163 | 43.07% | 11,987 |
| Craven | 9,372 | 78.74% | 2,384 | 20.03% | 147 | 1.23% | 6,988 | 58.71% | 11,903 |
| Cumberland | 24,376 | 70.46% | 9,853 | 28.48% | 366 | 1.06% | 14,523 | 41.98% | 34,595 |
| Currituck | 1,578 | 66.67% | 718 | 30.33% | 71 | 3.00% | 860 | 36.34% | 2,367 |
| Dare | 1,986 | 75.20% | 634 | 24.01% | 21 | 0.79% | 1,352 | 51.19% | 2,641 |
| Davidson | 24,875 | 74.79% | 7,691 | 23.12% | 696 | 2.09% | 17,184 | 51.67% | 33,262 |
| Davie | 5,613 | 75.69% | 1,578 | 21.28% | 225 | 3.03% | 4,035 | 54.41% | 7,416 |
| Duplin | 7,153 | 70.61% | 2,857 | 28.20% | 120 | 1.19% | 4,296 | 42.41% | 10,130 |
| Durham | 25,576 | 61.38% | 15,566 | 37.36% | 525 | 1.26% | 10,010 | 24.02% | 41,667 |
| Edgecombe | 8,244 | 62.53% | 4,635 | 35.16% | 305 | 2.31% | 3,609 | 27.37% | 13,184 |
| Forsyth | 46,415 | 67.69% | 20,928 | 30.52% | 1,226 | 1.79% | 25,487 | 37.17% | 68,569 |
| Franklin | 5,431 | 68.37% | 2,341 | 29.47% | 172 | 2.16% | 3,090 | 38.90% | 7,944 |
| Gaston | 27,956 | 75.76% | 8,462 | 22.93% | 483 | 1.31% | 19,494 | 52.83% | 36,901 |
| Gates | 1,264 | 51.01% | 1,177 | 47.50% | 37 | 1.49% | 87 | 3.51% | 2,478 |
| Graham | 1,699 | 61.05% | 1,057 | 37.98% | 27 | 0.97% | 642 | 23.07% | 2,783 |
| Granville | 6,037 | 66.82% | 2,918 | 32.30% | 80 | 0.88% | 3,119 | 34.52% | 9,035 |
| Greene | 2,788 | 75.68% | 847 | 22.99% | 49 | 1.33% | 1,941 | 52.69% | 3,684 |
| Guilford | 61,381 | 69.46% | 25,800 | 29.20% | 1,185 | 1.34% | 35,581 | 40.26% | 88,366 |
| Halifax | 8,908 | 66.60% | 4,241 | 31.71% | 226 | 1.69% | 4,667 | 34.89% | 13,375 |
| Harnett | 10,259 | 74.64% | 3,347 | 24.35% | 138 | 1.01% | 6,912 | 50.29% | 13,744 |
| Haywood | 8,903 | 64.84% | 4,515 | 32.88% | 313 | 2.28% | 4,388 | 31.96% | 13,731 |
| Henderson | 12,134 | 80.17% | 2,701 | 17.85% | 300 | 1.98% | 9,433 | 62.32% | 15,135 |
| Hertford | 2,794 | 58.34% | 1,928 | 40.26% | 67 | 1.40% | 866 | 18.08% | 4,789 |
| Hoke | 1,927 | 56.25% | 1,466 | 42.79% | 33 | 0.96% | 461 | 13.46% | 3,426 |
| Hyde | 1,112 | 69.28% | 403 | 25.11% | 90 | 5.61% | 709 | 44.17% | 1,605 |
| Iredell | 16,736 | 73.79% | 5,088 | 22.43% | 858 | 3.78% | 11,648 | 51.36% | 22,682 |
| Jackson | 4,709 | 59.11% | 3,169 | 39.78% | 89 | 1.11% | 1,540 | 19.33% | 7,967 |
| Johnston | 14,272 | 79.24% | 3,488 | 19.37% | 251 | 1.39% | 10,784 | 59.87% | 18,011 |
| Jones | 1,650 | 58.93% | 1,093 | 39.04% | 57 | 2.03% | 557 | 19.89% | 2,800 |
| Lee | 5,836 | 72.71% | 2,024 | 25.22% | 166 | 2.07% | 3,812 | 47.49% | 8,026 |
| Lenoir | 11,065 | 73.89% | 3,672 | 24.52% | 238 | 1.59% | 7,393 | 49.37% | 14,975 |
| Lincoln | 8,597 | 61.88% | 5,100 | 36.71% | 195 | 1.41% | 3,497 | 25.17% | 13,892 |
| Macon | 4,134 | 69.20% | 1,749 | 29.28% | 91 | 1.52% | 2,385 | 39.92% | 5,974 |
| Madison | 3,273 | 61.18% | 2,039 | 38.11% | 38 | 0.71% | 1,234 | 23.07% | 5,350 |
| Martin | 4,188 | 68.76% | 1,840 | 30.21% | 63 | 1.03% | 2,348 | 38.55% | 6,091 |
| McDowell | 6,570 | 72.09% | 2,348 | 25.76% | 196 | 2.15% | 4,222 | 46.33% | 9,114 |
| Mecklenburg | 77,546 | 68.52% | 33,730 | 29.80% | 1,900 | 1.68% | 43,816 | 38.72% | 113,176 |
| Mitchell | 4,240 | 83.45% | 800 | 15.74% | 41 | 0.81% | 3,440 | 67.71% | 5,081 |
| Montgomery | 4,417 | 65.67% | 2,175 | 32.34% | 134 | 1.99% | 2,242 | 33.33% | 6,726 |
| Moore | 9,406 | 70.68% | 3,627 | 27.25% | 275 | 2.07% | 5,779 | 43.43% | 13,308 |
| Nash | 12,679 | 71.39% | 4,503 | 25.35% | 579 | 3.26% | 8,176 | 46.04% | 17,761 |
| New Hanover | 19,060 | 74.41% | 5,894 | 23.01% | 661 | 2.58% | 13,166 | 51.40% | 25,615 |
| Northampton | 2,997 | 47.71% | 3,233 | 51.46% | 52 | 0.83% | −236 | −3.75% | 6,282 |
| Onslow | 10,343 | 80.05% | 2,424 | 18.76% | 154 | 1.19% | 7,919 | 61.29% | 12,921 |
| Orange | 11,632 | 47.66% | 12,634 | 51.76% | 142 | 0.58% | −1,002 | −4.10% | 24,408 |
| Pamlico | 1,847 | 66.11% | 919 | 32.89% | 28 | 1.00% | 928 | 33.22% | 2,794 |
