United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1976

United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1976

November 2, 1976

Nominee Jimmy Carter Gerald R. Ford Party Democratic Republican Home state Georgia Michigan Running mate Walter Mondale Robert Dole Electoral vote 13 0 Popular vote 927,365 875,635 Percentage 55.27% 44.22%

North County Results 1976

President before election Gerald R. Ford Republican Elected President Jimmy Carter Democratic

The 1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 2, 1976 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which 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.

North Carolina voted decisively for the Democratic nominee, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, over the Republican nominee, incumbent President Gerald R. Ford of Michigan. Carter carried the state with 55.27% to Ford's 44.22%, a victory margin of 11.05%. Carter's victory was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate would win North Carolina's electoral votes except in 2008 when Barack Obama would carry it with a narrow plurality.

Results

United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1976[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Jimmy Carter	927,365	55.27%	13
	Republican	Gerald Ford (incumbent)	741,960	44.22%	0
	American	Thomas Anderson	5,607	0.33%	0
	Libertarian	Roger MacBride	2,219	0.13%	0
	US Labor	Lyndon LaRouche	755	0.04%	0
Totals			1,677,906	100.0%	13
Voter turnout			54.52%		—

Primary Elections

Democratic primary

Former Georgia Gov. 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 percent of the vote to Wallace's 35 percent. Sen. Scoop Jackson trailed far behind, with approximately 4 percent.^[2] The North Carolina primary was the first in which Carter won an absolute majority and helped seal his ultimate nomination.^[3] Wallace, who had won the North Carolina primary in 1972, was all but eliminated from the race by his defeat.^[4]

Republican primary

Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent President Ford in the North Carolina Republican presidential primary on March 23, 1976, with approximately 52 percent 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.^[5]

References

2. http://web.archive.org/web/20091026141022/http://geocities.com/Athens/Agora/8088/Dem1976.html
3. Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter
4. CQ Almanac
5. North Carolina History Project