Video: 'CBS NEWS - ELECTION NIGHT 1972 - 6:30 P.M E T - 2:00 A M E.T'

(Tuesday, November 7, 1972, CBS News projected Nixon the winner at 8:21 p.m. EST; during the 1972 United States presidential election) — Republican President Richard Nixon of California was re-elected the 37th president of the United States today, defeating Democratic South Dakota Senator George McGovern.

Video: 'NBC NEWS - ELECTION NIGHT 1972 (11-6-1972)'(video is actually of ABC News coverage)

Nixon and his running mate, Vice President Spiro Agnew of Maryland, received 60.7 percent of the popular vote. McGovern and his running mate, former Ambassador to France Sargent Shriver of Maryland, received 37.5 percent. As of 2022, it remains the last time a presidential candidate captured more than 60 percent of the popular vote.

Video: 'The American Presidential Election of 1972'

The Republican ticket was officially elected on Dec. 18, 1972, when members of the Electoral College met and cast 520 votes for Nixon and Agnew and 17 votes for McGovern and Shriver. The Libertarian Party ticket of John G. Hospers of California and Theodora Nathan of Oregon received 1 vote from a faithless Nixon-Agnew elector.

Video: 'The 1972 Election Explained'

Until the 1984 election, this was the largest margin of victory in the Electoral College in a U.S. presidential election.

Video: 'Watergate Part 12 of 30' (Nov. 7, 1972, at 4:09)

It was also the first presidential election that would see California move ahead of New York in each state’s number of electoral votes, a gap that has since widened.

Video: '45 85 Part 12' (at 2:38)

The electors’ votes were tabulated and certified on Jan. 6, 1973, during a joint session of Congress. Nixon and Agnew were inaugurated for second terms on January 20, 1973.