George McGovern presidential campaign, 1972
| George McGovern for President | |
|---|---|
| Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 1972 |
| Candidate |
George McGovern U.S. Senator from South Dakota (1963-1981) Sargent Shriver United States Ambassador to France (1967-1970) |
| Affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Status | Announced: January 18, 1971 Nominated: July 13, 1972 Lost election: November 7, 1972 |
| Slogan | Come Home, America |
The George McGovern presidential campaign of 1972 began when United States Senator George McGovern from South Dakota launched his second candidacy for the Presidency of the United States in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to win the 1972 presidential election, winning only in the state of Massachusetts. McGovern vied to become the first South Dakota native to become president.
McGovern had run a short presidential campaign in 1968, acting as a stand-in for the assassinated Robert F. Kennedy leading up to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. McGovern then spent the remainder of the general election campaign ensuring his own re-election to the Senate.
But following the 1968 convention, he had planned on running for president again, a decision he solidified in January 1969. He began hiring legislative aides who could double as campaign policy staff, press secretaries, and the like. McGovern hired an agent to book speaking engagements, and beginning in early 1969 began doing an average of three appearances a week.
During 1969, McGovern headed the Commission on Party Structure and Delegate Selection, later often referred to as the "McGovern commission," which was chartered to redesign the Democratic nomination system after the messy and confused nomination struggle and convention of the 1968 election. Due to the influence of former Eugene McCarthy and Kennedy supporters on the staff, the commission significantly reduced the role of party officials and insiders in the nomination process, increased the role of caucuses and primaries, and mandated quotas for proportional black, women, and youth delegate representation.
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