1972 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

The 1972 United States Senate election in Rhode Island took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell successfully sought re-election, defeating Republican John Chafee in the closest race of Pell's Senate career. Chafee was elected to Rhode Island's other Senate seat in 1976, and was colleagues with Pell until the latter's retirement in 1996. This was the only United States Senate election in Rhode Island that Claiborne Pell won by a narrow margin and the only United States Senate election in Rhode Island in which Claiborne Pell did not carry every county or all counties in Rhode Island. Rhode Island was one of fifteen states alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, 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 Rhode Island

← 1966 November 7, 1972 1978 →
 
Nominee Claiborne Pell John Chafee
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 221,942 188,990
Percentage 53.68% 45.71%

Pell:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Chafee:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Claiborne Pell
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Claiborne Pell
Democratic

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Republican primary

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Candidates

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General election

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Results

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General election results[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Claiborne Pell (incumbent) 221,942 53.68%
Republican John Chafee 188,990 45.71%
Independent John Quattrocchi 2,041 0.49%
Socialist Workers Patrick M. DeTemple 458 0.11%
Majority 32,952 7.97%
Total votes 413,431 100.00%
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ "RI US Senate". OurCampaigns. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  2. ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). Office of the U.S. House Clerk. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
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