1972 United States Senate election in Maine

1972 United States Senate election in Maine

← 1966 November 7, 1972 1978 →

Nominee William Hathaway Margaret Chase Smith Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 224,270 197,040 Percentage 53.23% 46.77%

County results Hathaway:      50–60%      60–70% Smith:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Margaret Chase Smith Republican Elected U.S. Senator William Hathaway Democratic

Elections in Maine
Federal offices U.S. President 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 Dem 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem Rep 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1820 1821 1823 1823 1827 1829 sp 1835 1835 sp 1837 sp 1839 1840 1843 sp 1846 1848 sp 1851 1854 sp 1857 1857 sp 1859 1861 sp 1863 1865 sp 1869 1870 sp 1875 1877 1877 sp 1880 1881 1881 sp 1883 1887 1889 1893 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1912 sp 1913 1916 1916 sp 1918 1922 1924 1926 sp 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 1820–1821 1822 sp 2nd 1823 1824–1825 1826–1827 1826 sp 5th 1827 sp 1st 1828–1830 1830 1833 1834 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1860 sp 5th 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1881 sp 2nd 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1897 sp 3rd 1898 1899 sp 1st 1899 sp 2nd 1900 1901 sp 4th 1902 1904 1906 1908 1908 sp 2nd 1908 sp 4th 1910 1912 1913 sp 3rd 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1940 sp 2nd 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1951 sp 3rd 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
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City of Portland Mayoral elections 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

The 1972 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith ran for re-election to a fifth term, but was defeated by Democrat William Hathaway. As of 2024^[update], this was the last time the Democrats won the Class 2 Senate seat from Maine.

As of 2024, this remains one of only two times in history (along with the 1846 election) that a Democrat has been elected to this seat for a full term, and the only such instance since the founding of the Republican Party. Maine was one of fifteen states alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, 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.