1976_United_States_presidential_election_in_North_Carolina
The 1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 2, 1976, and was part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Main article: 1976 United States presidential election
Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...
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County Results
Congressional District Results
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51% of white voters supported Ford while 48% supported Carter.[1][2] As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time a Democrat won North Carolina with a majority of the vote, and the last time that North Carolina would vote Democratic in a presidential election until 2008. This is also the last time a Democrat has won Gaston County, Onslow County, Polk County, Johnston County, Iredell County, Alamance County, Rowan County, Craven County, Burke County, Caldwell County, Lincoln County, Surry County, Rutherford County, Carteret County, Stanly County, Beaufort County, Stokes County, McDowell County, Alexander County, Dare County, Macon County, Transylvania County, Cherokee County, Ashe County, Clay County, and Graham County.[3]
Democratic primary
Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter scored a decisive victory over Alabama Gov. George Wallace in the North Carolina Democratic presidential primary on March 23, 1976, with approximately 53% of the vote to Wallace's 35%. Sen. Scoop Jackson trailed far behind, with approximately 4%.[4] The North Carolina primary was the first in which Carter won an absolute majority and helped seal his ultimate nomination.[5] Wallace, who had won the North Carolina primary in 1972, was all but eliminated from the race by his defeat.[6]
Republican primary
Former California Governor Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent President Ford in the North Carolina Republican presidential primary on March 23, 1976, with approximately 52% of the vote. It was Reagan's first primary victory of 1976, and came about with key support from North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. Reagan's win prolonged the contest for the Republican nomination and paved the way for him to be elected president in 1980. Reagan would go on to narrowly win the state in 1980.[7]
Predictions
More information Source, Rating ...
| Source | Rating | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Atlanta Constitution[8] | Safe D | September 13, 1976 |
| Simpson’s Leader-Times[9] | Tilt D | October 18, 1976 |
| The Chapel Hill News[10] | Tossup | October 24, 1976 |
| Sun Herald[11] | Tilt D | October 25, 1976 |
| Kansas City Times[12] | Tossup | October 26, 1976 |
| Daily News[13] | Lean D | October 27, 1976 |
| Austin American-Statesman[14] | Lean D | October 31, 1976 |
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More information Party, Candidate ...
| 1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina[15] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Jimmy Carter | 927,365 | 55.23% | 13 | |
| Republican | Gerald Ford (incumbent) | 741,960 | 44.19% | 0 | |
| American | Thomas Anderson | 5,607 | 0.33% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Roger MacBride | 2,219 | 0.13% | 0 | |
