1972 Delaware gubernatorial election

1972 Delaware gubernatorial election

← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →

Nominee Sherman W. Tribbitt Russell W. Peterson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 117,274 109,583 Percentage 51.27% 47.91%

County results Tribbitt:      50–60%      60–70% Peterson:      50–60%

Governor before election Russell W. Peterson Republican Elected Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt Democratic

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v t e

The 1972 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Democratic nominee Sherman W. Tribbitt defeated incumbent Republican Governor Russell W. Peterson with 51.27% of the vote. This was the last time a Democrat won statewide office in Delaware until 1992, when Tom Carper (future U.S. Senator) won the gubernatorial election over Republican B. Gary Scott.

Nominations

From 1972 to 1992 Delaware used a system of “challenge” primaries, in which a candidate for statewide office who received at least 35 percent of the convention vote could challenge the endorsed candidate in a primary. Democratic nominee Tribbitt avoided such a primary in 1972.^[1][2]

Republican primary

Candidates

• David P. Buckson, former acting Governor
• Russell W. Peterson, incumbent Governor

Results

Republican primary results^[3][2][1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Russell W. Peterson (incumbent)	23,929	54.30
	Republican	David P. Buckson	20,138	45.70
Total votes			44,077	100.00

General election

Candidates

• Sherman W. Tribbitt, Democratic, Delaware House of Representatives Minority leader and former Lieutenant Governor
• Russell W. Peterson, Republican, incumbent Governor
• Virginia M. Lyndall, American
• Harry H. Conner, Prohibition

Results

1972 Delaware gubernatorial election^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Sherman W. Tribbitt	117,274	51.27%
	Republican	Russell W. Peterson (incumbent)	109,583	47.91%
	American	Virginia M. Lyndall	1,468	0.64%
	Prohibition	Harry H. Conner	397	0.17%
Majority			7,691	3.36%
Turnout			228,722	100.00%
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing

References

Bibliography

• Burton D. Willis, Commissioner of Elections (1973). Official Results of General Election, 1972 (PDF). State of Delaware.
• Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
• Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
• Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1973). America Votes 10: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1972. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Affairs Institute.