The 1972 Washington gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Governor of Washington Daniel J. Evans, who was first elected eight years earlier, and then re-elected in 1968, was eligible for re-election, as Washington does not have gubernatorial term limits.

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1972 Washington gubernatorial election

← 1968 November 7, 1972 1976 →

Nominee Daniel J. Evans Albert Rosellini Vick Gould Party Republican Democratic Taxpayers' Party Popular vote 747,825 630,613 86,843 Percentage 50.8% 42.8% 5.9%

County results Evans:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Rosellini:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election Daniel J. Evans Republican Elected Governor Daniel J. Evans Republican

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A total of nine candidates filed for the primary on September 19. In the general election, incumbent Republican Governor Evans was challenged by former governor Albert Rosellini, who ran as a Democrat, and by businessman Vick Gould, who ran with the Taxpayers' Party, a third party of Gould's own creation.^[1][2] Evans and Rosellini received 24.66% and 30.27% of the votes in the primary, respectively. On election day, Evans defeated Rosellini by a comfortable margin of 50.78%-42.82% in a rematch of the 1964 contest.

• Arthur B. Langlie – A former governor of Washington who made a successful comeback in 1940