1976 United States presidential election in Illinois
← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →
Turnout75.47%
 
Nominee Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Michigan Georgia
Running mate Bob Dole Walter Mondale
Electoral vote 26 0
Popular vote 2,364,269 2,271,295
Percentage 50.10% 48.13%
County Results
President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

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The 1976 United States presidential election in Illinois was held on November 2, 1976. All 50 states and The District of Columbia, were part of the 1976 United States presidential election. State voters chose 26 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

In the last two presidential elections, Illinois had voted Republican. In 1972, the state had, like the rest of the nation outside Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, voted strongly for Richard Nixon who carried every county except college-dominated Jackson, although Democrat George McGovern ran 3% above his national vote percentage in the state. This is one of two times in the 20th century that the state voted for a losing candidate (the other being 1916).

By the second week of September polls were showing Carter ahead of incumbent President Gerald Ford by 14%, but running much weaker in the emerging “Rust Belt” industrial states[1] – his lead in Illinois would be estimated at four percentage points.[2] A few days later another poll had Ford already ahead in Illinois,[3] but another poll had the incumbent President narrowly behind.[4]

Defeated Republican primary candidate and future President Ronald Reagan helped Ford in his fall campaign in Illinois,[5] although Carter preceded him in visiting the state – doing so for the first time on September 24.[6] Ford’s running mate Bob Dole followed Carter to the state and said that Carter had “3 positions on every issue” during a tour through Rock Island, Quincy and Decatur. At this time it was also thought that Ford was helped by the strong GOP gubernatorial campaign of James R. Thompson.[7]

At the beginning of October, Illinois was viewed as “too close to call”,[8] before Carter paid a second visit to the state – with the support of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley viewed essential to his chances of carrying the state’s electoral votes due to the coolness of the northern and central parts of the state toward a Southern Evangelical Democrat.[9] Carter would subsequently move ahead, but the state remained very close as election day neared, with South Side black voters considered a critical aspect of Carter’s hopes.[10]

Gerald Ford won Illinois with 50.10 percent of the vote,[11] but lost the general election to Jimmy Carter of Georgia. Illinois’ result was 4% more Republican than the nation at large.

Ford’s win was due to his large majorities in the traditionally Republican collar counties, chiefly DuPage, which he won by a margin ten thousand votes greater than his statewide total margin. Carter did well in Cook County and Dixie Southern Illinois, but his majorities there were much smaller than New Deal era Democrats had won. This is the last election where a Democrat won the White House without carrying Illinois (one of only three such elections, the others being 1884 and 1916), and also the most recent presidential election when Illinois would vote more Republican than the nation. The state would not vote for a losing candidate again until 2000, and for the loser of the popular vote until 2004.

Primaries

The primaries and general elections coincided with those for congress and those for state offices.[12]

Turnout

Turnout in the primary election was 36.29%, with a total of 2,087,807 votes cast.[12]

Turnout in the general election was 75.47%, with a total of 4,719,304 votes cast.[12] State-run primaries were held for the Democratic and Republican parties on March 16.[12]

Democratic

1976 Illinois Democratic presidential primary
← 1972 March 16, 1976 (1976-03-16) 1980 →
169 Democratic National Convention delegates
 
Candidate Jimmy Carter George Wallace Sargent Shriver
Home state Georgia Alabama Maryland
Delegate count 53 3 0
Popular vote 630,915 361,798 214,024
Percentage 48.09% 27.58% 16.31%
 
Candidate Fred R. Harris Adlai Stevenson III Hubert Humphrey
Home state Oklahoma Illinois Minnesota
Delegate count 0 85 6
Popular vote 98,862 N/A N/A
Percentage 7.54% N/A N/A
 
Candidate Dan Walker
Home state Illinois
Delegate count 4
Popular vote N/A
Percentage N/A

The 1976 Illinois Democratic presidential primary was held on March 16, 1976 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Democratic Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1976 presidential election.

The popular vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct-vote in each congressional district on delegate candidates, who had either pledged to support a candidate or been uncommitted.[12]

The popular vote of the "beauty contest" saw a plurality won by Jimmy Carter.

