1976_United_States_presidential_election_in_South_Carolina
1976 United States presidential election in South Carolina
Election in South Carolina
The 1976 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 2, 1976. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1976 United States presidential election. South Carolina voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 County Results
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
Both major party nominees, Democrat former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, with running mate Walter Mondale, and Republican President Gerald Ford with running mate Senator Bob Dole, campaigned in the state during the fall campaign. Ford did not target the state in late September at the beginning of his re-election campaign,[1] but did visit Columbia in late October as polling day approached, when he was joined by Carter two days subsequently.[2] After Ford’s visit, it was said he was not a factor in South Carolina and that the election hinged on approval or disapproval of Carter.[3] Carter himself campaigned more extensively with his eldest son Jack working in the Sixth Congressional District, and other members of his “Peanut Brigade” touring most major population centers.[4]
55% of white voters supported Ford while 44% supported Carter.[5][6]
Predictions
| Source | Rating | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Atlanta Constitution[7] | Lean R | September 13, 1976 |
| The Charlotte Observer[8] | Likely D (flip) | October 19, 1976 |
| The Times and Democrat[9] | Tilt D (flip) | October 26, 1976 |
| Kansas City Times[10] | Lean D (flip) | October 26, 1976 |
| Daily News[11] | Tossup | October 27, 1976 |
| Sun Herald[12] | Likely D (flip) | October 31, 1976 |
| Austin American-Statesman[13] | Tossup | October 31, 1976 |
| 1976 United States presidential election in South Carolina[14] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Jimmy Carter | 450,825 | 56.17% | 8 | |
| Republican | Gerald Ford (incumbent) | 346,140 | 43.13% | 0 | |
| Independent | Thomas Anderson | 2,997 | 0.37% | 0 | |
| American | Lester Maddox | 1,951 | 0.24% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 681[lower-alpha 1] | 0.08% | 0 | |
| Totals | 802,594 | 99.99% | 8 | ||
| Voter turnout | - | ||||
Results by county
| County[15] | Jimmy Carter Democratic |
Gerald Ford Republican |
Thomas Anderson Independent |
Lester Maddox American |
Margin | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Abbeville | 4,700 | 72.06% | 1,791 | 27.46% | 19 | 0.29% | 12 | 0.18% | 2,909 | 44.60% | 6,522 |
| Aiken | 14,927 | 47.88% | 16,011 | 51.36% | 80 | 0.26% | 155 | 0.50% | -1,084 | -3.48% | 31,173 |
| Allendale | 2,634 | 71.02% | 1,064 | 28.69% | 4 | 0.11% | 7 | 0.19% | 1,570 | 42.33% | 3,709 |
| Anderson | 19,002 | 66.32% | 9,496 | 33.14% | 96 | 0.34% | 60 | 0.21% | 9,506 | 33.18% | 28,654 |
| Bamberg | 3,330 | 63.84% | 1,849 | 35.45% | 19 | 0.36% | 18 | 0.35% | 1,481 | 28.39% | 5,216 |
| Barnwell | 4,083 | 61.38% | 2,569 | 38.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,514 | 22.76% | 6,652 |
| Beaufort | 6,049 | 50.29% | 5,935 | 49.34% | 25 | 0.21% | 20 | 0.17% | 114 | 0.95% | 12,029 |
| Berkeley | 9,741 | 58.05% | 6,981 | 41.60% | 27 | 0.16% | 32 | 0.19% | 2,760 | 16.45% | 16,781 |
| Calhoun | 2,055 | 59.29% | 1,382 | 39.87% | 22 | 0.63% | 7 | 0.20% | 673 | 19.42% | 3,466 |
