1976 United States presidential election in Iowa
← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →
 
Nominee Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Michigan Georgia
Running mate Bob Dole Walter Mondale
Electoral vote 8 0
Popular vote 632,863 619,931
Percentage 49.47% 48.46%
County Results
President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

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The 1976 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 2, 1976, as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Voters chose eight representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Iowa was won by incumbent President Gerald Ford (R–Michigan). with 49.47 percent of the popular vote, against Jimmy Carter (D–Georgia), with 48.46 percent, making Iowa about 3% more Republican than the nation-at-large. This race was one of the tightest in the nation, with the two candidates being separated by just 1.01 percent and a mere thirteen thousand votes. None of the third-party candidates amounted to a significant portion of the vote, but Eugene McCarthy (NBP–Minnesota) won 1.57 percent of the popular vote and came third overall in the nation.

Despite losing in Iowa, Carter went on to win the national election and became the 39th president of the United States.[1] This was the last time until 2020 that a Democrat was elected President without carrying the state of Iowa.

This is the third most recent election in which Iowa voted for a different candidate than Wisconsin, and the first election since 1940, a phenomenon that has only been repeated twice since, in 2004, and 2020.

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Iowa[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gerald Ford (inc.) 632,863 49.47%
Democratic Jimmy Carter 619,931 48.46%
Nominated By Petition Eugene McCarthy 20,051 1.57%
American Thomas J. Anderson 3,040 0.24%
Libertarian Roger MacBride 1,452 0.11%
Communist Gus Hall 554 0.04%
Write-ins — 506 0.04%
Socialist Workers Peter Camejo 267 0.02%
U.S. Labor Lyndon LaRouche 241 0.02%
Socialist Frank Zeidler 234 0.02%
Socialist Labor Julius Levin 167 0.01%
Total votes 1,279,306 100%