While he was not a candidate for the popular vote, in the vote for delegates a plurality of the state's delegates were won by delegates supporting favorite son Adlai Stevenson III, with Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter placing second.[13] Stevenson was used as a stand-in by Richard M. Daley to get otherwise uncommitted delegates elected.[citation needed]

1976 Democratic presidential primary[12][14][15]
Candidate Votes % Delegates
Jimmy Carter 630,915 48.09 53
George C. Wallace 361,798 27.58 3
Sargent Shriver 214,024 16.31 0
Fred R. Harris 98,862 7.54 0
Write-ins 6,315 0.48 0
Adlai Stevenson III — — 85
Hubert Humphrey — — 6
Dan Walker — — 4
Uncommitted — — 18
Totals 1,311,914 100 169

Republican

1976 Illinois Republican presidential primary
← 1972 March 16, 1976 (1976-03-16) 1980 →
 
Candidate Gerald Ford Ronald Reagan
Home state Michigan California
Delegate count 70 13
Popular vote 456,750 311,295
Percentage 58.87% 40.12%

The 1976 Illinois Republican presidential primary was held on March 16, 1976 in the U.S. state of Illinois as one of the Republican Party's statewide nomination contests ahead of the 1976 presidential election.

The popular vote was a "beauty contest". Delegates were instead selected by direct-vote in each congressional district on delegate candidates who had either pledged to support a candidate or indicated their intent to enter the convention uncommitted.[12]

1976 Republican presidential primary[12][14][15]
Candidate Votes % Delegates
Gerald R. Ford 456,750 58.87 70
Ronald Reagan 311,295 40.12 13
Lar "America First" Daly 7,582 0.98 0
Write-ins 266 0.03 0
Uncommitted — — 13
Totals 775,893 100 96

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)[12]
Gerald Ford Robert Dole Republican 26 2,364,269 50.10%
Jimmy Carter Walter Mondale Democratic 0 2,271,295 48.13%
Eugene McCarthy John Clay Independent 0 55,939 1.19%
Gus Hall Jarvis Tyner Communist 0 9,250 0.20%
Roger MacBride David Bergland Libertarian 0 8,057 0.17%
Peter Camejo Willie Mae Reid Socialist Workers 0 3,615 0.08%
Julius Levin Constance Blomen Socialist Labor 0 2,422 0.05%
Lyndon LaRouche R. Wayne Evans U.S. Labor 0 2,018 0.04%
Ronald Reagan (write-in) — — 0 504 0.01%
Tom Anderson (write-in) — American Party 0 387 0.01%
Rufus Shackelford (write-in) — 0 67 0.00%
Other write-ins 0 1,481 0.03%
Total 26 4,719,304 100%

