1976 United States presidential election

Election of Jimmy Carter related races 1976 United States elections January 2025 November 2013 1976 United States presidential election United States 1960 presidential 1972 United States presidential election 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 United States presidential election 1980 538 members of the Electoral College 270 electoral Nationwide opinion polling for the 1976 United States presidential election 54.8%http://www.electproject.org/national-1789-present National General Election VEP Turnout Rates, 1789-Present United States Election Project CQ Press February 21, 2023 November 14, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161114143528/http://www.electproject.org/national-1789-present live 1.4 pp x200px Jimmy Carter 1977 cropped.jpg Jimmy Carter Democratic Georgia Walter Mondale 297 23 + DC 40,831,881 40,831,881 81,540,780 1 yes Gerald Ford, second official portrait of the President of the United States, February 1976 (HQ) (cropped closer).jpg Gerald Ford Republican Party (United States) Michigan Bob Dole 240A faithless Republican elector, Mike Padden in Washington, voted for Ronald Reagan to be president. Padden voted for Bob Dole to be vice president as pledged. As a result, Ford had 240 electoral votes instead of the pledged 241. 27 39,148,634 39,148,634 81,540,780 1 yes 350px Presidential election results map. Blue denotes states won by Carter/Mondale and red denotes those won by Ford/Dole. Pink represents the sole electoral vote for Reagan/Dole by a Washington faithless elector. Numbers indicate electoral votes cast by each state and the District of Columbia. President Gerald Ford Republican Party (United States) Jimmy Carter Democratic Party (United States) thumb|197x197px|Gerald Ford, the incumbent president in 1976, whose partial term expired at noon on January 20, 1977 Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 2, 1976. The Democratic ticket of former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter and Minnesota senior senator Walter Mondale narrowly defeated the Republican ticket of incumbent president Gerald Ford and Kansas junior senator Bob Dole. This was the first presidential election since 1932 in which the incumbent was defeated, as well as the only one of the six presidential elections from 1968 to 1988 to have the Democratic Party ticket win. Ford ascended to the presidency when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, which badly damaged the Republican Party and its electoral prospects. Ford previously served as Nixon's second vice president after his first vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned in 1973 due to a bribery scandal. Ford promised to continue Nixon's political agenda and govern as a moderate Republican, causing considerable backlash from the conservative wing of his party. Ford narrowly prevailed against former movie star and California governor Ronald Reagan in the Republican primaries.1976 Ford Presidential Campaign – Republican Convention https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/1976election/convention.html July 23, 2024 Ford Library Museum August 13, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240813225514/https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/1976election/convention.html live Carter was unknown outside of his home state of Georgia at the start of the Democratic primaries, but he emerged as the front-runner after his victories in the first set of primaries. Campaigning as a political moderate within his own party and as a Washington outsider, Carter defeated numerous opponents to clinch the Democratic nomination. Strong Robert A. October 4, 2026 Jimmy Carter: Campaigns and Elections Miller Center https://millercenter.org/president/carter/campaigns-and-elections July 23, 2024 Ford pursued a "Rose Garden strategy" in which he sought to portray himself as an experienced leader focused on fulfilling his role as chief executive.1976 Ford Presidential Campaign – General Election https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/1976election/election.html January 27, 2024 Ford Library Museum May 15, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240515211912/https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/1976election/election.html live On the other hand, Carter emphasized his status as a reformer who was "untainted" by Washington.Jackson Harold November 20, 2023 Rosalynn Carter obituary https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/20/rosalynn-carter-obituary January 27, 2014 The Guardian 0261-3077 Saddled with a poor economy, the fall of South Vietnam, and the political fallout from the Watergate scandal, including his unpopular pardon of Richard Nixon, Ford trailed by a wide margin in polls taken after Carter's formal nomination in July 1976. Ford's polling rebounded after a strong performance in the first presidential debate, and the race was close on election day. Carter won the election with 297 Electoral College votes and took 50.1% of the popular vote. He carried several Midwestern and Northeastern states along with every state in the Deep South, becoming the first Democrat to accomplish this feat since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. Carter's narrow victories in Ohio and Wisconsin, which carried a combined 36 electoral votes, were crucial to his win.Ohio Vote Recount Possible. Galion Inquirer. United Press International. November 15, 1976. Retrieved January 26, 2025. Meanwhile, Ford swept the West Coast and Mountain states and took 48.0% of the popular vote. Ford became the first president to have served without ever winning a national election as president or vice president. His loss to Carter was due in part to the backlash against Republican candidates nationwide in the wake of the Watergate scandal, a trend that became apparent in the 1974 elections. Nominations Democratic Party 1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries 65px|center|link=Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party (United States)1976 Democratic Party ticket white Jimmy Carter white Walter Mondalefor Presidentfor Vice President center|200x200px center|200x200px 76thGovernor of Georgia(1971–1975) U.S. Senatorfrom