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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.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
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

Candidates

  • 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

Republican Primary results[2]
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

Results

General election results[3]
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

1972 United States Senate elections

References