| Charleston | 34,328 | 49.64% | 34,010 | 49.18% | 445 | 0.64% | 372 | 0.54% | 318 | 0.46% | 69,155 |
| Cherokee | 7,765 | 66.19% | 3,931 | 33.51% | 17 | 0.14% | 19 | 0.16% | 3,834 | 32.68% | 11,732 |
| Chester | 5,200 | 63.32% | 2,982 | 36.31% | 18 | 0.22% | 12 | 0.15% | 2,218 | 27.01% | 8,212 |
| Chesterfield | 7,687 | 75.04% | 2,537 | 24.77% | 11 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.09% | 5,150 | 50.27% | 10,244 |
| Clarendon | 5,489 | 64.13% | 3,040 | 35.52% | 14 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.19% | 2,449 | 28.61% | 8,559 |
| Colleton | 5,134 | 60.24% | 3,324 | 39.00% | 34 | 0.40% | 30 | 0.35% | 1,810 | 21.24% | 8,522 |
| Darlington | 10,165 | 60.16% | 6,678 | 39.52% | 26 | 0.15% | 28 | 0.17% | 3,487 | 20.64% | 16,897 |
| Dillon | 5,089 | 66.62% | 2,527 | 33.08% | 10 | 0.13% | 13 | 0.17% | 2,562 | 33.54% | 7,639 |
| Dorchester | 8,046 | 54.44% | 6,695 | 45.30% | 19 | 0.13% | 19 | 0.13% | 1,351 | 9.14% | 14,779 |
| Edgefield | 3,216 | 62.60% | 1,879 | 36.58% | 17 | 0.33% | 25 | 0.49% | 1,337 | 26.03% | 5,137 |
| Fairfield | 4,153 | 69.36% | 1,817 | 30.34% | 11 | 0.18% | 7 | 0.12% | 2,336 | 39.01% | 5,988 |
| Florence | 16,294 | 54.49% | 13,539 | 45.27% | 27 | 0.09% | 44 | 0.15% | 2,755 | 9.21% | 29,904 |
| Georgetown | 7,169 | 63.54% | 4,058 | 35.97% | 34 | 0.30% | 22 | 0.19% | 3,111 | 27.57% | 11,283 |
| Greenville | 35,943 | 47.31% | 39,099 | 51.46% | 796 | 1.05% | 143 | 0.19% | -3,156 | -4.15% | 75,981 |
| Greenwood | 9,976 | 62.39% | 5,974 | 37.36% | 17 | 0.11% | 24 | 0.15% | 4,002 | 25.03% | 15,991 |
| Hampton | 3,923 | 68.56% | 1,773 | 30.99% | 11 | 0.19% | 15 | 0.26% | 2,150 | 37.57% | 5,722 |
| Horry | 15,720 | 62.59% | 9,339 | 37.18% | 15 | 0.06% | 43 | 0.17% | 6,381 | 25.41% | 25,117 |
| Jasper | 2,903 | 70.12% | 1,221 | 29.49% | 6 | 0.14% | 10 | 0.24% | 1,682 | 40.63% | 4,140 |
| Kershaw | 6,211 | 50.08% | 6,126 | 49.40% | 36 | 0.29% | 29 | 0.23% | 85 | 0.69% | 12,402 |
| Lancaster | 8,324 | 62.19% | 4,997 | 37.33% | 37 | 0.28% | 27 | 0.20% | 3,327 | 24.86% | 13,385 |
| Laurens | 7,440 | 57.98% | 5,300 | 41.31% | 54 | 0.42% | 37 | 0.29% | 2,140 | 16.68% | 12,831 |
| Lee | 3,869 | 61.86% | 2,357 | 37.69% | 12 | 0.19% | 16 | 0.26% | 1,512 | 24.18% | 6,254 |
| Lexington | 14,339 | 39.75% | 21,442 | 59.43% | 183 | 0.51% | 113 | 0.31% | -7,103 | -19.69% | 36,077 |
| Marion | 5,927 | 65.74% | 3,076 | 34.12% | 7 | 0.08% | 6 | 0.07% | 2,851 | 31.62% | 9,016 |
| Marlboro | 5,409 | 73.32% | 1,961 | 26.58% | 2 | 0.03% | 5 | 0.07% | 3,448 | 46.74% | 7,377 |
| McCormick | 1,774 | 73.09% | 640 | 26.37% | 5 | 0.21% | 8 | 0.33% | 1,134 | 46.72% | 2,427 |
| Newberry | 5,034 | 50.26% | 4,931 | 49.23% | 24 | 0.24% | 27 | 0.27% | 103 | 1.03% | 10,016 |
| Oconee | 8,447 | 68.61% | 3,805 | 30.90% | 41 | 0.33% | 19 | 0.15% | 4,642 | 37.70% | 12,312 |
| Orangeburg | 13,652 | 60.40% | 8,794 | 38.90% | 108 | 0.48% | 50 | 0.22% | 4,858 | 21.49% | 22,604 |
| Pickens | 8,505 | 51.07% | 8,029 | 48.21% | 95 | 0.57% | 26 | 0.16% | 476 | 2.86% | 16,655 |
| Richland | 36,855 | 52.68% | 32,727 | 46.78% | 211 | 0.30% | 169 | 0.24% | 4,128 | 5.90% | 69,962 |
| Saluda | 2,715 | 56.11% | 2,085 | 43.09% | 25 | 0.52% | 14 | 0.29% | 630 | 13.02% | 4,839 |
| Spartanburg | 27,925 | 57.32% | 20,456 | 41.99% | 223 | 0.46% | 113 | 0.23% | 7,469 | 15.33% | 48,717 |
| Sumter | 10,471 | 52.59% | 9,332 | 46.87% | 56 | 0.28% | 53 | 0.27% | 1,139 | 5.72% | 19,912 |