| Write-in | Eugene McCarthy | 855 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| US Labor | Lyndon LaRouche | 755 | 0.04% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | — | 169 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Write-in | Ronald Reagan | 87 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,677,906 | 100.0% | 13 | ||
| Voter turnout | 54.52% | — | |||
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Results by county
More information County, James Earl Carter Democratic ...
| County | James Earl Carter Democratic |
Gerald Rudolph Ford Republican |
Thomas Jefferson Anderson American |
Roger Lea MacBride Libertarian |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | |
| Robeson | 80.53% | 20,695 | 19.09% | 4,907 | 0.21% | 54 | 0.04% | 9 | 0.13% | 34 | 61.43% | 15,788 |
| Northampton | 80.22% | 5,118 | 19.40% | 1,238 | 0.28% | 18 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.06% | 4 | 60.82% | 3,880 |
| Bladen | 79.18% | 6,009 | 20.37% | 1,546 | 0.34% | 26 | 0.08% | 6 | 0.03% | 2 | 58.81% | 4,463 |
| Columbus | 77.41% | 11,148 | 22.11% | 3,184 | 0.35% | 51 | 0.06% | 9 | 0.06% | 9 | 55.30% | 7,964 |
| Hoke | 77.27% | 3,186 | 22.31% | 920 | 0.19% | 8 | 0.15% | 6 | 0.07% | 3 | 54.96% | 2,266 |
| Gates | 75.66% | 2,291 | 23.84% | 722 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.23% | 7 | 0.13% | 4 | 51.82% | 1,569 |
| Richmond | 75.38% | 8,793 | 24.41% | 2,848 | 0.15% | 17 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.01% | 1 | 50.96% | 5,945 |
| Bertie | 75.27% | 4,117 | 24.35% | 1,332 | 0.24% | 13 | 0.07% | 4 | 0.07% | 4 | 50.91% | 2,785 |
| Anson | 74.65% | 4,796 | 25.03% | 1,608 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.06% | 4 | 0.12% | 8 | 49.62% | 3,188 |
| Hertford | 72.33% | 3,986 | 27.53% | 1,517 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.07% | 4 | 44.80% | 2,469 |
| Martin | 69.74% | 4,518 | 29.81% | 1,931 | 0.32% | 21 | 0.06% | 4 | 0.06% | 4 | 39.94% | 2,587 |
| Scotland | 69.32% | 4,430 | 30.23% | 1,932 | 0.25% | 16 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.16% | 10 | 39.09% | 2,498 |
| Tyrrell | 68.97% | 900 | 30.88% | 403 | 0.15% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 38.08% | 497 |
| Warren | 68.72% | 3,185 | 30.79% | 1,427 | 0.32% | 15 | 0.09% | 4 | 0.09% | 4 | 37.93% | 1,758 |
| Camden | 68.05% | 1,231 | 31.07% | 562 | 0.88% | 16 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 36.98% | 669 |
| Pender | 67.64% | 4,422 | 31.55% | 2,063 | 0.60% | 39 | 0.09% | 6 | 0.12% | 8 | 36.08% | 2,359 |
| Jones | 66.95% | 2,016 | 31.48% | 948 | 1.36% | 41 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.10% | 3 | 35.47% | 1,068 |
| Caswell | 67.54% | 3,707 | 32.08% | 1,761 | 0.35% | 19 | 0.04% | 2 | 0.00% | 0 | 35.45% | 1,946 |
| Currituck | 67.26% | 1,999 | 32.10% | 954 | 0.47% | 14 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.13% | 4 | 35.16% | 1,045 |
| Franklin | 66.75% | 5,405 | 32.48% | 2,630 | 0.54% | 44 | 0.17% | 14 | 0.05% | 4 | 34.27% | 2,775 |
| Brunswick | 66.66% | 7,377 | 32.86% | 3,636 | 0.33% | 36 | 0.14% | 15 | 0.02% | 2 | 33.81% | 3,741 |
| Greene | 66.41% | 2,740 | 32.86% | 1,356 | 0.34% | 14 | 0.22% | 9 | 0.17% | 7 | 33.54% | 1,384 |
| Pamlico | 65.85% | 2,113 | 33.28% | 1,068 | 0.59% | 19 | 0.19% | 6 | 0.09% | 3 | 32.56% | 1,045 |
| Duplin | 65.81% | 7,696 | 33.45% | 3,912 | 0.56% | 66 | 0.10% | 12 | 0.07% | 8 | 32.36% | 3,784 |
| Washington | 65.08% | 2,840 | 34.05% | 1,486 | 0.66% | 29 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.14% | 6 | 31.03% | 1,354 |