Results by county

County[3] Gerald Ford
Republican 		Jimmy Carter
Democratic 		Eugene McCarthy
Nominated By Petition 		Thomas Anderson
American 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adair 2,326 49.26% 2,294 48.58% 65 1.38% 20 0.42% 17 0.36% 32 0.68% 4,722
Adams 1,388 47.26% 1,507 51.31% 27 0.92% 7 0.24% 8 0.27% -119 -4.05% 2,937
Allamakee 3,648 57.88% 2,568 40.74% 67 1.06% 2 0.03% 18 0.29% 1,080 17.13% 6,303
Appanoose 3,036 46.29% 3,424 52.21% 63 0.96% 10 0.15% 25 0.38% -388 -5.92% 6,558
Audubon 1,978 47.86% 2,104 50.91% 34 0.82% 9 0.22% 8 0.19% -126 -3.05% 4,133
Benton 5,014 46.85% 5,514 51.52% 137 1.28% 18 0.17% 20 0.19% -500 -4.67% 10,703
Black Hawk 30,994 50.23% 29,508 47.82% 918 1.49% 92 0.15% 193 0.31% 1,486 2.41% 61,705
Boone 5,413 47.64% 5,695 50.12% 187 1.65% 44 0.39% 24 0.21% -282 -2.48% 11,363
Bremer 6,252 58.51% 4,203 39.34% 176 1.65% 14 0.13% 40 0.37% 2,049 19.18% 10,685
Buchanan 4,794 51.98% 4,258 46.17% 127 1.38% 8 0.09% 36 0.39% 536 5.81% 9,223
Buena Vista 5,126 53.58% 4,227 44.18% 163 1.70% 15 0.16% 36 0.38% 899 9.40% 9,567
Butler 4,207 61.79% 2,503 36.77% 72 1.06% 17 0.25% 9 0.13% 1,704 25.03% 6,808
Calhoun 3,215 51.03% 3,001 47.63% 67 1.06% 3 0.05% 14 0.22% 214 3.40% 6,300
Carroll 4,094 42.61% 5,333 55.51% 143 1.49% 13 0.14% 25 0.26% -1,239 -12.90% 9,608
Cass 4,589 60.79% 2,866 37.97% 70 0.93% 10 0.13% 14 0.19% 1,723 22.82% 7,549
Cedar 4,308 55.08% 3,354 42.88% 105 1.34% 35 0.45% 20 0.26% 954 12.20% 7,822
Cerro Gordo 10,604 47.77% 11,189 50.41% 322 1.45% 52 0.23% 29 0.13% -585 -2.64% 22,196
Cherokee 3,993 53.40% 3,358 44.91% 97 1.30% 11 0.15% 19 0.25% 635 8.49% 7,478
Chickasaw 3,432 49.11% 3,503 50.13% 46 0.66% 5 0.07% 2 0.03% -71 -1.02% 6,988
Clarke 1,737 41.87% 2,333 56.23% 43 1.04% 17 0.41% 19 0.46% -596 -14.36% 4,149
Clay 4,548 53.51% 3,776 44.42% 102 1.20% 45 0.53% 29 0.34% 772 9.08% 8,500
Clayton 4,826 54.80% 3,804 43.19% 123 1.40% 20 0.23% 34 0.39% 1,022 11.60% 8,807
Clinton 12,401 50.55% 11,746 47.88% 285 1.16% 43 0.18% 58 0.24% 655 2.67% 24,533
Crawford 3,879 48.80% 3,903 49.11% 126 1.59% 18 0.23% 22 0.28% -24 -0.30% 7,948
Dallas 5,308 43.34% 6,722 54.89% 166 1.36% 27 0.22% 24 0.20% -1,414 -11.55% 12,247
Davis 1,631 39.50% 2,426 58.76% 51 1.24% 11 0.27% 10 0.24% -795 -19.25% 4,129
Decatur 1,932 41.05% 2,698 57.32% 39 0.83% 21 0.45% 17 0.36% -766 -16.27% 4,707
Delaware 4,161 55.62% 3,168 42.35% 117 1.56% 13 0.17% 22 0.29% 993 13.27% 7,481
Des Moines 9,023 43.94% 11,268 54.87% 173 0.84% 32 0.16% 40 0.19% -2,245 -10.93% 20,536
Dickinson 3,795 54.14% 3,074 43.85% 108 1.54% 23 0.33% 10 0.14% 721 10.29% 7,010
Dubuque 17,459 44.71% 20,548 52.62% 863 2.21% 102 0.26% 77 0.20% -3,089 -7.91% 39,049
Emmet 2,872 50.50% 2,720 47.83% 68 1.20% 9 0.16% 18 0.32% 152 2.67% 5,687
Fayette 6,618 54.69% 5,220 43.13% 180 1.49% 30 0.25% 54 0.45% 1,398 11.55% 12,102