Results by county

County Gerald Rudolph Ford
Republican 		James Earl Carter
Democratic 		Eugene Joseph McCarthy[16]
Independent 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Adams 18,189 59.67% 11,926 39.12% 274 0.90% 96 0.31% 6,263 20.54% 30,485
Alexander 2,349 41.52% 3,246 57.37% 22 0.39% 41 0.72% -897 -15.85% 5,658
Bond 3,716 49.69% 3,682 49.24% 63 0.84% 17 0.23% 34 0.45% 7,478
Boone 6,470 58.38% 4,458 40.23% 127 1.15% 27 0.24% 2,012 18.16% 11,082
Brown 1,519 48.95% 1,533 49.40% 13 0.42% 38 1.22% -14 -0.45% 3,103
Bureau 10,854 58.20% 7,566 40.57% 170 0.91% 58 0.31% 3,288 17.63% 18,648
Calhoun 1,364 46.35% 1,549 52.63% 28 0.95% 2 0.07% -185 -6.29% 2,943
Carroll 5,059 59.34% 3,372 39.55% 73 0.86% 22 0.26% 1,687 19.79% 8,526
Cass 3,524 49.33% 3,589 50.24% 25 0.35% 6 0.08% -65 -0.91% 7,144
Champaign 34,546 54.74% 26,858 42.56% 1,425 2.26% 278 0.44% 7,688 12.18% 63,107
Christian 7,445 43.90% 9,306 54.87% 166 0.98% 43 0.25% -1,861 -10.97% 16,960
Clark 4,506 52.26% 4,071 47.22% 37 0.43% 8 0.09% 435 5.05% 8,622
Clay 3,860 49.94% 3,837 49.64% 23 0.30% 9 0.12% 23 0.30% 7,729
Clinton 7,245 53.00% 6,275 45.90% 139 1.02% 12 0.09% 970 7.10% 13,671
Coles 11,021 54.66% 8,639 42.85% 434 2.15% 68 0.34% 2,382 11.81% 20,162
Cook 987,498 44.69% 1,180,814 53.44% 27,706 1.25% 13,730 0.62% -193,316 -8.75% 2,209,748
Crawford 5,522 51.99% 5,007 47.14% 73 0.69% 20 0.19% 515 4.85% 10,622
Cumberland 2,518 47.12% 2,752 51.50% 32 0.60% 42 0.79% -234 -4.38% 5,344
DeKalb 18,193 59.21% 11,535 37.54% 740 2.41% 260 0.85% 6,658 21.67% 30,728
DeWitt 4,137 53.97% 3,477 45.36% 30 0.39% 22 0.29% 660 8.61% 7,666
Douglas 4,635 54.39% 3,826 44.90% 44 0.52% 17 0.20% 809 9.49% 8,522
DuPage 175,055 68.77% 72,137 28.34% 4,058 1.59% 3,297 1.30% 102,918 40.43% 254,547
Edgar 5,842 53.01% 5,058 45.89% 84 0.76% 37 0.34% 784 7.11% 11,021
Edwards 2,379 58.51% 1,648 40.53% 24 0.59% 15 0.37% 731 17.98% 4,066
Effingham 7,194 53.72% 5,952 44.45% 113 0.84% 132 0.99% 1,242 9.27% 13,391
Fayette 5,059 49.33% 5,128 50.00% 59 0.58% 9 0.09% -69 -0.67% 10,255
Ford 4,801 63.56% 2,690 35.61% 42 0.56% 20 0.26% 2,111 27.95% 7,553
Franklin 7,420 36.51% 12,818 63.07% 40 0.20% 46 0.23% -5,398 -26.56% 20,324
Fulton 9,588 50.23% 9,314 48.79% 130 0.68% 58 0.30% 274 1.44% 19,090
Gallatin 1,499 36.36% 2,611 63.33% 9 0.22% 4 0.10% -1,112 -26.97% 4,123
Greene 3,706 47.35% 4,057 51.83% 45 0.57% 19 0.24% -351 -4.48% 7,827
Grundy 7,581 57.43% 5,534 41.92% 59 0.45% 27 0.20% 2,047 15.51% 13,201
Hamilton 2,433 44.25% 3,036 55.22% 23 0.42% 6 0.11% -603 -10.97% 5,498
Hancock 6,043 55.54% 4,730 43.47% 82 0.75% 26 0.24% 1,313 12.07% 10,881
Hardin 1,393 46.17% 1,602 53.10% 12 0.40% 10 0.33% -209 -6.93% 3,017
Henderson 2,210 50.15% 2,152 48.83% 33 0.75% 12 0.27% 58 1.32% 4,407
Henry 12,849 56.03% 9,822 42.83% 199 0.87% 64 0.28% 3,027 13.20% 22,934
Iroquois 10,129 65.43% 5,167 33.38% 86 0.56% 99 0.64% 4,962 32.05% 15,481
Jackson 10,152 42.09% 12,940 53.64% 905 3.75% 125 0.52% -2,788 -11.56% 24,122
Jasper 2,794 49.45% 2,772 49.06% 78 1.38% 6 0.11% 22 0.39% 5,650
Jefferson 7,422 44.93% 8,989 54.41% 66 0.40% 43 0.26% -1,567 -9.49% 16,520
Jersey 4,273 47.57% 4,625 51.49% 75 0.83% 10 0.11% -352 -3.92% 8,983
Jo Daviess 5,478 56.90% 3,979 41.33% 130 1.35% 41 0.43% 1,499 15.57% 9,628
Johnson 2,417 52.23% 2,182 47.15% 24 0.52% 5 0.11% 235 5.08% 4,628
Kane 59,275 62.15% 34,057 35.71% 1,283 1.35% 759 0.80% 25,218 26.44% 95,374
Kankakee 23,003 54.63% 18,394 43.68% 344 0.82% 367 0.87% 4,609 10.95% 42,108
Kendall 9,011 67.50% 4,202 31.48% 110 0.82% 26 0.19% 4,809 36.03% 13,349
Knox 14,123 54.39% 11,525 44.38% 245 0.94% 74 0.28% 2,598 10.01% 25,967
Lake 92,231 60.32% 57,741 37.77% 2,388 1.56% 534 0.35% 34,490 22.56% 152,894
LaSalle 25,114 51.39% 23,105 47.28% 503 1.03% 143 0.29% 2,009 4.11% 48,865
Lawrence 4,345 51.47% 4,044 47.90% 42 0.50% 11 0.13% 301 3.57% 8,442