Minnesota(1964–1976)Campaigncenter|200x200px Candidates in this section are sorted by date of withdrawal from the nomination raceJerry BrownGeorge WallaceMo UdallEllen McCormackFrank ChurchHenry M. Jacksoncenter|120x120pxcenter|119x119pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|122x122pxGovernor ofCalifornia(1975–1983)Governor ofAlabama(1963–1967; 1971–1979)U.S. Representativefor Arizona's 2nd congressional district(1961–1991)Chair of the New York Right to Life Party(1970–1976)U.S. Senator fromIdaho(1957–1981)U.S. Senator fromWashington(1953–1983)center|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignLN Lost Nomination: July 15, 19762,449,374 votesLN Lost Nomination: July 15, 19761,955,388 votesLN Lost Nomination: July 15, 19761,611,754 votesLN Lost Nomination: July 15, 1976238,027 votesW Withdrew: June 14, 1976830,818 votesW Withdrew: May 1, 19761,134,375 votesLloyd BentsenMilton ShappFred HarrisSargent ShriverBirch BayhTerry Sanfordcenter|112x112pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|119x119pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxU.S. Senator fromTexas(1971–1993)Governorof Pennsylvania(1971–1979)U.S. Senatorfrom Oklahoma(1964–1973)U.S. Ambassador to France from Maryland (1968–1970)U.S. Senatorfrom Indiana(1963–1981)Governorof North Carolina(1961–1965)center|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120pxcenter|120x120px120x120pxcenter|120x120pxCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignCampaignW Withdrew: May 1, 1976346,714 votesW Withdrew: April 27, 197688,254 votesW Withdrew: April 2, 1976234,568 votesW Withdrew: March 16, 1976304,399 votesW Withdrew: March 4, 197686,438 votesW Withdrew: January 25, 1976404 votes The surprise winner of the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination was Jimmy Carter, a former state senator and governor of Georgia. When the primaries began, Carter was little-known at the national level, and many political pundits regarded a number of better-known candidates, such as Senator Henry M. Jackson from Washington, Representative Morris Udall from Arizona, Governor George Wallace of Alabama, and California Governor Jerry Brown, as the favorites for the nomination. However, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Carter realized that his status as a Washington outsider, political centrist, and moderate reformer could give him an advantage over his better-known establishment rivals. Carter also took advantage of the record number of state primaries and caucuses in 1976 to eliminate his better-known rivals one-by-one. Henry M. Jackson made a fateful decision not to compete in the early Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, which Jimmy Carter won after liberals split their votes among four other candidates. Though Jackson went on to win the Massachusetts and New York primaries, he was forced to quit the race on May 1, after losing the critical Pennsylvania primary to Carter by twelve percentage points. Carter then defeated Governor Wallace, his main conservative challenger, by a wide margin in the North Carolina primary, forcing Wallace to end his campaign. Representative Udall, a liberal, then became Carter's main challenger. He finished second to Carter in the New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New York, Michigan, South Dakota, and Ohio primaries, and won the caucuses in his home state of Arizona, while running even with Carter in the New Mexico caucuses. However, the fact that Udall finished second to Carter in most of these races meant that Carter steadily accumulated more delegates for the nomination than Udall did. As Carter closed in on the nomination, an "ABC" ("Anybody But Carter") movement started among Northern and Western liberal Democrats who worried that Carter's Southern upbringing would make him too conservative for the Democratic Party. The leaders of the "ABC" movement, Idaho Senator Frank Church and California Governor Jerry Brown, both announced their candidacies for the Democratic nomination, and defeated Carter in several late primaries. However, their campaigns started too late to prevent Carter from gathering the remaining delegates he needed to capture the nomination. By June 1976, Carter had captured more than enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination. At the 1976 Democratic National Convention, Carter easily won the nomination on the first ballot; Udall finished in second place. Carter then chose Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale, a liberal, as his running mate. Republican Party 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries 65px|center|link=Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party (United States)1976 Republican Party ticket white Gerald Ford white Bob Dolefor Presidentfor Vice President center|200x200px center|200x200px38thPresident of the United States(1974–1977)U.S. Senatorfrom Kansas(1969–1996)Campaigncenter|200x200px Candidates in this section are sorted by date of withdrawal from the nomination raceRonald Reagancenter|120x120pxGovernor of California(1967–1975)center|120x120pxCampaignLN Lost Nomination: August 19, 19764,760,222 votes The contest for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 1976 was between two serious candidates: incumbent president Gerald Ford, a member of the party's moderate wing, and former governor of California Ronald Reagan, a member of the party's conservative wing. The presidential primary campaign between the two men was hard-fought and relatively even; by the start of the Republican Convention in August 1976, the race for the nomination was still too close to call. Ford defeated Reagan by a narrow margin on the first ballot at the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, and chose Senator Bob Dole from Kansas as his running mate in the place of incumbent vice president Nelson Rockefeller, who had announced the previous year that he was not interested in being considered for the vice presidential nomination.http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/exhibits/campaign/005601360-001.pdf https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/exhibits/campaign/005601360-001.pdf 2022-10-09 live The President and the Vice President have a complete