Alternative History
United States presidential election, 1972
← 1968 November 7, 1972 (1972-11-07) 1976 →
  Patschroeder Wilburmills Danielinouye
Nominee Pat Schroeder Wilbur Mills Daniel Inouye
Party Populist Democratic Kosuto Bloc
Alliance Template:Republican, Socialist/meta/shortname None None
Home state Apishapa Missouri Kosuto
Running mate Shirley Chisholm Sargent Shriver Pat Saiki
States carried 27 7 2
Popular vote 47,168,710 29,173,222 12,663,349
Percentage 49.2% 32.0% 18.8%

1972electionahr
Electoral College results

President before election

Nelson Rockefeller
Republican

Elected President

Pat Schroeder
Populist

The 1972 United States presidential election was the 47th quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 7, 1972. Apishapa Representative Pat Schroeder of the Populist Party, in a coalition with the Republicans and Socialists, defeated Democratic candidate Wilbur Mills and Kosuto Bloc candidate Daniel Inouye to become the youngest and first female president of the United States.

President Nelson Rockefeller had announced a year prior that he would not seek re-election to a third term, despite his eligibility. As a result, the Republicans opted to coalition with another party, as did the socialists, who were unable to secure a candidate with widespread appeal. Schroeder, a representative from Apishapa who had been elected in 1966, was the preferred nominee on the Populist side due to her youth and appeal among moderates. The Kosuto Bloc did not renominate Spark Matsunaga a fourth time, instead choosing state senator Daniel Inouye with Pat Saiki as his running mate. Wilbur Mills remained the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, despite concerns for his age. To gain appeal among centrists, Mills chose Sargent Shriver as his running mate. All three candidates were considered centrist to left-leaning, though each differed on foreign policy. Schroeder advocated arms dealings with Germany, whereas Mills and Inouye, the latter breaking with party tradition, called for a more assertive policy. Schroeder was endorsed by vice president Hubert Humphrey during the general election, as a result winning support among much of the Midwest and northeast.

Schroeder won the election by a relatively wide margin, carrying 27 states and 49.2% of the popular vote, compared to Mills' 7 and 32.0%, and Inouye's 2 and 18.8%. While the Kosuto Bloc had not won any states beyond their traditional boundaries, they were able to increase voter turnout in their favor in historically Populist areas, due to Inouye's active campaigning.