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.

On election day, Evans defeated former governor Albert D. Rosellini by a comfortable margin of 51% to 43% in a rematch of the 1964 contest.

[1][2] Evans was the first governor of Washington to be elected to a third consecutive term.

[a] A total of nine candidates filed for the blanket primary on September 19, 1972.

Evans and Rosellini won their party's nominations, receiving 24.66% and 30.27% of the votes in the primary, respectively.