understanding between them regarding the Vice President's decision. The letter speaks for itself. The initiative was the Vice President's Fordlibrarymuseum.gov 2016-03-04 The 1976 Republican Convention was the last political convention to open with the presidential nomination still being undecided until the actual balloting at the convention. Others Roger MacBride, who had gained fame in the 1972 election as a faithless elector, ran as the nominee of the Libertarian Party. Eugene McCarthy, a former Democratic Senator from Minnesota, ran as an independent candidate. Ben Bubar, Prohibition Party nominee. Frank Zeidler, former mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ran as the nominee of Socialist Party USA, which was founded in 1973 in a split with Socialist Party of America. Gus Hall, four-time Communist Party candidatehttps://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1976&minper=0&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1976 Presidential General Election Results uselectionatlas.org July 24, 2018 July 15, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180715210741/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1976&minper=0&f=0&off=0&elect=0 live Lester Maddox, the former Democratic Governor of Georgia (and Lieutenant Governor under Carter), ran as the nominee of the American Independent Party General election Polling aggregation The following graph depicts the standing of each candidate in the poll aggregators from January 1976 to Election Day. thumb|800px|center| 18em #3333ff solid 5px Jimmy Carter #e81b23 solid 5px Gerald Ford #FFD700 solid 5px Eugene McCarthy Polling Nationwide opinion polling for the 1976 United States presidential election Poll source Date(s)administered JimmyCarter (D) GeraldFord (R) EugeneMcCarthy (I) Other Undecided Margin Election ResultsNovember 2, 197650.08% 48.02% 0.91% 0.99% — 2.06 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/204975333 Survey: Carter Clings To One-Point Lead Iowa City Press-Citizen May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525035224/https://www.newspapers.com/image/204975333 live October 29–31, 1976 46% 45% 3% 1% 5% 1 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 878October 28–30, 1976 46% 47% 2% 1% 4% 1 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/90065413 Harris Survey: Carter's Lead Shrinks To 45-44% Pittsburgh Post-GazetteOctober 23–26, 1976 45% 44% 4% — 7% 1 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 893October 22–25, 1976 49% 44% 2% 1% 4% 5 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/255801961 Carter's Leading Ford, But... The Ithaca Journal May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525034418/https://www.newspapers.com/image/255801961 live October 19–22, 1976 45% 42% 5% 1% 7% 3 GallupOctober 15–18, 1976 47% 41% 2% 2% 8% 6 GallupOctober 8–11, 1976 48% 42% 2% 2% 6% 6 HarrisOctober 7–11, 1976 44% 40% 6% 1% 9% 4 47% 42% — — 11% 5 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 877Sep. 27-Oct. 4, 1976 47% 45% 1% 1% 6% 2 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 864September 24–27, 1976 51% 40% 4% 1% 4% 11 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/687128933 Carter Ahead, But Ford Gaining Lexington Herald-Leader May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525031037/https://www.newspapers.com/image/687128933 live September 24–25, 1976 46% 39% 5% 1% 9% 7 50% 41% — — 9% 9 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 851August 27–30, 1976 54% 36% — 2% 8% 18 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 850August 20–23, 1976 50% 37% — — 13% 13 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/383986096 McCarthy Cuts Into Carter's Lead Asbury Park Press May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525031024/https://www.newspapers.com/image/383986096 live August 18–20, 1976 53% 39% 6% — 2% 14 August 16–19: Republican National Convention GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 815August 6–9, 1976 54% 32% 6% 1% 8% 22 57% 32% — 3% 8% 25 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/383925511 Ford, But Not Reagan, Moving Up On Carter Chicago TribuneJul. 31-Aug. 4, 1976 61% 32% — — 7% 29 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/145739361 Carter Lead Over Ford Isn't Really That Huge Asbury Park Press May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525022103/https://www.newspapers.com/image/145739361 live July 16–19, 1976 62% 27% 5% — 6% 35 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 801July 16–19, 1976 62% 29% — — 9% 33 July 12–15: Democratic National Convention GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 795June 25–28, 1976 53% 36% — — 11% 17 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 774June 11–14, 1976 55% 37% — 3% 5% 18 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/254077712 Carter's Well Ahead Of Both GOP Foes Muncie Evening Press May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525020457/https://www.newspapers.com/image/254077712 live June 9–14, 1976 53% 40% — — 7% 13 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 758Apr. 30-May 3, 1976 52% 43% — — 5% 9 HarrisApril 9–15, 1976 47% 43% — — 10% 4 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 745April 9–12, 1976 49% 43% — 2% 6% 6 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 677March 26–29, 1976 47% 46% — 2% 5% 1 GallupGallup George George Gallup 1978 The 1972-1977 Gallup Poll Public Opinion, Volume II 674March 19–22, 1976 48% 46% — — 6% 2 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/398874539 Two Democrats Ahead Of Ford The Atlanta Constitution May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525012652/https://www.newspapers.com/image/398874539 live March 13–22, 1976 42% 49% — — 9% 7 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/382391624 Key Groups Giving Slip To Reagan Chicago TribuneLate January, 1976 37% 48% — — 15% 11 Harrishttps://www.newspapers.com/image/382129499 Democrats Edge Ford, Reagan Chicago Tribune May 25, 2024 May 25, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240525000752/https://www.newspapers.com/image/382129499 live January 5–14, 1976 36% 49% — — 15% 13 Fall campaign thumb|Former Governor Jimmy Carter (left) and President Gerald Ford (right) at