Lee 8,674 57.54% 6,076 40.30% 208 1.38% 118 0.78% 2,598 17.23% 15,076
Livingston 10,097 64.56% 5,174 33.08% 303 1.94% 66 0.42% 4,923 31.48% 15,640
Logan 8,623 59.94% 5,686 39.52% 63 0.44% 14 0.10% 2,937 20.42% 14,386
Macon 24,893 46.44% 28,243 52.69% 366 0.68% 97 0.18% -3,350 -6.25% 53,599
Macoupin 10,242 45.55% 11,910 52.97% 223 0.99% 111 0.49% -1,668 -7.42% 22,486
Madison 44,183 43.32% 56,457 55.35% 1,085 1.06% 273 0.27% -12,274 -12.03% 101,998
Marion 8,729 46.63% 9,834 52.53% 124 0.66% 33 0.18% -1,105 -5.90% 18,720
Marshall 4,017 60.30% 2,570 38.58% 59 0.89% 16 0.24% 1,447 21.72% 6,662
Mason 3,847 49.01% 3,947 50.29% 38 0.48% 17 0.22% -100 -1.27% 7,849
Massac 3,226 46.50% 3,666 52.85% 33 0.48% 12 0.17% -440 -6.34% 6,937
McDonough 9,683 62.33% 5,464 35.17% 272 1.75% 115 0.74% 4,219 27.16% 15,534
McHenry 37,115 67.50% 16,799 30.55% 871 1.58% 204 0.37% 20,316 36.95% 54,989
McLean 28,493 62.10% 16,601 36.18% 592 1.29% 193 0.42% 11,892 25.92% 45,879
Menard 3,137 57.25% 2,301 42.00% 35 0.64% 6 0.11% 836 15.26% 5,479
Mercer 4,816 53.62% 4,090 45.54% 63 0.70% 13 0.14% 726 8.08% 8,982
Monroe 5,602 57.66% 3,984 41.00% 110 1.13% 20 0.21% 1,618 16.65% 9,716
Montgomery 7,379 46.56% 8,322 52.51% 127 0.80% 20 0.13% -943 -5.95% 15,848
Morgan 8,885 53.88% 7,403 44.90% 155 0.94% 46 0.28% 1,482 8.99% 16,489
Moultrie 2,803 45.44% 3,332 54.01% 27 0.44% 7 0.11% -529 -8.58% 6,169
Ogle 11,073 62.22% 6,463 36.32% 203 1.14% 58 0.33% 4,610 25.90% 17,797
Peoria 46,526 56.65% 34,606 42.14% 744 0.91% 247 0.30% 11,920 14.51% 82,123
Perry 5,286 46.39% 5,976 52.44% 76 0.67% 57 0.50% -690 -6.06% 11,395
Piatt 4,442 55.39% 3,509 43.75% 44 0.55% 25 0.31% 933 11.63% 8,020
Pike 4,975 49.21% 5,006 49.52% 37 0.37% 92 0.91% -31 -0.31% 10,110
Pope 1,187 52.18% 1,070 47.03% 14 0.62% 4 0.18% 117 5.14% 2,275
Pulaski 1,836 42.26% 2,489 57.28% 12 0.28% 8 0.18% -653 -15.03% 4,345
Putnam 1,572 53.13% 1,344 45.42% 27 0.91% 16 0.54% 228 7.71% 2,959
Randolph 8,190 48.07% 8,693 51.02% 134 0.79% 21 0.12% -503 -2.95% 17,038
Richland 4,434 55.03% 3,485 43.25% 72 0.89% 66 0.82% 949 11.78% 8,057
Rock Island 34,007 47.72% 35,994 50.51% 751 1.05% 509 0.71% -1,987 -2.79% 71,261
Saline 5,970 44.25% 7,472 55.38% 33 0.24% 18 0.13% -1,502 -11.13% 13,493
Sangamon 43,309 52.24% 38,017 45.85% 920 1.11% 664 0.80% 5,292 6.38% 82,910
Schuyler 2,635 56.44% 2,014 43.14% 16 0.34% 4 0.09% 621 13.30% 4,669
Scott 1,789 55.35% 1,424 44.06% 14 0.43% 5 0.15% 365 11.29% 3,232
Shelby 5,234 45.54% 6,172 53.70% 65 0.57% 22 0.19% -938 -8.16% 11,493
St. Clair 40,333 39.91% 59,177 58.55% 984 0.97% 571 0.56% -18,844 -18.65% 101,065
Stark 2,191 63.34% 1,146 33.13% 29 0.84% 93 2.69% 1,045 30.21% 3,459
Stephenson 11,678 61.02% 7,192 37.58% 213 1.11% 54 0.28% 4,486 23.44% 19,137
Tazewell 28,951 55.14% 22,821 43.47% 402 0.77% 329 0.63% 6,130 11.68% 52,503
Union 3,531 41.16% 5,003 58.32% 36 0.42% 8 0.09% -1,472 -17.16% 8,578
Vermilion 19,751 51.24% 18,438 47.83% 253 0.66% 104 0.27% 1,313 3.41% 38,546
Wabash 3,388 54.41% 2,781 44.66% 31 0.50% 27 0.43% 607 9.75% 6,227
Warren 5,822 59.25% 3,808 38.75% 78 0.79% 118 1.20% 2,014 20.50% 9,826
Washington 4,485 57.18% 3,222 41.08% 68 0.87% 69 0.88% 1,263 16.10% 7,844
Wayne 5,211 54.39% 4,303 44.91% 40 0.42% 27 0.28% 908 9.48% 9,581
White 4,600 46.31% 5,306 53.42% 16 0.16% 11 0.11% -706 -7.11% 9,933
Whiteside 14,308 55.34% 11,255 43.53% 221 0.85% 70 0.27% 3,053 11.81% 25,854
Will 61,784 53.85% 51,103 44.54% 1,358 1.18% 482 0.42% 10,681 9.31% 114,727
Williamson 10,703 43.59% 13,600 55.39% 210 0.86% 40 0.16% -2,897 -11.80% 24,553
Winnebago 52,736 54.15% 42,399 43.54% 1,044 1.07% 1,208 1.24% 10,337 10.61% 97,387
Woodford 8,899 64.00% 4,819 34.66% 105 0.76% 81 0.58% 4,080 29.34% 13,904
Totals 2,364,269 50.10% 2,271,295 48.13% 55,939 1.19% 27,330 0.58% 92,974 1.97% 4,718,833