Floyd 4,361 47.52% 4,646 50.62% 126 1.37% 32 0.35% 13 0.14% -285 -3.11% 9,178
Franklin 3,056 52.30% 2,682 45.90% 78 1.33% 11 0.19% 16 0.27% 374 6.40% 5,843
Fremont 2,163 51.80% 1,964 47.03% 35 0.84% 10 0.24% 4 0.10% 199 4.77% 4,176
Greene 2,811 46.94% 3,094 51.66% 64 1.07% 9 0.15% 11 0.18% -283 -4.73% 5,989
Grundy 4,173 62.66% 2,410 36.19% 59 0.89% 10 0.15% 8 0.12% 1,763 26.47% 6,660
Guthrie 2,644 46.87% 2,873 50.93% 92 1.63% 18 0.32% 14 0.25% -229 -4.06% 5,641
Hamilton 3,932 49.00% 3,953 49.26% 105 1.31% 11 0.14% 24 0.30% -21 -0.26% 8,025
Hancock 3,127 50.54% 2,975 48.08% 68 1.10% 11 0.18% 6 0.10% 152 2.46% 6,187
Hardin 4,682 50.19% 4,479 48.02% 128 1.37% 21 0.23% 18 0.19% 203 2.18% 9,328
Harrison 3,489 51.38% 3,228 47.54% 38 0.56% 12 0.18% 23 0.34% 261 3.84% 6,790
Henry 3,848 48.79% 3,882 49.22% 114 1.45% 25 0.32% 18 0.23% -34 -0.43% 7,887
Howard 2,618 46.62% 2,917 51.94% 55 0.98% 14 0.25% 12 0.21% -299 -5.32% 5,616
Humboldt 3,075 52.65% 2,677 45.83% 65 1.11% 10 0.17% 14 0.24% 398 6.81% 5,841
Ida 2,590 56.86% 1,868 41.01% 70 1.54% 13 0.29% 14 0.31% 722 15.85% 4,555
Iowa 3,926 52.98% 3,367 45.43% 81 1.09% 18 0.24% 19 0.26% 559 7.54% 7,411
Jackson 4,221 47.50% 4,467 50.27% 152 1.71% 14 0.16% 32 0.36% -246 -2.77% 8,886
Jasper 7,728 46.04% 8,783 52.32% 226 1.35% 18 0.11% 31 0.19% -1,055 -6.28% 16,786
Jefferson 3,746 51.71% 3,377 46.62% 73 1.01% 28 0.39% 20 0.28% 369 5.09% 7,244
Johnson 16,090 41.57% 20,208 52.20% 2,082 5.38% 43 0.11% 287 0.74% -4,118 -10.64% 38,710
Jones 4,463 50.54% 4,245 48.07% 91 1.03% 20 0.23% 12 0.14% 218 2.47% 8,831
Keokuk 2,920 44.90% 3,482 53.54% 84 1.29% 10 0.15% 8 0.12% -562 -8.64% 6,504
Kossuth 4,653 46.32% 5,190 51.66% 154 1.53% 28 0.28% 21 0.21% -537 -5.35% 10,046
Lee 8,195 46.92% 9,017 51.63% 186 1.06% 34 0.19% 33 0.19% -822 -4.71% 17,465
Linn 36,513 47.79% 38,252 50.07% 1,256 1.64% 128 0.17% 248 0.32% -1,739 -2.28% 76,397
Louisa 2,284 51.43% 2,089 47.04% 47 1.06% 11 0.25% 10 0.23% 195 4.39% 4,441
Lucas 2,071 42.32% 2,733 55.84% 68 1.39% 12 0.25% 10 0.20% -662 -13.53% 4,894
Lyon 3,558 64.06% 1,870 33.67% 56 1.01% 63 1.13% 7 0.13% 1,688 30.39% 5,554
Madison 2,681 45.36% 3,109 52.61% 83 1.40% 25 0.42% 12 0.20% -428 -7.24% 5,910
Mahaska 5,267 51.38% 4,838 47.20% 109 1.06% 24 0.23% 13 0.13% 429 4.18% 10,251
Marion 5,429 45.79% 6,226 52.51% 149 1.26% 36 0.30% 17 0.14% -797 -6.72% 11,857
Marshall 9,562 51.33% 8,695 46.67% 285 1.53% 49 0.26% 39 0.21% 867 4.65% 18,630
Mills 2,722 57.79% 1,908 40.51% 31 0.66% 44 0.93% 5 0.11% 814 17.28% 4,710
Mitchell 2,887 49.00% 2,906 49.32% 78 1.32% 8 0.14% 13 0.22% -19 -0.32% 5,892
Monona 2,636 49.09% 2,661 49.55% 49 0.91% 11 0.20% 13 0.24% -25 -0.47% 5,370
Monroe 1,581 39.56% 2,360 59.06% 35 0.88% 4 0.10% 16 0.40% -779 -19.49% 3,996
Montgomery 3,673 61.48% 2,229 37.31% 37 0.62% 30 0.50% 5 0.08% 1,444 24.17% 5,974