the presidential debate at Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia on September 23, 1976 One of the advantages Ford held over Carter as the general election campaign began was his presidential privilege to preside over events celebrating the United States Bicentennial; this often resulted in favorable publicity for Ford. These included the Washington, D. C., fireworks display on the Fourth of July, which was televised nationally.http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/1976.asp Election of 1976: A Political Outsider Prevails. unfit https://web.archive.org/web/20030802173440/http://www.c-span.org/classroom/govt/1976.asp August 2, 2003 August 2, 2003 C-SPAN. Retrieved on June 20, 2012. On July 7, 1976, the President and First Lady served as hosts at a White House state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of the United Kingdom, which was televised on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network. These events were part of Ford's "Rose Garden" strategy to win the election, meaning that instead of appearing as a typical politician, Ford presented himself as a "tested leader" who was busily fulfilling the role of national leader and chief executive. Not until October did Ford leave the White House to actively campaign across the nation. September 2023 Carter ran as a reformer who was "untainted" by Washington political scandals,http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1976 Commercials - 1976 - Essence 1974-08-09 The Living Room Candidate dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120825102042/http://www.mit.edu/~mi22295/elections.html#1976 August 25, 2012 2016-03-04 which many voters found attractive in the wake of the Watergate scandal that had led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. Ford, although personally unconnected with Watergate, was seen by many as too close to the discredited Nixon administration, especially after he granted Nixon a presidential pardon for any crimes he might have committed during his term of office. Ford's pardon of Nixon caused his popularity, as measured by public opinion polls, to plummet. Ford's refusal to explain his reasons for pardoning Nixon publicly (he would do so in his memoirs several years later), also hurt his image. September 2023 Ford unsuccessfully asked Congress to end the 1950s-era price controls on natural gas, which had caused a dwindling of American natural gas reserves after the 1973 oil crisis.https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/321 How We Got Here: The '70s Frum David Basic Books 2000 0-465-04195-7 New York, New York 321–322 David Frum registration Carter stated during his campaign that he opposed the ending of the price controls and thought such a move would be "disastrous".How We Got Here: The '70s Frum David David Frum 2000 Basic Books New York, New York 0-465-04195-7 321–322 https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/321 registration After the Democratic National Convention, Carter held a 33-point lead over Ford in the polls.https://news.gallup.com/poll/23995/Gerald-Ford-Retrospective.aspx Gerald Ford Retrospective 2006-12-29 Gallup en-us 2019-10-06 May 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210521142231/https://news.gallup.com/poll/23995/Gerald-Ford-Retrospective.aspx live However, as the campaign continued, the race greatly tightened. During the campaign Playboy magazine published a controversial interview with Carter; in the interview, Carter admitted to having "lusted in my heart" for women other than his wife and used the word "screw," which cut into his support among women and evangelical Christians.https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467115414 https://web.archive.org/web/20170502220212/https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467115414 dead Jimmy Carter in Plains May 2, 2017 Arcadia Publishing On September 23, Ford performed well in what was the first televised presidential debate since 1960. Polls taken after the debate showed that most viewers felt that Ford was the winner. Carter was also hurt by Ford's charges that he lacked the necessary experience to be an effective national leader and that he was vague on many issues. September 2023 right|thumb|250px|Carter campaign headquarters However, Ford also committed a costly blunder in the campaign that halted his momentum. During the second presidential debate on October 6, Ford stumbled when he asserted that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration". He added that he did not "believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union", and made the same claim with regard to Yugoslavia and Romania (Yugoslavia was not a Warsaw Pact member).https://www.pbs.org/newshour/spc/debatingourdestiny/1976.html Debating Our Destiny: The Second 1976 Presidential Debate – October 6, 1976 October 6, 1976 Pbs.org January 30, 2016 December 27, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151227014437/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/spc/debatingourdestiny/1976.html live Ford refused to retract his statement for almost a week after the debate, causing his surge in the polls to stall and allowing Carter to maintain a slight lead in the polls. September 2023 A vice-presidential debate, the first formal one of its kind,http://www.janda.org/politxts/Presidential%20debates/debates.76/vp-76.html The First VP Debate: Dole-Mondale, 10-15-76 1976-10-15 Janda.org 2016-03-04 March 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230815/http://janda.org/politxts/Presidential%20debates/debates.76/vp-76.html live between Bob Dole and Walter Mondale also hurt the Republican ticket when Dole asserted that military unpreparedness on the part of Democratic presidents was responsible for all of the wars the U.S. had fought in the 20th century. Dole, a World War II veteran, noted that in every 20th-century war, from World War I to the Vietnam War, a Democrat had been president. Dole then pointed out that the number of U.S. casualties in "Democrat wars" was roughly equal to the population of Detroit. Many voters felt that Dole's criticism was unfairly harsh, and that his dispassionate delivery made him seem cold. Years later, Dole would remark that he regretted