| Perquimans | 64.55% | 1,666 | 35.22% | 909 | 0.12% | 3 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.04% | 1 | 29.33% | 757 |
| Chowan | 64.43% | 1,862 | 35.26% | 1,019 | 0.24% | 7 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.03% | 1 | 29.17% | 843 |
| Haywood | 64.20% | 10,692 | 35.33% | 5,885 | 0.28% | 47 | 0.11% | 19 | 0.07% | 12 | 28.86% | 4,807 |
| Cleveland | 63.73% | 14,406 | 35.86% | 8,106 | 0.24% | 55 | 0.07% | 16 | 0.10% | 22 | 27.87% | 6,300 |
| Granville | 63.56% | 5,244 | 35.81% | 2,955 | 0.41% | 34 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.11% | 9 | 27.74% | 2,289 |
| Hyde | 63.10% | 1,084 | 36.26% | 623 | 0.41% | 7 | 0.12% | 2 | 0.12% | 2 | 26.83% | 461 |
| Union | 62.79% | 10,578 | 36.71% | 6,184 | 0.30% | 50 | 0.11% | 18 | 0.10% | 17 | 26.08% | 4,394 |
| Cumberland | 62.79% | 24,297 | 36.77% | 14,226 | 0.22% | 87 | 0.14% | 54 | 0.08% | 30 | 26.03% | 10,071 |
| Orange | 62.28% | 15,755 | 36.77% | 9,302 | 0.22% | 55 | 0.39% | 99 | 0.34% | 86 | 25.51% | 6,453 |
| Alleghany | 62.21% | 2,550 | 37.37% | 1,532 | 0.24% | 10 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.10% | 4 | 24.84% | 1,018 |
| Edgecombe | 61.69% | 8,001 | 37.39% | 4,850 | 0.78% | 101 | 0.07% | 9 | 0.07% | 9 | 24.29% | 3,151 |
| Pasquotank | 61.49% | 4,302 | 37.89% | 2,651 | 0.50% | 35 | 0.09% | 6 | 0.03% | 2 | 23.60% | 1,651 |
| Rutherford | 60.51% | 10,361 | 39.23% | 6,718 | 0.17% | 29 | 0.06% | 10 | 0.04% | 6 | 21.27% | 3,643 |
| Harnett | 59.99% | 8,992 | 39.60% | 5,935 | 0.26% | 39 | 0.07% | 10 | 0.08% | 12 | 20.40% | 3,057 |
| Montgomery | 59.72% | 4,308 | 39.81% | 2,872 | 0.25% | 18 | 0.08% | 6 | 0.14% | 10 | 19.91% | 1,436 |
| Halifax | 59.54% | 7,892 | 39.66% | 5,257 | 0.62% | 82 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.08% | 11 | 19.88% | 2,635 |
| Chatham | 59.62% | 6,397 | 39.88% | 4,279 | 0.21% | 23 | 0.21% | 23 | 0.07% | 8 | 19.74% | 2,118 |
| Jackson | 59.37% | 5,223 | 40.19% | 3,536 | 0.16% | 14 | 0.11% | 10 | 0.17% | 15 | 19.17% | 1,687 |
| Vance | 59.40% | 5,620 | 40.30% | 3,813 | 0.20% | 19 | 0.07% | 7 | 0.02% | 2 | 19.10% | 1,807 |
| Yancey | 59.13% | 3,932 | 40.42% | 2,688 | 0.29% | 19 | 0.11% | 7 | 0.06% | 4 | 18.71% | 1,244 |
| Rockingham | 58.64% | 13,413 | 40.93% | 9,362 | 0.29% | 67 | 0.08% | 18 | 0.05% | 12 | 17.71% | 4,051 |
| Lincoln | 58.36% | 9,462 | 41.21% | 6,682 | 0.30% | 48 | 0.09% | 15 | 0.04% | 7 | 17.15% | 2,780 |
| Burke | 58.32% | 14,254 | 41.20% | 10,070 | 0.27% | 66 | 0.12% | 30 | 0.08% | 20 | 17.12% | 4,184 |
| Madison | 58.23% | 3,433 | 41.49% | 2,446 | 0.10% | 6 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.15% | 9 | 16.74% | 987 |
| McDowell | 58.10% | 6,246 | 41.40% | 4,450 | 0.34% | 37 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.10% | 11 | 16.71% | 1,796 |
| Lee | 57.78% | 5,104 | 41.78% | 3,691 | 0.22% | 19 | 0.15% | 13 | 0.08% | 7 | 16.00% | 1,413 |
| Alamance | 57.43% | 17,371 | 41.92% | 12,680 | 0.46% | 138 | 0.13% | 38 | 0.07% | 20 | 15.51% | 4,691 |
| Surry | 57.31% | 10,024 | 42.33% | 7,403 | 0.26% | 46 | 0.09% | 15 | 0.01% | 2 | 14.99% | 2,621 |
| Swain | 57.04% | 2,151 | 42.64% | 1,608 | 0.19% | 7 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.05% | 2 | 14.40% | 543 |
| Onslow | 56.90% | 7,954 | 42.59% | 5,953 | 0.27% | 38 | 0.12% | 17 | 0.11% | 16 | 14.32% | 2,001 |