Muscatine 7,697 53.10% 6,567 45.30% 183 1.26% 19 0.13% 30 0.21% 1,130 7.80% 14,496
O'Brien 4,643 61.86% 2,732 36.40% 82 1.09% 35 0.47% 14 0.19% 1,911 25.46% 7,506
Osceola 1,955 58.36% 1,309 39.07% 53 1.58% 15 0.45% 18 0.54% 646 19.28% 3,350
Page 5,343 64.10% 2,865 34.37% 66 0.79% 29 0.35% 32 0.38% 2,478 29.73% 8,335
Palo Alto 2,623 44.43% 3,182 53.90% 76 1.29% 18 0.30% 5 0.08% -559 -9.47% 5,904
Plymouth 5,590 55.81% 4,284 42.77% 89 0.89% 33 0.33% 20 0.20% 1,306 13.04% 10,016
Pocahontas 2,700 45.85% 3,055 51.88% 96 1.63% 11 0.19% 27 0.46% -355 -6.03% 5,889
Polk 62,316 45.23% 71,917 52.20% 2,822 2.05% 343 0.25% 365 0.26% -9,601 -6.97% 137,763
Pottawattamie 17,264 53.09% 14,754 45.37% 291 0.89% 123 0.38% 87 0.27% 2,510 7.72% 32,519
Poweshiek 4,194 48.01% 4,360 49.91% 139 1.59% 13 0.15% 29 0.33% -166 -1.90% 8,735
Ringgold 1,543 46.25% 1,739 52.13% 37 1.11% 6 0.18% 11 0.33% -196 -5.88% 3,336
Sac 3,347 51.55% 2,996 46.14% 107 1.65% 14 0.22% 29 0.45% 351 5.41% 6,493
Scott 35,021 53.11% 29,771 45.15% 822 1.25% 147 0.22% 179 0.27% 5,250 7.96% 65,940
Shelby 3,301 52.72% 2,851 45.54% 76 1.21% 12 0.19% 21 0.34% 450 7.19% 6,261
Sioux 9,448 73.04% 3,322 25.68% 90 0.70% 57 0.44% 18 0.14% 6,126 47.36% 12,935
Story 18,394 51.85% 15,717 44.30% 1,153 3.25% 74 0.21% 138 0.39% 2,677 7.55% 35,476
Tama 4,379 48.08% 4,580 50.29% 108 1.19% 21 0.23% 20 0.22% -201 -2.21% 9,108
Taylor 2,059 50.42% 1,947 47.67% 31 0.76% 13 0.32% 34 0.83% 112 2.74% 4,084
Union 2,873 48.30% 2,955 49.68% 79 1.33% 31 0.52% 10 0.17% -82 -1.38% 5,948
Van Buren 1,804 49.14% 1,807 49.22% 36 0.98% 13 0.35% 11 0.30% -3 -0.08% 3,671
Wapello 6,786 39.30% 10,249 59.35% 152 0.88% 41 0.24% 40 0.23% -3,463 -20.05% 17,268
Warren 6,099 43.23% 7,653 54.25% 272 1.93% 65 0.46% 19 0.13% -1,554 -11.02% 14,108
Washington 4,218 54.03% 3,448 44.17% 91 1.17% 30 0.38% 20 0.26% 770 9.86% 7,807
Wayne 1,781 44.58% 2,145 53.69% 54 1.35% 9 0.23% 6 0.15% -364 -9.11% 3,995
Webster 9,068 45.35% 10,543 52.73% 298 1.49% 35 0.18% 51 0.26% -1,475 -7.38% 19,995
Winnebago 3,315 52.24% 2,950 46.49% 63 0.99% 14 0.22% 4 0.06% 365 5.75% 6,346
Winneshiek 4,765 52.08% 4,158 45.45% 162 1.77% 34 0.37% 30 0.33% 607 6.63% 9,149
Woodbury 22,853 52.79% 19,664 45.43% 555 1.28% 111 0.26% 104 0.24% 3,189 7.37% 43,287
Worth 1,964 44.38% 2,399 54.21% 51 1.15% 11 0.25% 0 0.00% -435 -9.83% 4,425
Wright 3,544 48.67% 3,637 49.95% 78 1.07% 23 0.32% 0 0.00% -93 -1.28% 7,282
Total 632,863 49.47% 619,931 48.46% 20,051 1.57% 3,040 0.24% 3,421 0.27% 12,932 1.01% 1,279,306

See also

References

  1. ^ "1976 Presidential General Election Results". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  2. ^ "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Iowa". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
  3. ^ "IA US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.
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