the comment, believing that it had hurt the Republican ticket.Bob Dole interview, November 10, 1999. PBS.org. One factor that did help Ford in the closing days of the campaign was a series of popular television appearances he did with Joe Garagiola, a retired baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and a well-known announcer for NBC Sports. Garagiola and Ford appeared in a number of shows in several large cities. During the show, Garagiola would ask Ford questions about his life and beliefs; the shows were so informal, relaxed, and laid-back that some television critics labelled them the "Joe and Jerry Show". Ford and Garagiola obviously enjoyed one another's company, and they remained friends after the election was over. September 2023 Presidential debates 1976 United States presidential debates There were three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate during the 1976 general election.https://www.debates.org/index.php?page=1976-debates CPD: 1976 Debates debates.org 2019-01-08http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/debates/history/1976/index.shtml 1976 Debates Overview CNN AllPolitics 1996 April 24, 2019 August 17, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180817072829/http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/debates/history/1976/index.shtml live +Debates among candidates for the 1976 U.S. presidential electionNo.DateHostCityModeratorPanelistsParticipantsViewership(Millions)P1Thursday, September 23Walnut Street TheatrePhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaEdwin NewmanElizabeth DrewJames P. GannonFrank ReynoldsGov. Jimmy CarterPres. Gerald Ford69.7P2Wednesday, October 6Palace of Fine ArtsSan Francisco, CaliforniaPauline FrederickMax FrankelHenry TrewhittRichard ValerianiGov. Jimmy CarterPres. Gerald Ford63.9VPFriday, October 15Alley TheatreHouston, TexasJames HogeMarilyn BergerHal BrunoWalter MearsSen. Bob DoleSen. Walter Mondale43.2P3Friday, October 22Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hallhttps://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/diary/pdd761022.pdf https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/diary/pdd761022.pdf 2022-10-09 live The Daily Diary of President Gerald R. Ford - October 22, 1976 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum April 24, 2019Williamsburg, VirginiaBarbara WaltersJoseph KraftRobert MaynardJack NelsonGov. Jimmy CarterPres. Gerald Ford62.7 Results thumb|Jimmy Carter and Richard J. Daley at Illinois Democratic Convention in Chicago, 1976 Despite his campaign's blunders, President Ford managed to close the remaining gap in the polls, and by election day, the race was judged to be even. It took most of that night and the following morning to determine the winner. It was not until 3:30 am EST that NBC was able to declare that Carter had carried Mississippi and had thus accumulated more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Seconds later, ABC also declared Carter the winner, based on projections for Carter in Wisconsin and Hawaii, while CBS announced Carter's victory at 3:45 am.Jules Witcover. Marathon: The Pursuit of the Presidency, 1972–1976 (New York: Viking), p. 11. Carter defeated Ford by two percentage points in the national popular vote. The electoral vote was the closest since 1916; Carter carried 23 states, with 297 electoral votes, while Ford won 27 states, with 240 electoral votes (one elector, future state Senator Mike Padden from Washington state, pledged to Ford, voted for ReaganCamden Jim Electoral College wasn't done deal in 1976. Will it be in 2016? https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/dec/17/electoral-college-wasnt-done-deal-in-1976-will-it-/ 14 November 2021 The Spokesman-Review 17 December 2016 May 24, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210524100133/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/dec/17/electoral-college-wasnt-done-deal-in-1976-will-it-/ live ). Carter's victory came primarily from his near-sweep of the South (he lost only Virginia and Oklahoma), and his narrow victories in large Northern states such as New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Ford did well in the West, carrying every state in that region, except for Hawaii. The most tightly contested state in the election was Oregon, which Ford won by under 2,000 votes. By percentage of the vote, the states that secured Carter's victory were Wisconsin (1.68% margin) and Ohio (.27% margin). Had Ford won these states and all other states he carried, he would have won the presidency. The 27 states he won were, and still are, the most states ever carried by a losing candidate for president. Had Ford won the election, the provisions of the 22nd Amendment would have disqualified him from running again, as he served more than two years of Nixon's second term. Records Carter became the first non-incumbent president representing a Southern state to be elected since Zachary Taylor in 1848. As of 2024, this is the last election in which the Democratic ticket won the majority of states in the South or the states of Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas (mainly due to Carter's southern roots), as well as the most recent election in which the losing candidate carried more states than the winning candidate. As a result of his loss, Ford became the most recent person to serve as president without ever being elected to the office, and the first since Chester A. Arthur to do so. Both major-party vice-presidential nominees would later unsuccessfully run for President: Walter Mondale (Democratic) in 1984 and Bob Dole (Republican) in 1996. Carter was the first Democratic presidential nominee since John F. Kennedy in 1960 to carry states in the Deep South (Bill Clinton was the only Democrat since 1976 to carry more than one state from the Deep South, doing so in 1992), and the only one since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 to carry a majority of all southern states. Carter performed very strongly in his home state of Georgia, carrying 66.7% of the vote and every county in the state. His winning of 23 states was only the second time in history that the winner of the election won fewer than half the states (after 1960). His 50.1% of the vote