Although he did not endorse him, Roncalio stated that Senator Edmund Muskie was the most balanced candidate during the 1972 Democratic presidential primaries, but later voted for George McGovern at the national convention in Miami Beach, Florida. Roncalio stated throughout 1971 that he would not run against Clifford P. Hansen for Senate again and on July 20, 1972, he filed to run for reelection and was reelected by a similar margin in the general election against Bill Kidd. On June 28, 1974, he announced that he would seek another term and defeated state senator Thomas F. Stroock by over 12,000 votes. In 1976, he won reelection against Larry J. Hart by almost 20,000 votes.