1972 Delaware gubernatorial election

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 a gubernatorial election in Delaware until 1992, when Tom Carper (future U.S. Senator) won the gubernatorial election over Republican B. Gary Scott.

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.

• David P. Buckson, former Governor
• Russell W. Peterson, incumbent Governor

• Sherman W. Tribbitt, Democratic, Delaware House of Representatives Minority leader and former Lieutenant Governor
• Russell W. Peterson, Republican, incumbent Governor
• Virginia M. Lyndall, American
• Harry H. Conner, Prohibition

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Sussex

• Burton D. Willis, Commissioner of Elections (1973). Official Results of General Election, 1972 (PDF). State of Delaware. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2016.

• 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. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Affairs Institute.