1972 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

1972 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

November 7, 1972

Nominee Claiborne Pell John Chafee Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 221,942 188,990 Percentage 53.68% 45.71%

Pell:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Chafee:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Claiborne Pell Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell Democratic

The 1972 United States Senate election in Rhode Island took place on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell successfully sought re-election, defeating Republican John Chafee in the closest race of Pell's Senate career. Chafee was elected to Rhode Island's other Senate seat in 1976, and was colleagues with Pell until the latter's retirement in 1996. This was Pell's only Senate election where he won by single digits, and the only election in which he did not carry every county in Rhode Island. That same year, Rhode Island was one of fifteen states that voted for Republican President Richard Nixon in his landslide re-election victory, while simultaneously electing Democrats to the United States Senate.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Claiborne Pell, incumbent U.S. Senator

Republican primary

Candidates

• John Chafee, former Governor of Rhode Island and former United States Secretary of the Navy

General election

Results

General election results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Claiborne Pell (incumbent)	221,942	53.68%
	Republican	John Chafee	188,990	45.71%
	Independent	John Quattrocchi	2,041	0.49%
	Socialist Workers	Patrick M. DeTemple	458	0.11%
Majority			32,952	7.97%
Total votes			413,431	100.00%
	Democratic hold