1972 United States Senate election in Montana

The 1972 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent United States Senator Lee Metcalf, who was first elected to the Senate in 1960 and was re-elected in 1966, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary, he moved on to the general election, where he faced Hank Hibbard, a State Senator and the Republican nominee. Following a close campaign, Metcalf managed to narrowly win re-election to his third term in the Senate over Hibbard. Montana was one of fifteen states alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota and West Virginia that were won by Republican President Richard Nixon in 1972 that elected Democrats to the United States Senate.

1972 United States Senate election in Montana

← 1966 November 7, 1972 1978 →

Nominee Lee Metcalf Hank Hibbard Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 163,609 151,316 Percentage 51.95% 48.05%

County results Metcalf:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Hibbard:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Lee Metcalf Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf Democratic

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Lee Metcalf, incumbent United States Senator
• Jerome Peters

Results

Democratic Party primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lee Metcalf (incumbent)	106,491	86.42%
	Democratic	Jerome Peters	16,729	13.58%
Total votes			123,220	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Hank Hibbard, State Senator
• Harold E. Wallace, 1970 Republican nominee for the Senate
• Norman C. Wheeler
• Merrill K. Riddick

Results

Republican Primary results^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hank Hibbard	43,028	49.70%
	Republican	Harold E. Wallace	26,463	30.57%
	Republican	Norman C. Wheeler	13,826	15.97%
	Republican	Merrill K. Riddick	3,259	3.76%
Total votes			86,576	100.00%

General election

Results

United States Senate election in Montana, 1972^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Lee Metcalf (incumbent)	163,609	51.95%	−1.22%
	Republican	Hank Hibbard	151,316	48.05%	+1.22%
Majority			12,293	3.90%	−2.43%
Turnout			314,925
	Democratic hold		Swing

See also

• United States Senate elections, 1972

References

1. "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana and of the Vote Cast at the Separate Election for Ratification or Rejection of the Proposed Constitution, June 6, 1972" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
2. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved July 2, 2014.