| Pasquotank | 3,906 | 63.07% | 2,115 | 34.15% | 172 | 2.78% | 1,791 | 28.92% | 6,193 |
| Pender | 3,327 | 68.90% | 1,415 | 29.30% | 87 | 1.80% | 1,912 | 39.60% | 4,829 |
| Perquimans | 1,299 | 62.57% | 723 | 34.83% | 54 | 2.60% | 576 | 27.74% | 2,076 |
| Person | 5,941 | 71.89% | 2,246 | 27.18% | 77 | 0.93% | 3,695 | 44.71% | 8,264 |
| Pitt | 14,406 | 70.41% | 5,858 | 28.63% | 195 | 0.96% | 8,548 | 41.78% | 20,459 |
| Polk | 3,121 | 67.31% | 1,416 | 30.54% | 100 | 2.15% | 1,705 | 36.77% | 4,637 |
| Randolph | 18,724 | 76.02% | 5,346 | 21.71% | 559 | 2.27% | 13,378 | 54.31% | 24,629 |
| Richmond | 5,692 | 60.84% | 3,508 | 37.49% | 156 | 1.67% | 2,184 | 23.35% | 9,356 |
| Robeson | 11,362 | 59.99% | 7,391 | 39.02% | 188 | 0.99% | 3,971 | 20.97% | 18,941 |
| Rockingham | 14,519 | 71.15% | 5,530 | 27.10% | 358 | 1.75% | 8,989 | 44.05% | 20,407 |
| Rowan | 20,735 | 73.34% | 6,834 | 24.17% | 705 | 2.49% | 13,901 | 49.17% | 28,274 |
| Rutherford | 9,506 | 68.80% | 4,140 | 29.97% | 170 | 1.23% | 5,366 | 38.83% | 13,816 |
| Sampson | 9,684 | 65.76% | 4,888 | 33.19% | 154 | 1.05% | 4,796 | 32.57% | 14,726 |
| Scotland | 3,485 | 63.69% | 1,938 | 35.42% | 49 | 0.89% | 1,547 | 28.27% | 5,472 |
| Stanly | 12,459 | 69.32% | 5,218 | 29.03% | 295 | 1.65% | 7,241 | 40.29% | 17,972 |
| Stokes | 7,118 | 66.86% | 3,254 | 30.57% | 274 | 2.57% | 3,864 | 36.29% | 10,646 |
| Surry | 10,497 | 67.78% | 4,706 | 30.39% | 284 | 1.83% | 5,791 | 37.39% | 15,487 |
| Swain | 2,052 | 64.45% | 1,101 | 34.58% | 31 | 0.97% | 951 | 29.87% | 3,184 |
| Transylvania | 5,860 | 69.73% | 2,321 | 27.62% | 223 | 2.65% | 3,539 | 42.11% | 8,404 |
| Tyrrell | 676 | 59.30% | 459 | 40.26% | 5 | 0.44% | 217 | 19.04% | 1,140 |
| Union | 10,264 | 71.60% | 3,886 | 27.11% | 186 | 1.29% | 6,378 | 44.49% | 14,336 |
| Vance | 6,491 | 66.85% | 3,117 | 32.10% | 102 | 1.05% | 3,374 | 34.75% | 9,710 |
| Wake | 56,808 | 70.32% | 22,807 | 28.23% | 1,174 | 1.45% | 34,001 | 42.09% | 80,789 |
| Warren | 2,603 | 59.62% | 1,698 | 38.89% | 65 | 1.49% | 905 | 20.73% | 4,366 |
| Washington | 2,559 | 61.65% | 1,546 | 37.24% | 46 | 1.11% | 1,013 | 24.41% | 4,151 |
| Watauga | 6,017 | 62.85% | 3,451 | 36.05% | 105 | 1.10% | 2,566 | 26.80% | 9,573 |
| Wayne | 14,352 | 72.33% | 5,234 | 26.38% | 256 | 1.29% | 9,118 | 45.95% | 19,842 |
| Wilkes | 13,105 | 72.83% | 4,634 | 25.75% | 255 | 1.42% | 8,471 | 47.08% | 17,994 |
| Wilson | 12,060 | 73.04% | 4,166 | 25.23% | 286 | 1.73% | 7,894 | 47.81% | 16,512 |
| Yadkin | 6,824 | 79.16% | 1,592 | 18.47% | 205 | 2.37% | 5,232 | 60.69% | 8,621 |
| Yancey | 3,106 | 57.10% | 2,278 | 41.88% | 56 | 1.02% | 828 | 15.22% | 5,440 |
| Totals | 1,054,889 | 69.46% | 438,705 | 28.89% | 25,018 | 1.65% | 616,184 | 40.57% | 1,518,612 |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The 1972 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 7, 1972, as part of the 1972 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. Amidst a nationwide landslide defeat especially felt in the South, McGovern won only two counties in North Carolina, neither of which have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the Fourth Party System era: Orange County in the Research Triangle region, home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and majority-Black Northampton County in the northeast of the state. Even in these counties, where most Democratic candidates receive over sixty percent of the vote (and where Walter Mondale in 1984 would still win by double digits), McGovern won by less than five points. Among white voters, 78% supported Nixon, while only 20% supported McGovern.