| Person | 56.52% | 3,977 | 43.17% | 3,038 | 0.21% | 15 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.09% | 6 | 13.34% | 939 |
| Dare | 56.31% | 2,191 | 43.18% | 1,680 | 0.31% | 12 | 0.15% | 6 | 0.05% | 2 | 13.13% | 511 |
| Craven | 55.75% | 7,553 | 43.41% | 5,881 | 0.52% | 70 | 0.21% | 28 | 0.12% | 16 | 12.34% | 1,672 |
| Sampson | 55.77% | 8,869 | 43.82% | 6,968 | 0.18% | 28 | 0.14% | 23 | 0.09% | 14 | 11.95% | 1,901 |
| Beaufort | 54.72% | 5,728 | 44.68% | 4,677 | 0.44% | 46 | 0.11% | 11 | 0.05% | 5 | 10.04% | 1,051 |
| Carteret | 54.72% | 7,080 | 44.72% | 5,786 | 0.42% | 54 | 0.13% | 17 | 0.02% | 2 | 10.00% | 1,294 |
| Pitt | 54.61% | 11,636 | 44.73% | 9,532 | 0.31% | 66 | 0.18% | 39 | 0.17% | 36 | 9.87% | 2,104 |
| Johnston | 54.56% | 10,301 | 45.08% | 8,511 | 0.23% | 44 | 0.09% | 17 | 0.04% | 8 | 9.48% | 1,790 |
| Polk | 54.28% | 3,155 | 44.82% | 2,605 | 0.83% | 48 | 0.07% | 4 | 0.00% | 0 | 9.46% | 550 |
| Wilson | 54.41% | 8,209 | 45.04% | 6,795 | 0.41% | 62 | 0.08% | 12 | 0.06% | 9 | 9.37% | 1,414 |
| Caldwell | 54.37% | 11,894 | 45.13% | 9,872 | 0.24% | 52 | 0.15% | 33 | 0.11% | 24 | 9.24% | 2,022 |
| Macon | 54.22% | 4,403 | 45.23% | 3,673 | 0.31% | 25 | 0.12% | 10 | 0.11% | 9 | 8.99% | 730 |
| Buncombe | 53.88% | 26,633 | 45.44% | 22,461 | 0.36% | 177 | 0.17% | 84 | 0.15% | 73 | 8.44% | 4,172 |
| Durham | 53.93% | 22,425 | 45.56% | 18,945 | 0.22% | 90 | 0.14% | 58 | 0.16% | 66 | 8.37% | 3,480 |
| Gaston | 53.48% | 22,878 | 46.12% | 19,727 | 0.21% | 90 | 0.12% | 51 | 0.07% | 30 | 7.37% | 3,151 |
| Iredell | 52.88% | 13,295 | 46.03% | 11,573 | 0.87% | 218 | 0.10% | 25 | 0.12% | 31 | 6.85% | 1,722 |
| Alexander | 53.00% | 5,287 | 46.73% | 4,661 | 0.20% | 20 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.01% | 1 | 6.28% | 626 |
| Transylvania | 52.71% | 4,636 | 46.49% | 4,089 | 0.53% | 47 | 0.17% | 15 | 0.09% | 8 | 6.22% | 547 |
| Cherokee | 52.14% | 3,571 | 46.87% | 3,210 | 0.88% | 60 | 0.06% | 4 | 0.06% | 4 | 5.27% | 361 |
| Graham | 52.31% | 1,791 | 47.34% | 1,621 | 0.23% | 8 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.09% | 3 | 4.96% | 170 |
| Stokes | 52.29% | 6,647 | 47.43% | 6,029 | 0.23% | 29 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.04% | 5 | 4.86% | 618 |
| Clay | 52.09% | 1,569 | 47.41% | 1,428 | 0.46% | 14 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 4.68% | 141 |
| New Hanover | 50.89% | 14,504 | 48.02% | 13,687 | 0.73% | 208 | 0.20% | 58 | 0.16% | 45 | 2.87% | 817 |
| Nash | 50.73% | 8,937 | 48.12% | 8,477 | 1.00% | 176 | 0.11% | 19 | 0.04% | 7 | 2.61% | 460 |
| Ashe | 51.14% | 5,193 | 48.62% | 4,937 | 0.19% | 19 | 0.01% | 1 | 0.05% | 5 | 2.52% | 256 |
| Rowan | 50.79% | 15,363 | 48.41% | 14,644 | 0.60% | 183 | 0.08% | 25 | 0.11% | 33 | 2.38% | 719 |
| Stanly | 50.92% | 9,262 | 48.63% | 8,845 | 0.34% | 61 | 0.07% | 12 | 0.05% | 10 | 2.29% | 417 |
| Guilford | 50.44% | 46,826 | 48.94% | 45,441 | 0.30% | 274 | 0.17% | 157 | 0.16% | 146 | 1.49% | 1,385 |
| Mecklenburg | 50.34% | 63,198 | 49.16% | 61,715 | 0.17% | 211 | 0.17% | 210 | 0.17% | 215 | 1.18% | 1,483 |
| Forsyth | 50.13% | 39,561 | 49.27% | 38,886 | 0.27% | 211 | 0.15% | 121 | 0.18% | 145 | 0.86% | 675 |
| Wake | 49.47% | 44,005 | 49.80% | 44,291 | 0.20% | 182 | 0.31% | 280 | 0.21% | 188 | -0.32% | -286 |
| Watauga | 49.46% | 5,358 | 49.85% | 5,400 | 0.35% | 38 | 0.16% | 17 | 0.18% | 20 | -0.39% | -42 |
| Lenoir | 49.41% | 7,650 | 49.83% | 7,715 | 0.56% | 87 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.08% | 13 | -0.42% | -65 |
