The 1972 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 7, 1972, to elect U.S. Representatives to serve in the 93rd United States Congress. This was the first election held after the 1970 United States redistricting cycle. It coincided with the landslide reelection victory of President Richard M. Nixon. Nixon's Republican Party managed to gain a net of twelve House of Representatives seats from the Democratic Party, although the Democrats retained a majority.

Quick Facts All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

1972 United States House of Representatives elections

← 1970 November 7, 1972 1974 →
All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Carl Albert Gerald Ford Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 21, 1971 January 3, 1965 Leader's seat Oklahoma 3rd Michigan 5th Last election 255 seats 180 seats Seats won 242 192 Seat change 13 12 Popular vote 37,071,352 33,119,664 Percentage 52.1% 46.5% Swing 1.5% 1.6%   Third party   Party Independent Democratic Last election 0 seats Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Popular vote 137,664 Percentage 0.2% Swing
Results:      Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain      Independent gain
Speaker before election Carl Albert Democratic Elected Speaker Carl Albert Democratic

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This was the first election in which citizens at least 18 years of age (instead of 21 and older) could vote, due to the recent passage of the 26th Amendment. This was the last time until 2022 that a Democrat would win a House seat in Alaska,^[1] and the first time since 1888 that a Republican won a House seat in Louisiana.^[2]

Six special elections were also held throughout the year, six before November and one concurrent with the November general election.

More information Parties, Seats ...

Parties		Seats				Popular vote
		1970	1972	+/-	Strength	Vote	%	Change
	Democratic Party	255	242	13	55.6%	37,071,352	52.1%	1.5%
	Republican Party	180	192	12	44.2%	33,119,664	46.5%	1.6%
	American Independent Party	0	0		0.0%	233,967	0.3%	0.1%
	Conservative Party	0	0		0.0%	218,143	0.3%	0.1%
	Liberal Party	0	0		0.0%	148,951	0.2%	0.1%
	Independent Democratic	0	1	1	0.2%	137,664	0.2%
	Peace and Freedom Party	0	0		0.0%	63,894	0.1%
	Socialist Workers Party	0	0		0.0%	51,815	0.1%	0.1%
	National Democratic Party	0	0		0.0%	37,618	0.1%
	Taxpayer's Party	0	0		0.0%	28,079	<0.1%
	Action Party	0	0		0.0%	12,075	<0.1%
	Prohibition Party	0	0		0.0%	10,902	<0.1%
	Socialist Labor Party	0	0		0.0%	10,835	<0.1%
	Constitution Party	0	0		0.0%	5,860	<0.1%	0.1%
	Concerned and Capable Party	0	0		0.0%	5,188	<0.1%
	American Independent Conservative Party	0	0		0.0%	3,077	<0.1%
	Communist Party	0	0		0.0%	2,076	<0.1%
	Libertarian Party	0	0		0.0%	2,028	<0.1%
	Less Federal Taxes Party	0	0		0.0%	1,920	<0.1%
	La Raza Unida Party	0	0		0.0%	1,629	<0.1%
	Protest, Progress, Dignity Party	0	0		0.0%	1,556	<0.1%
	People's Party	0	0		0.0%	1,215	<0.1%
	Independent for Congress Party	0	0		0.0%	1,147	<0.1%
	People Over Politics Party	0	0		0.0%	847	<0.1%
	Taxation With Representation Party	0	0		0.0%	408	<0.1%
	Socialist Party	0	0		0.0%	221	<0.1%
	Others	0	0		0.0%	16,274	<0.1%	0.1%
Total		435	435		100.0%	71,188,405	100.0%

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Source: "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk.

Alabama was reapportioned from 8 to 7 seats and eliminated the old 3rd district, dividing it between the old 2nd and 4th and making compensating boundary changes elsewhere.^[7]

Incumbent Nick Begich won re-election three weeks after having disappeared in a plane crash October 16; challenger Don Young would later win a March special election after Begich was declared dead on December 29.

Arizona was reapportioned from 3 seats to 4 and carved a new district in the Phoenix suburbs and the northeast from parts of the existing districts.^[7]

California was reapportioned from 38 to 43 seats, adding one seat in the Bay Area, one in the Central Valley, and 3 in southern California;^[7] three went to Democrats, two to Republicans. Despite a retirement and two lost renominations, both parties held their seats in this election, bringing the Democrats up from 20 seats to 23 and the Republicans up from 18 seats to 20.

Colorado was reapportioned from 4 to 5 seats, constructing a new 5th district east and south of Denver.^[7]

Florida was reapportioned from 12 to 15 seats, adding a seat in central and two in south Florida.^[7]

Iowa was reapportioned from 7 seats to 6, dividing the old 5th district around Des Moines between its neighbors. Its incumbent, Neal Smith, won again in the south-central Iowa 4th district.^[7]

Louisiana stayed at eight house seats following the 1970 census, but the Eighth District's boundaries were radically altered. New governor Edwin W. Edwards ordered the district to take in territory far to the south and east of its traditional base of Alexandria, which included many African-American and progressive white voters. The change was largely regarded as an election deal between Edwards and former Rep. Gillis Long, who finished third in the Democratic Primary in the 1971 Louisiana Governor's Election. Long easily won back the Eighth District seat he lost in 1964.

Maryland's redistricting eliminated a seat in Baltimore in favor of an additional seat in the DC suburbs.^[7]