Nixon had initially expected his Democratic opponent to be Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts , but the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident effectively removed Kennedy from contention . Nonetheless , Nixon ordered constant surveillance of Kennedy by E. Howard Hunt . Nixon also feared the effect of another independent candidacy by George Wallace , and worked to defeat Wallace 's 1970 gubernatorial campaign by contributing $ 400,000 to the unsuccessful campaign of Albert Brewer . Wallace won several Democratic primaries during the 1972 campaign , but any possibility that he would win the Democratic nomination or run on a third party ticket was ended after he was severely wounded in an assassination attempt . With Kennedy out of the race , Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine and Hubert Humphrey emerged as the front-runners for the 1972 Democratic nomination . Senator George McGovern 's victory in the June California primary made him the overwhelming favorite entering the July Democratic National Convention . McGovern was nominated on the first ballot , but the convention endured a chaotic vice presidential selection process . The convention ultimately nominated Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri as McGovern 's running mate . After it was disclosed that Eagleton had undergone mental health treatment , including electroshock therapy , Eagleton withdrew from the race . McGovern replaced him with Sargent Shriver of Maryland , a Kennedy in-law
Democratic National Convention
1972 Democratic National Convention
Presidency of Richard Nixon