was the only time since 1964 that a Democrat managed to obtain an absolute majority of the popular vote in a presidential election until Barack Obama won 52.9% of the vote in 2008. Carter is one of six Democrats since the American Civil War to obtain an absolute majority of the popular vote, the others being Samuel J. Tilden, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. This election represents the last time to date that Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina would vote Democratic, and the last time North Carolina would vote Democratic until 2008, as well as the last time Florida voted Democratic until 1996, and the last time Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee voted Democratic until 1992.Sullivan, Robert David; "How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century" https://web.archive.org/web/20161116163625/http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century November 16, 2016 ; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 This election was the last time that a Democrat won the presidency without winning a number of modern blue states and swing states, specifically California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. In the case of all of these states plus Iowa, this is the most recent election where all of these states were won by the Republican candidate the same time the Democratic candidate won the modern swing state of North Carolina and modern red states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, and in the case of Oregon and Washington, the last time the Republican candidate carried these states while losing Massachusetts, New York and Wisconsin; all 5 of these states except Wisconsin in 2016 and 2024 have stayed in the Democratic column from 1988 onward. This is the only time a Democrat has won without New Mexico, as well as one of only two times it voted for a candidate who lost the popular vote, in addition to 2024. Similarly, it is one of only three instances in which a Democrat won without Nevada (the others being the two elections of Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1892). The Democrats did not win without Iowa again until 2020. This was the last time a winning Democrat won both Georgia and Florida. All future Democratic presidents won one of the two, but not both simultaneously. It was the first time in exactly 100 years when Florida and Virginia supported different candidates, and the first time since Oklahoma statehood in 1907 when Oklahoma and Tennessee did so. It was also the most recent election in which a losing Republican candidate carried any states in the Northeast. As Carter won 319 more counties than Ford, this election would mark the last time a Democrat won a majority of counties. This was the first election since 1916 in which the winning candidate won fewer than 300 electoral votes; this would not happen again until 2000. Carter also remains the last Democrat to win a presidential election while winning fewer than 300 electoral votes. This election was the last time until 2024 in which the popular vote margin in all 50 states and the District of Columbia swung in the same direction from the previous election, and the most recent in which they all swung Democratic.Skelley Geoffrey December 10, 2024 America's swing to the right in 2024 was wide, if not always deep https://abcnews.go.com/538/americas-swing-2024-wide-deep/story?id=116639076 https://web.archive.org/web/20241210221226/https://abcnews.go.com/538/americas-swing-2024-wide-deep/story?id=116639076 dead December 10, 2024 2024-12-11 ABC News en This is the last election in which an incumbent president ran with a running mate who was not the incumbent vice president. This is the only election in which all four major presidential and vice presidential candidates would at some point be their party's nominee for president and lose. In addition to Ford losing this election, Carter would lose reelection to Reagan in 1980, Mondale would lose to President Reagan in 1984, and Dole would lose to President Bill Clinton in 1996. National Jimmy Carter Democratic Georgia 40,831,881 50.08% 297 Walter Mondale Minnesota Gerald Ford (incumbent) Republican Michigan 2 39,148,634 48.02% 240 Bob Dole Kansas 241 Ronald Reagan Republican California Nelson Rockefeller New York —"Mike" Mike Padden, a Republican faithless elector from Washington, gave Ronald Reagan one electoral vote. —"Mike" 1 Eugene McCarthy None Minnesota 744,763 0.91% 0 "Running" The running mate of McCarthy varied from state to state. "Running" Roger MacBride Libertarian Virginia 172,557 0.21% 0 David Bergland California Lester Maddox American Independent Georgia 170,373 0.21% 0 William Dyke Wisconsin Thomas J. Anderson American Research has not yet determined whether Anderson's home state was Tennessee or Texas at the time of the 1976 election. 158,724 0.19% 0 Rufus Shackelford Florida Peter Camejo Socialist Workers California 90,986 0.11% 0 Willie Mae Reid Illinois Gus Hall Communist New York 58,709 0.07% 0 Jarvis Tyner New York Margaret Wright People's California 49,016 0.06% 0 Benjamin Spock Connecticut Lyndon LaRouche U.S. Labor New York 40,018 0.05% 0 R. Wayne Evans Michigan 75,119 0.09% 81,540,780 538 270 Source (Popular Vote): 1976 August 7, 2005 Source (Electoral Vote): 1976 August 7, 2005 Popular vote 600px 410px Carter Democratic Party (US) 50.08 Ford Republican Party (US) 48.02 McCarthy Independent (US) 0.91 Others #777777 0.57 Electoral vote 600px 410px Carter Democratic Party (US) 55.20 Ford Republican Party (US) 44.61 Reagan Republican Party (US) 0.19 650px|thumb|left Results by state Source:http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/data.php?year=1976&datatype=national&def=1&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1976 Presidential General Election Data - National March 18, 2013 August 14, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200814021625/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/data.php?year=1976&datatype=national&def=1&f=0&off=0&elect=0 live This election represents the second time that the winning candidate has received a majority of the electoral votes while the second-place candidate carried a majority of the states. It had previously happened in the 1960 