The 1972 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper retired, and Democratic State Senator Walter Dee Huddleston narrowly won the open seat over former Republican Governor Louie Nunn.
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 County results Huddleston: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Nunn: 50-60% 60-70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Willis V. Johnson
- Sandy Hockensmith
- Walter Dee Huddleston, State Senator from Elizabethtown
- Charles Van Winkle
- James E. Wallace
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Walter Dee Huddleston | 106,144 | 71.60% | |
| Democratic | Sandy Hockensmith | 14,786 | 9.97% | |
| Democratic | James E. Wallace | 11,290 | 7.62% | |
| Democratic | Willis V. Johnson | 8,727 | 5.89% | |
| Democratic | Charles Van Winkle | 7,306 | 4.93% | |
| Total votes | 148,253 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- W. Howard Clay
- Robert E. Gable, businessman and Commissioner of State Parks of Kentucky
- Thurman Jerome Hamlin, perennial candidate from London
- Louie Nunn, former Governor of Kentucky (1967–71)
- George Wooton
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Louie Nunn | 57,348 | 69.71% | |
| Republican | Robert E. Gable | 18,107 | 22.01% | |
| Republican | W. Howard Clay | 2,786 | 3.39% | |
| Republican | George Wooton | 2,716 | 3.30% | |
| Republican | Thurman Jerome Hamlin | 1,312 | 1.60% | |
| Total votes | 82,269 | 100.00% | ||
General election
editResults
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Walter Dee Huddleston | 528,550 | 50.93% | |
| Republican | Louie Nunn | 494,337 | 47.63% | |
| American | Helen Breeden | 8,707 | 0.84% | |
| People's | Walter Bartley | 6,267 | 0.60% | |
| Total votes | 1,037,861 | 100.00% | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Our Campaigns - KY US Senate - D Primary Race - May 23, 1972". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - KY US Senate - R Primary Race - May 23, 1972". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1973). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.