1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota
← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →
Turnout73.01%[1] Increase
 
Nominee Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford
Party Democratic (DFL) Republican
Home state Georgia Michigan
Running mate Walter Mondale Bob Dole
Electoral vote 10 0
Popular vote 1,070,440 819,395
Percentage 54.90% 42.02%
County Results
President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

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

Minnesota was won by the Democratic Party candidate, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, won the state over incumbent President Gerald Ford by a landslide margin of 251,045 votes, or approximately 12.88%. Carter went on to win the election nationally, as the country's confidence in the Republican Party had been deeply shaken following the Watergate scandal and the subsequent resignation of Richard Nixon.

Prior to the election, Minnesota was considered as leaning-Carter. The Republican Party of Minnesota had been terribly weakened by the Watergate scandal. That weakened position was further eroded when Jimmy Carter chose Minnesota senator Walter Mondale as his vice-presidential running mate, securing the state for Carter. Mondale later went on to become the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1984, in which he only won one state, Minnesota.[2]

The effect of Watergate on the political landscape in Minnesota can be clearly seen in the results of this election, as well as the landslide DFL victory in the 1974 gubernatorial election. Previously Minnesota had cast its electoral votes for the Republican nominee in twenty of the twenty-nine presidential elections from 1860 to 1972.

As of the 2020 presidential election, Minnesota has not cast a single electoral vote in favor of a Republican since 1972, making it the state with the longest Democratic streak up to the present day.[3] As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Roseau County, Wilkin County, Douglas County, Wadena County, and Pipestone County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[4]

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota[5]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic (DFL) Jimmy Carter 1,070,440 54.90% 10
Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent) 819,395 42.02% 0
McCarthy ‘76 Eugene McCarthy 35,490 1.82% 0
American Thomas J. Anderson 13,592 0.70% 0
Socialist Workers Peter Camejo 4,149 0.21% 0
Libertarian Roger MacBride 3,529 0.18% 0
Communist Gus Hall 1,092 0.06% 0
People's Margaret Wright 635 0.03% 0
U.S. Labor Lyndon LaRouche 543 0.03% 0
Socialist Labor Julius Levin 370 0.02% 0
Socialist Frank Zeidler 354 0.02% 0
Write-ins Write-ins 342 0.02% 0
Invalid or blank votes —
Totals 1,978,590 100.00% 10
Voter turnout 77% —