The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1972 was held on 7 November 1972 as part of the nationwide elections to the Senate, and coinciding with the 1972 presidential election. The general election was fought between the Republican nominee Jesse Helms and the Democratic nominee Rep. Nick Galifianakis. Helms won the election, becoming the first Republican to win a Senate seat in North Carolina since 1897, and the first to hold this seat since 1871. Three-term Representative Nick Galifianakis defeated two-term incumbent Senator B. Everett Jordan in the second ballot in the Democratic primary. Galifianakis was seen as an anti-establishment liberal in North Carolina, although an opponent of busing. This was the first time ever that a Republican won a full term to this Senate seat in North Carolina.
The 2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Carolina voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. North Carolina had 15 electoral votes in the Electoral College. Trump won the state with 49.83% of the vote, a small decrease from Mitt Romney's vote percentage in 2012. However, he won by a margin of 3.66%, an increase of 1.62% compared to Romney's margin in 2012. In contrast, Clinton obtained 46.17% of the vote, a decrease of over 2% in 2012 when Obama won 48.35% of the vote. Although both candidates saw decreases in vote share compared to 2012, Trump and Clinton both obtained more votes than the previous election's candidates due to a higher voter turnout in this election. Trump flipped seven counties to the Republican column and was the first Republican to win Robeson, Richmond, and Gates counties since Richard Nixon in 1972. Clinton flipped just one county to the Democratic column, Watauga County, home to Boone. Trump became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Watauga County since James A. Garfield in 1880, as well as the first to do so without carrying Bumcombe or Forsyth counties since Calvin Coolidge in 1924, the first to do so without carrying Wake County since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, and the first to do so without carrying Pitt or Wilson counties since Richard Nixon in 1968. It was also the first time since 1980 that North Carolina voted more Democratic than Ohio.
The 2008 United States presidential election in North Carolina was part of the national event on November 4, 2008, throughout all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In North Carolina, voters chose 15 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. North Carolina was narrowly won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama with a 0.32% margin of victory, making the state 6.88% more Republican than the nation, as he won the national popular vote by 7.2%. Prior to the election, most news organizations considered the state as a toss-up or a swing state. Throughout the general election, the state was heavily targeted by both campaigns. A high turnout by African American voters, bolstered by overwhelming support from younger voters were the major factors that helped deliver North Carolina's 15 electoral votes to Obama, making him the first and as of 2024 only Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state since 1976, when Jimmy Carter prevailed. The state would vote Republican by less than 5% in the next four elections while still being considered a swing state. North Carolina continues to lean Republican relative to the nation. This is the only time North Carolina has voted differently from South Carolina since 1964, despite South Carolina being considered a safe red state. To date, 2008 was also the only presidential race since 1992 where North Carolina’s victory margin was less than 1% As of the 2024 presidential race, this is the last time Jackson, Hyde, and Caswell counties would vote Democratic, the last time Nash County voted for the losing candidate nationwide, and was the last time the state voted for the winner of the national popular vote until 2024.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Madam C.J. Walker