election. The "margin" column shows the difference between the two leading candidates, and the "swing" column shows the margin swing from the respective party's nominee from 1972 to 1976. + Legend States/districts won by Ford/Dole States/districts won by Carter/Mondale † At-large results (Maine used the Congressional District Method) Jimmy CarterDemocratic Gerald FordRepublican Eugene McCarthyIndependent Roger MacBrideLibertarian Margin MarginSwingPercentage point difference in margin from the 1972 election State Total State electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % electoralvotes # % % # Alabama 9 659,170 55.73 9 504,070 42.61 — — — — 1,481 0.13 — 155,100 13.11 60.00 1,182,850 AL Alaska 3 44,058 35.65 — 71,555 57.90 3 — — — 6,785 5.49 — −27,497 −22.25 1.26 123,574 AK Arizona 6 295,602 39.80 — 418,642 56.37 6 19,229 2.59 — 7,647 1.03 — −123,040 −16.57 14.69 742,719 AZ Arkansas 6 499,614 64.94 6 268,753 34.93 — 647 0.08 — — — — 230,861 30.01 68.12 769,396 AR California 45 3,742,284 47.57 — 3,882,244 49.35 45 58,412 0.74 — 56,388 0.72 — −139,960 −1.78 11.68 7,867,117 CA Colorado 7 460,353 42.58 — 584,367 54.05 7 26,107 2.41 — 5,330 0.49 — −124,014 −11.47 16.54 1,081,135 CO Connecticut 8 647,895 46.90 — 719,261 52.06 8 — — — — — — −71,366 −5.17 13.27 1,381,526 CT Delaware 3 122,596 51.98 3 109,831 46.57 — 2,437 1.03 — — — — 12,765 5.41 25.82 235,834 DE D.C. 3 137,818 81.63 3 27,873 16.51 — — — — 274 0.16 — 109,945 65.12 8.58 168,830 DC Florida 17 1,636,000 51.93 17 1,469,531 46.64 — 23,643 0.75 — 103 0.00 — 166,469 5.28 49.40 3,150,631 FL Georgia 12 979,409 66.74 12 483,743 32.96 — 991 0.07 — 175 0.01 — 495,666 33.78 84.17 1,467,458 GA Hawaii 4 147,375 50.59 4 140,003 48.06 — — — — 3,923 1.35 — 7,372 2.53 27.49 291,301 HI Idaho 4 126,549 37.12 — 204,151 59.88 4 — — — 3,558 1.04 — −77,602 −22.76 15.44 340,932 ID Illinois 26 2,271,295 48.13 — 2,364,269 50.10 26 55,939 1.19 — 8,057 0.17 — −92,974 −1.97 16.55 4,718,833 IL Indiana 13 1,014,714 45.70 — 1,183,958 53.32 13 — — — — — — −169,244 −7.62 25.15 2,220,362 IN Iowa 8 619,931 48.46 — 632,863 49.47 8 20,051 1.57 — 1,452 0.11 — −12,932 −1.01 16.12 1,279,306 IA Kansas 7 430,421 44.94 — 502,752 52.49 7 13,185 1.38 — 3,242 0.34 — −72,331 −7.55 30.60 957,845 KS Kentucky 9 615,717 52.75 9 531,852 45.57 — 6,837 0.59 — 814 0.07 — 83,865 7.19 35.79 1,167,142 KY Louisiana 10 661,365 51.73 10 587,446 45.95 — 6,588 0.52 — 3,325 0.26 — 73,919 5.78 42.75 1,278,439 LA Maine † 2 232,289 48.07 — 236,320 48.91 2 10,874 2.25 — 10 0.00 — −4,041 −0.84 22.14 483,208 MEMaine-1 1 123,598 47.90 – 127,019 49.22 1 6,025 2.33 – – – – −3,421 −1.32 21.53 258,041 ME1Maine-2 1 108,681 48.27 – 109,301 48.54 1 4,849 2.15 – – – – −620 −0.27 22.90 225,167 ME2 Maryland 10 759,612 53.04 10 672,661 46.96 — — — — — — — 86,951 6.07 29.97 1,432,273 MD Massachusetts 14 1,429,475 56.11 14 1,030,276 40.44 — 65,637 2.58 — 135 0.01 — 399,199 15.67 6.70 2,547,557 MA Michigan 21 1,696,714 46.44 — 1,893,742 51.83 21 47,905 1.31 — 5,406 0.15 — −197,028 −5.39 9.00 3,653,749 MI Minnesota 10 1,070,440 54.90 10 819,395 42.02 — 35,490 1.82 — 3,529 0.18 — 251,045 12.87 18.38 1,949,931 MN Mississippi 7 381,309 49.56 7 366,846 47.68 — 4,074 0.53 — 2,787 0.36 — 14,463 1.88 60.45 769,360 MS Missouri 12 998,387 51.10 12 927,443 47.47 — 24,029 1.23 — — — — 70,944 3.63 28.22 1,953,600 MO Montana 4 149,259 45.40 — 173,703 52.84 4 — — — — — — −24,444 −7.44 12.64 328,734 MT Nebraska 5 233,692 38.46 — 359,705 59.19 5 9,409 1.55 — 1,482 0.24 — −126,013 −20.74 20.26 607,668 NE Nevada 3 92,479 45.81 — 101,273 50.17 3 — — — 1,519 0.75 — −8,794 −4.36 23.00 201,876 NV New Hampshire 4 147,635 43.47 — 185,935 54.75 4 4,095 1.21 — 936 0.28 — −38,300 −11.28 17.84 339,618 NH New Jersey 17 1,444,653 47.92 — 1,509,688 50.08 17 32,717 1.09 — 9,449 0.31 — −65,035 −2.16 22.64 3,014,472 NJ New Mexico 4 201,148 48.28 — 211,419 50.75 4 — — — 1,110 0.27 — −10,271 −2.47 22.02 416,590 NM New York 41 3,389,558 51.95 41 3,100,791 47.52 — 4,303 0.07 — 12,197 0.19 — 288,767 4.43 21.77 6,525,225 NY North Carolina 13 927,365 55.27 13 741,960 44.22 — — — — 2,219 0.13 — 185,405 11.05 51.63 1,677,906 NC North Dakota 3 136,078 45.80 — 153,470 51.66 3 2,952 0.99 — 256 0.09 — −17,392 −5.85 20.43 297,094 ND Ohio 25 2,011,621 48.92 25 2,000,505 48.65 — 58,258 1.42 — 8,961 0.22 — 11,116 0.27 21.87 4,111,873 OH Oklahoma 8 532,442 48.75 — 545,708 49.96 8 14,101 1.29 — — — — −13,266 −1.21 48.49 1,092,251 OK Oregon 6 490,407 47.62 — 492,120 47.78 6 40,207 3.90 — — — — −1,713 −0.17 9.95 1,029,876 OR Pennsylvania 27 2,328,677 50.40 27 2,205,604 47.73 — 50,584 1.09 — — — — 123,073 2.66 22.64 4,620,787 PA Rhode Island 4 227,636 55.36 4 181,249 44.08 — 479 0.12 — 715 0.17 — 46,387 11.28 17.47 411,170 RI South Carolina 8 450,825 56.17 8 346,140 43.13 — — — — — — — 104,685 13.04 55.70 802,594 SC South Dakota 4 147,068 48.91 — 151,505 50.39 4 — — — 1,619 0.54 — −4,437 −1.48 7.15 300,678 SD Tennessee 10 825,879 55.94 10 633,969 42.94 — 5,004 0.34 — 1,375 0.09 — 191,910 13.00 50.95 1,476,346 TN Texas 26 2,082,319 51.14 26 1,953,300 47.97 — 20,118 0.49 — 263 0.01 — 129,019 3.17 36.13 4,071,884 TX Utah 4 182,110 33.65 — 337,908 62.44 4 3,907 0.72 — 2,438 0.45 — −155,798 −28.79 12.46 541,198 UT Vermont 3 81,044 43.14 — 102,085 54.34 3 4,001 2.13 — 4 0.00 — −21,041 −11.20 15.00 187,855 VT Virginia 12 813,896 47.96 — 836,554 49.29 12 — — — 4,648 0.27 — −22,658 −1.34 36.38 1,697,094 VA Washington 9 717,323 46.11 — 777,732 50.00 8 36,986 2.38 — 5,042 0.32 — −60,409 −3.88 14.40 1,555,534 WA West Virginia 6 435,914 58.07 6 314,760 41.93 — — — — — — — 121,154 16.14 43.36 750,674 WV Wisconsin 11 1,040,232 49.50 11 1,004,987 47.83 — 34,943 1.66 — 3,814 0.18 — 35,245 1.68 11.35 2,101,336 WI Wyoming 3 62,239 39.81 — 92,717 59.30 3 624 0.40 — 89 0.06 — −30,478 −19.49 19.05 156,343 WY TOTALS: 538 40,831,881 50.08 297 39,148,634 48.02 240 740,460 0.91 — 172,557 0.21 — 1,683,247 2.06 25.21 81,531,584 US Maine allowed its electoral votes to be split between candidates. Two electoral votes were awarded to the winner of the statewide race and one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district. Ford won all four votes.Barone Michael Matthews Douglas Ujifusa Grant The Almanac of American Politics, 1978 1977 E. P. Dutton States that flipped from