PolitiFinder

1972 Indiana Gubernatorial Election

Indiana · 2 candidates · See every 1972 Governor race

Who won the 1972 Indiana Gubernatorial Election?

Otis Bowen won the 1972 Indiana Gubernatorial Election. Otis Bowen received 1,203,903 popular votes (56.77%). The main challenger was Matthew E. Welsh (42.46%).

See the full head-to-head between Bowen and Welsh

Bowen +14.3 pts · won by 303,414 votes
Otis BowenRepublicanWINNER56.77%
1,203,903 votes
Matthew E. WelshDemocratic42.46%
900,489 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.