1972 Delaware gubernatorial election
County results
Tribbitt: 50–60% 60–70%
Peterson: 50–60%
The 1972 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Democratic nominee Sherman W. Tribbitt defeated incumbent Republican Governor Russell W. Peterson with 51.27% of the vote. This was the last time a Democrat won statewide office in Delaware until 1992, when Tom Carper (future U.S. Senator) won the gubernatorial election over Republican B. Gary Scott.
Nominations [ edit ] From 1972 to 1992 Delaware used a system of “challenge” primaries, in which a candidate for statewide office who received at least 35 percent of the convention vote could challenge the endorsed candidate in a primary. Democratic nominee Tribbitt avoided such a primary in 1972.
Republican primary [ edit ] Candidates [ edit ] Results [ edit ] General election [ edit ] Candidates [ edit ] Results [ edit ] References [ edit ] Bibliography [ edit ] Burton D. Willis, Commissioner of Elections (1973). Official Results of General Election, 1972 (PDF) . State of Delaware. Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978 . Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9 . Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997 . Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0 .Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1973). America Votes 10: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1972