Republican to Democratic Alabama Arkansas Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Missouri New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas West Virginia Wisconsin Close states right|thumb|Gerald Ford (right) watching election returns with Joe Garagiola on election night in 1976. Garagiola is reacting to television reports that Ford had just been projected as having lost Texas to Carter. thumb|A campaign button from election eve where Carter and Mondale spent the evening in Flint Michigan at a rally It is notable as only a handful of counties in Michigan went to Carter in 1976, and no surrounding counties where Carter held the rally went to him. thumb|A Ford-Dole campaign button. States and electoral votes where margin of victory was under 1% (34 electoral votes): Oregon, 0.16% (1,713 votes) Ohio, 0.27% (11,116 votes) Maine's 2nd congressional district, 0.28% (620 votes) Maine, 0.84% (4,041 votes) States where margin of victory was 1% to 5% (265 electoral votes): Iowa, 1.01% (12,932 votes) Oklahoma, 1.21% (13,266 votes) Virginia, 1.34% (22,658 votes) Maine's 1st congressional district, 1.36% (3,421 votes) South Dakota, 1.48% (4,437 votes) Wisconsin, 1.68% (35,245 votes) (tipping point state) California, 1.78% (139,960 votes) Mississippi, 1.88% (14,463 votes) Illinois, 1.97% (92,974 votes) New Jersey, 2.16% (65,035 votes) New Mexico, 2.47% (10,271 votes) Hawaii, 2.53% (7,372 votes) Pennsylvania, 2.66% (123,073 votes) Texas, 3.17% (129,019 votes) Missouri, 3.63% (70,944 votes) Washington, 3.88% (60,409 votes) Nevada, 4.36% (8,794 votes) New York, 4.43% (288,767 votes) States where margin of victory was 5% to 10% (105 electoral votes): Connecticut, 5.16% (71,366 votes) Florida, 5.29% (166,469 votes) Michigan, 5.39% (197,028 votes) Delaware, 5.41% (12,765 votes) Louisiana, 5.78% (73,919 votes) North Dakota, 5.86% (17,392 votes) Maryland, 6.08% (86,951 votes) Kentucky, 7.18% (83,865 votes) Montana, 7.44% (24,444 votes) Kansas, 7.55% (72,331 votes) Indiana, 7.62% (169,244 votes) Statistics Counties with Highest Percent of Vote (Democratic) Banks County, Georgia 87.85% Starr County, Texas 87.25% Brantley County, Georgia 86.50% Duval County, Texas 86.36% Wilcox County, Georgia 86.15% Counties with Highest Percent of Vote (Republican) Jackson County, Kentucky 79.80% Owsley County, Kentucky 77.03% Hooker County, Nebraska 76.35% Ottawa County, Michigan 74.12% Arthur County, Nebraska 73.66% Voter demographics With voters 30 years of age or older (born in 1946 or earlier) estimated by the exit poll to comprise 69% of the electorate, the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation constituted the majority of the voting public.https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/how-groups-voted-1976 How Groups Voted in 1976 ropercenter.cornell.edu September 10, 2025The last year of the Lost Generation is conventionally defined as 1900, and life expectancy in the United States in 1976 was approximately 73 years.Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1978 1978 99 Statistical Abstract of the United States U.S. Census Bureau 69 https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1978/compendia/statab/99ed/1978-02.pdf September 12, 2025 Social groups and the presidential vote, 1976CarterFord Size"Size" = share of 1976 national total.Party Democratic 77 22 43 Independent 43 54 23 Republican 9 90 28Ideology Liberal 70 26 18 Moderate 51 48 51 Conservative 29 69 31Ethnicity Black 82 16 10 Hispanic 74 24 2 White 47 51 88Gender Female 50 48 48 Male 50 48 52Religion Protestant 44 55 46 White Protestant 42 57 41 Catholic 54 44 25 Jewish 64 34 5Family income Less than US$10,000 58 40 13 $10,000–$14,999 55 43 15 $15,000–$24,999 48 50 29 $25,000–$50,000 36 62 24 Over $50,000 — — 5Occupation Professional or manager 41 57 39 Clerical, sales, white-collar 46 53 11 Blue-collar 57 41 17 Farmer — — 3 Unemployed 65 34 3Education Less than high school 58 39 11 High school graduate 54 44 28 Some college 50 49 28 College graduate 43 55 27Union membership Labor union household 59 39 28 No member of household in union 43 55 62Age 18–21 years old 48 49 6 22–29 years old 51 46 17 30–44 years old 49 49 31 45–59 years old 48 51 23 60 years or older 47 52 18Region East 51 47 25 South 54 45 27 Midwest 48 50 27 West 46 51 19Community size City over 250,000 58 40 18 Suburb/small city 51 47 53 Rural/town 47 51 29 Source: CBS News/New York Times interviews with 12,782 voters as they left the polls, as reported in The New York Times, November 9, 1980, p. 28, and in further analysis. The 1976 data are from CBS News interviews. A See also Presidency of Jimmy Carter History of the United States (1964–1980) 1976 United States House of Representatives elections 1976 United States Senate elections 1976 United States gubernatorial elections Inauguration of Jimmy Carter Notes References 30em Further reading Chester, Edward W A guide to political platforms (1977) online Johnstone, Andrew, and Andrew Priest, eds. US Presidential Elections and Foreign Policy: Candidates, Campaigns, and Global Politics from FDR to Bill Clinton (2017) pp 229–249. online Malcolm D. MacDougall Mal MacDougall 1977 We Almost Made It New York Crown 0-517-52933-5 https://archive.org/details/wealmostmadeit00macd registration 978-0807170793 Jimmy Carter and the Birth of the Marathon Media Campaign Roessner Amber 2020 Louisiana State University Press Baton Rouge, LA Shirley Craig Craig Shirley Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All 2005 Thomas Nelson Nashville, Tennessee 0-7852-6049-8 https://archive.org/details/reagansrevolutio0000shir registration Williams, Daniel K. The Election of the Evangelical: Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and the Presidential Contest of 1976 (University Press of Kansas, 2020) online review External links The Election Wall's 1976 Election Video Page 1976 popular vote by counties 1976 popular vote by states (with bar graphs) Campaign commercials from the 1976 election Election of 1976 in Counting the Votes https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102729/http://www.countingthevotes.com/1976/ March 4, 2016 1976 Category:Jimmy Carter Category:Gerald Ford Category:Walter Mondale Category:Bob Dole Category:November 1976 in the United States