See also

References

  1. ^ Harris, Louis. ‘Carter leads Ford, 53—39: Harris Survey’; The Boston Globe, September 9, 1976, p. 23
  2. ^ Broder, David; ‘Carter still for firing FBI chief’; The Boston Globe, September 10, 1976, p. 13
  3. ^ ‘Ford buoyed by new polls in Michigan, Kansas’; The Boston Globe, September 13, 1976, p. 8
  4. ^ Cannon, Lou; ‘Ford's Campaign Strategy: Stress Consistency, Record’; The Washington Post, September 15, 1976, p. A4
  5. ^ ‘Lydon, Christopher; Reagan Is Too Busy to Aid Ford in 5 States’; The New York Times, September 20, 1976, p. 22
  6. ^ Wicker, Tom; ‘Carter in Illinois’; The New York Times, September 24, 1976, p. 25
  7. ^ Kneeland, Douglas E.; ‘Dole Is Stepping Up Attacks on Carter: Kansas Senator, Stumping in Ohio and Illinois, Says Democrat Has 3 Positions on Every Issue’; New York Times, September 29, 1976, p. 22
  8. ^ Apple, R.W.; ‘Poll Shows Carter Is Ahead in States Needed for Victory’; The New York Times, October 3, 1976, p. 1
  9. ^ Evans, Rowland and Novak, Robert; ‘Carter’s Illinois Strategy’; The Washington Post, October 8, 1976, p. A25
  10. ^ Kaiser, Robert; ‘Black Vote Could Carry Carter to Victory’; The Boston Globe, October 28, 1976, p. 2
  11. ^ "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Illinois". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 1976 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, MARCH, 16, 1976" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  13. ^ Kraft, Joseph; ‘Can Carter Unify the Democrats’; The Boston Globe, June 11, 1976, p. 15
  14. ^ a b "Late Vote Totals In Illinois Races". The New York Times. March 18, 1976. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Ford and Carter Amass Delegates in Illinois Races – Georgian Shows Surprising Strength in the Tabulation, Though Stevenson Leads – New Momentum Seen – Reagan, Resisting, Pressed Again to Quit as Gesture Toward Party Unity Ford and Carter Amassing Delegates". The New York Times. March 18, 1976. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  16. ^ Our Campaigns; IL US President 1976
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