PolitiFinder

1972 North Carolina Gubernatorial Election

North Carolina · 2 candidates · See every 1972 Governor race

Who won the 1972 North Carolina Gubernatorial Election?

James Holshouser won the 1972 North Carolina Gubernatorial Election. James Holshouser received 767,470 popular votes (51%). The main challenger was Skipper Bowles (48.45%).

See the full head-to-head between Holshouser and Bowles

Holshouser +2.5 pts · won by 38,366 votes
James HolshouserRepublicanWINNER51%
767,470 votes
Skipper BowlesDemocratic48.45%
729,104 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.