1972 United States Presidential Election (The Kennedy Legacy)

The 1972 United States presidential election was the 47th quadrennial presidential election, held on November 7, 1972. The incumbent Democratic President, Robert F. Kennedy, defeated the Republican nominee, former vice-presidential candidate Spiro Agnew, and the American Independent nominee, George Wallace.

Kennedy's incumbency and popularity allowed to him to easily win re-nomination as the Democratic candidate and faced only minor challenges. Spiro Agnew, the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 1968, defeated Jim Rhodes, George Romney, and Howard Baker for the Republican nomination. John Connally from Texas was voted to be Agnew's running mate. Wallace, strongly dissatisfied with Kennedy's racial policies, mounted another bid for the Presidency, easily winning the nomination of the American Independent Party, and chose Republican John G. Schmitz as his running mate.

Kennedy, who had immense popularity throughout the country, campaigned on the surging economy, fully recovered from a brief downturn, the signing of the Paris Peace Accords ending the Vietnam War, the landing of the first humans on the Moon, and his legislative victories, including the popular American Healthcare Security Act of 1969 and the passage of a guaranteed minimum income with the American Income Plan Act of 1970. Kennedy targeted Agnew's previous opposition to the civil rights movement and allegations of corruption while Agnew campaigned against the "excessive spending" of the Kennedy administration and the Fall of Saigon during the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam. Wallace campaigned against Kennedy's racial policies and continued to advocate for the end of busing and integration of schools however after an assassination attempt left him paralyzed, his support plummeted. Polls showed Kennedy holding a wide lead over Agnew and Wallace throughout the election cycle, however his lead dipped following dissappointing performances during the presidential debates.

On election day, Kennedy won in a electoral landslide, winning 370 electoral votes, and won 48.2% of the popular vote, a 3.5% margin over his opponent, Spiro Agnew, who won 44.7% of the popular vote and 151 electoral votes. Wallace only managed to win 16 electoral votes with 6.8% of the popular vote, significantly down from his performance in 1968. This election marked the fourth time in a row that a Republican candidate has lost a presidential election, the longest losing streak for Republicans since the Presidency of FDR.