| Moore | 49.06% | 7,373 | 50.41% | 7,577 | 0.28% | 42 | 0.16% | 24 | 0.09% | 14 | -1.36% | -204 |
| Cabarrus | 48.89% | 12,049 | 50.54% | 12,455 | 0.34% | 85 | 0.13% | 31 | 0.10% | 24 | -1.65% | -406 |
| Wayne | 48.76% | 9,265 | 50.56% | 9,607 | 0.54% | 103 | 0.05% | 9 | 0.09% | 17 | -1.80% | -342 |
| Davidson | 48.45% | 17,859 | 51.03% | 18,813 | 0.36% | 132 | 0.12% | 43 | 0.04% | 16 | -2.59% | -954 |
| Catawba | 47.21% | 16,862 | 52.34% | 18,696 | 0.28% | 101 | 0.10% | 36 | 0.06% | 23 | -5.13% | -1,834 |
| Randolph | 46.72% | 12,714 | 52.69% | 14,337 | 0.39% | 107 | 0.12% | 34 | 0.07% | 20 | -5.96% | -1,623 |
| Wilkes | 46.19% | 10,176 | 53.41% | 11,768 | 0.25% | 55 | 0.06% | 14 | 0.09% | 19 | -7.23% | -1,592 |
| Davie | 42.95% | 3,635 | 56.39% | 4,772 | 0.52% | 44 | 0.08% | 7 | 0.06% | 5 | -13.43% | -1,137 |
| Yadkin | 42.95% | 4,497 | 56.50% | 5,916 | 0.46% | 48 | 0.05% | 5 | 0.05% | 5 | -13.55% | -1,419 |
| Henderson | 42.57% | 8,155 | 56.54% | 10,830 | 0.66% | 127 | 0.14% | 27 | 0.09% | 17 | -13.96% | -2,675 |
| Avery | 37.42% | 1,869 | 61.76% | 3,085 | 0.50% | 25 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.22% | 11 | -24.34% | -1,216 |
| Mitchell | 35.13% | 2,031 | 64.49% | 3,728 | 0.24% | 14 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.09% | 5 | -29.35% | -1,697 |
Close
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Anson
- Bertie
- Bladen
- Caswell
- Clay
- Durham
- Edgecombe
- Gates
- Halifax
- Hertford
- Hoke
- Rowan
- Caldwell
- Alexander
- Nash
- Richmond
- Robeson
- Tyrell
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Gaston
- Polk
- Ashe
- Stokes
- New Hanover
- Stanly
- Cherokee
- Iredell
- Graham
- McDowell
- Transylvania
- Alamance
- Onslow
- Guilford
- Lincoln
- Carteret
- Macon
- Beaufort
- Dare
- Surry
- Burke
- Craven
- Forsyth
- Johnston
- Buncombe
- Wilson
- Mecklenburg
- Pitt
- Rutherford
- Cumberland
- Rockingham
- Alleghany
- Union
- Lee
- Sampson
- Cleveland
- Brunswick
- Montgomery
- Jackson
- Currituck
- Yancey
- Harnett
- Madison
- Pasquotank
- Person
- Greene
- Vance
- Perquimans
- Chatham
- Haywood
- Swain
- Duplin
- Pamlico
- Camden
- Chowan
- Hyde
- Franklin
- Jones
- Granville
- Pender
- Columbus
- Martin
- Scotland
- Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- "Elections". geocities.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- "How Jesse Helms Made the Reagan Revolution Possible". North Carolina History Project.
- Joyce, Faye S. (September 13, 1976). "Southerners Favour Carter, Poll Shows". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 2-A.
- "Strategists Think Carter Gaining in North Carolina". Simpson’s Leader-Times. Kittanning, Pennsylvania. October 18, 1976. p. 9.
- "Race Dead Heat — Poll". The Chapel Hill News. October 24, 1976. p. 3.
- Cullen, B. (October 25, 1976). "Presidential Candidates Will Go Where the "Hay" Is: Ford, Carter to Visit States with Largest Electoral Vote". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. pp. A-1, A-2.
- Patterson, Kathleen (October 26, 1976). "South Still Hard To Peg". Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 10.
- "The Strategies Vary". Daily News. New York City. October 27, 1976. p. 45.
- "Electoral Votes: A Photo Finish — Polls". Austin American-Statesman. October 31, 1976. pp. A1, A6.
- "NC US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.