| Union | 6,363 | 64.51% | 3,463 | 35.11% | 13 | 0.13% | 24 | 0.24% | 2,900 | 29.40% | 9,863 |
| Williamsburg | 8,745 | 62.22% | 5,275 | 37.53% | 10 | 0.07% | 25 | 0.18% | 3,470 | 24.69% | 14,055 |
| York | 14,099 | 58.73% | 9,843 | 41.00% | 35 | 0.15% | 28 | 0.12% | 4,256 | 17.73% | 24,005 |
| Totals | 450,825 | 56.17% | 346,140 | 43.13% | 2,997 | 0.37% | 1,951 | 0.24% | 104,685 | 13.04% | 802,594 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Allendale
- Beaufort
- Berkeley
- Charleston
- Clarendon
- Dorchester
- Edgefield
- Fairfield
- Florence
- Hampton
- Jasper
- Horry
- Kershaw
- Lee
- McCormick
- Marion
- Marlboro
- Orangeburg
- Newberry
- Pickens
- Richland
- Spartanburg
- Sumter
- Williamsburg
- Abbeville
- Anderson
- Bamberg
- Barnwell
- Calhoun
- Cherokee
- Chester
- Chesterfield
- Colleton
- Darlington
- Dillon
- Georgetown
- Greenwood
- Lancaster
- Laurens
- Oconee
- Saluda
- Union
- York
Despite fluctuating polls, Carter would carry South Carolina by a margin of 13.04 points over Ford.[14]
Ford managed to carry just three of South Carolina's counties, whereas Richard Nixon had carried all 46 counties four years earlier. As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last time that the Democratic nominee carried South Carolina, the last time a Democrat won Horry County, Spartanburg County, Berkeley County, Beaufort County, Dorchester County, Florence County, Pickens County, Kershaw County, and Newberry County,[16] and the last time a Democrat swept every congressional district in the state. It is also the last occasion South Carolina voted more Democratic than Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota or Rhode Island.
- These write-in votes were not separated by county, but given only as a state-wide total.[15]
- Bandy, Lee (September 17, 1976). "Ford Starts Southern Swing on Sept. 25". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. p. 11-B.
- "Ford in Columbia Today; Carter Tuesday". The Item. Sumter, South Carolina. October 23, 1976. p. 1A.
- Evans, Rowland; Novak, Robert. "Ford Sticks to the Script". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. p. 1-A.
- "Carter, "Peanut Brigade", Coming to S.C.". The Item. Sumter, South Carolina. October 25, 1976. pp. 1A, 4A.
- Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- Joyce, Faye S. (September 13, 1976). "Southerners Favour Carter, Poll Shows". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 2-A.
- Eichel, Henry (October 19, 1976). "Buoyed by Poll, Ford to Campaign at S.C. Fair". The Charlotte Observer. p. 1B.
- Rowland, Ed (October 26, 1976). "S.C. Votes Could Go to Republican Again". The Times and Democrat. Orangeburg, South Carolina. p. 1B.
- Patterson, Kathleen (October 26, 1976). "South Still Hard To Peg". Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 10.
- "Convention Wounds Remain". Daily News. New York City. October 27, 1976. p. 45.
- "Political Science Majors Predict Ford Win". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. October 31, 1976. p. D-11.
- "Electoral Votes: A Photo Finish — Polls". Austin American-Statesman. October 31, 1976. pp. A1, A6.
- "1976 Presidential General Election Results — South Carolina". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
- "SC US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.
- Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016