1972 United States Senate election in Colorado

The 1972 United States Senate election in Colorado took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Allott ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was narrowly defeated by Democratic former State Representative Floyd Haskell. This would be the last time until 2008 that a Democrat was elected to the Class 2 Senate seat from Colorado. Colorado was one of fifteen states alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, 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 Colorado

← 1966 November 7, 1972 1978 →
 
Nominee Floyd Haskell Gordon Allott
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 457,545 447,957
Percentage 49.41% 48.37%

County results
Haskell:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Allott:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Gordon Allott
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Floyd Haskell
Democratic

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Results

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Floyd Haskell, a former State Representative who had served as a Republican from 1965 to 1967, but had left the party in 1970 over opposition to the Vietnam War, won the primary.

1972 Democratic U.S. Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Floyd Haskell 77,574 58.83%
Democratic Anthony Vollack 54,298 41.18%
Total votes 131,872 100.00%

General election

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Results

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General election results[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Floyd Haskell 457,545 49.41%  7.48
Republican Gordon Allott (incumbent) 447,957 48.37%  9.65
Raza Unida Secundino Salazar 13,228 1.43% N/A
American Henry John Olshaw 7,353 0.79% N/A
Total votes 926,083 100.00% N/A
Democratic gain from Republican

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - CO US Senate - R Primary Race - Aug 14, 1978".
  2. ^ "Our Campaigns - CO US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1972".
  3. ^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1973). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.