Results by county

County James Earl Carter
DFL 		Gerald Rudolph Ford
Republican 		Eugene J. McCarthy
McCarthy ‘76 		Thomas J. Anderson
American 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Aitkin 4,308 61.99% 2,476 35.63% 109 1.57% 26 0.37% 30 0.43% 1,832 26.36% 6,949
Anoka 48,173 61.51% 27,863 35.58% 1,298 1.66% 472 0.60% 509 0.65% 20,310 25.93% 78,315
Becker 6,597 52.50% 5,611 44.65% 215 1.71% 104 0.83% 39 0.31% 986 7.85% 12,566
Beltrami 7,540 56.76% 5,214 39.25% 289 2.18% 175 1.32% 67 0.50% 2,326 17.51% 13,285
Benton 6,235 56.86% 4,099 37.38% 285 2.60% 271 2.47% 75 0.68% 2,136 19.48% 10,965
Big Stone 2,581 64.41% 1,332 33.24% 45 1.12% 42 1.05% 7 0.17% 1,249 31.17% 4,007
Blue Earth 12,930 50.33% 11,998 46.71% 582 2.27% 91 0.35% 87 0.34% 932 3.63% 25,688
Brown 5,792 41.26% 7,479 53.27% 330 2.35% 409 2.91% 29 0.21% -1,687 -12.02% 14,039
Carlton 9,247 66.28% 4,371 31.33% 239 1.71% 29 0.21% 66 0.47% 4,876 34.95% 13,952
Carver 7,574 46.33% 8,199 50.16% 336 2.06% 201 1.23% 37 0.23% -625 -3.82% 16,347
Cass 5,424 53.00% 4,443 43.41% 173 1.69% 159 1.55% 35 0.34% 981 9.59% 10,234
Chippewa 4,648 57.77% 3,254 40.44% 75 0.93% 56 0.70% 13 0.16% 1,394 17.33% 8,046
Chisago 6,625 60.96% 3,874 35.65% 185 1.70% 142 1.31% 41 0.38% 2,751 25.32% 10,867
Clay 10,876 50.10% 10,317 47.53% 319 1.47% 62 0.29% 134 0.62% 559 2.58% 21,708
Clearwater 2,437 60.70% 1,374 34.22% 57 1.42% 115 2.86% 32 0.80% 1,063 26.48% 4,015
Cook 1,018 47.79% 1,034 48.54% 41 1.92% 27 1.27% 10 0.47% -16 -0.75% 2,130
Cottonwood 3,813 48.52% 3,906 49.70% 85 1.08% 46 0.59% 9 0.11% -93 -1.18% 7,859
Crow Wing 10,653 54.45% 8,072 41.26% 284 1.45% 447 2.28% 108 0.55% 2,581 13.19% 19,564
Dakota 44,253 52.63% 37,542 44.65% 1,500 1.78% 400 0.48% 385 0.46% 6,711 7.98% 84,080
Dodge 3,009 45.60% 3,446 52.23% 67 1.02% 64 0.97% 12 0.18% -437 -6.62% 6,598
Douglas 7,097 53.30% 5,910 44.38% 138 1.04% 143 1.07% 28 0.21% 1,187 8.91% 13,316
Faribault 5,049 46.61% 5,577 51.48% 118 1.09% 68 0.63% 21 0.19% -528 -4.87% 10,833
Fillmore 4,758 43.42% 5,984 54.61% 135 1.23% 63 0.57% 17 0.16% -1,226 -11.19% 10,957
Freeborn 9,470 52.56% 8,220 45.62% 207 1.15% 61 0.34% 60 0.33% 1,250 6.94% 18,018
Goodhue 8,926 46.20% 9,967 51.59% 271 1.40% 108 0.56% 49 0.25% -1,041 -5.39% 19,321
Grant 2,624 60.49% 1,635 37.69% 57 1.31% 14 0.32% 8 0.18% 989 22.80% 4,338
Hennepin 257,380 53.25% 211,892 43.84% 9,376 1.94% 1,716 0.36% 3,014 0.62% 45,488 9.41% 483,378
Houston 3,861 43.26% 4,853 54.37% 137 1.53% 53 0.59% 22 0.25% -992 -11.11% 8,926
Hubbard 3,196 49.25% 2,985 46.00% 134 2.07% 162 2.50% 12 0.18% 211 3.25% 6,489
Isanti 6,013 63.85% 3,159 33.55% 135 1.43% 84 0.89% 26 0.28% 2,854 30.31% 9,417
Itasca 12,979 64.00% 6,646 32.77% 378 1.86% 155 0.76% 123 0.61% 6,333 31.23% 20,281
Jackson 4,311 59.16% 2,870 39.39% 82 1.13% 13 0.18% 11 0.15% 1,441 19.77% 7,287
Kanabec 3,188 60.03% 1,943 36.58% 78 1.47% 93 1.75% 9 0.17% 1,245 23.44% 5,311
Kandiyohi 9,992 58.33% 6,664 38.90% 254 1.48% 170 0.99% 50 0.29% 3,328 19.43% 17,130
Kittson 2,008 55.33% 1,555 42.85% 41 1.13% 13 0.36% 12 0.33% 453 12.48% 3,629
Koochiching 4,846 60.52% 2,893 36.13% 167 2.09% 67 0.84% 34 0.42% 1,953 24.39% 8,007
Lac qui Parle 3,647 60.13% 2,292 37.79% 58 0.96% 60 0.99% 8 0.13% 1,355 22.34% 6,065
Lake 2,973 53.10% 2,313 41.31% 158 2.82% 132 2.36% 23 0.41% 660 11.79% 5,599
Lake of the Woods 1,105 56.23% 757 38.52% 35 1.78% 52 2.65% 16 0.81% 348 17.71% 1,965
Le Sueur 6,556 57.60% 4,565 40.11% 143 1.26% 75 0.66% 42 0.37% 1,991 17.49% 11,381
Lincoln 2,594 60.79% 1,599 37.47% 40 0.94% 31 0.73% 3 0.07% 995 23.32% 4,267
Lyon 7,122 57.17% 5,036 40.42% 178 1.43% 74 0.59% 48 0.39% 2,086 16.74% 12,458
Mahnomen 1,590 60.85% 905 34.63% 70 2.68% 37 1.42% 11 0.42% 685 26.22% 2,613
Marshall 3,744 57.70% 2,605 40.14% 78 1.20% 45 0.69% 17 0.26% 1,139 17.55% 6,489
Martin 5,672 45.42% 6,484 51.92% 160 1.28% 155 1.24% 17 0.14% -812 -6.50% 12,488
McLeod 6,249 47.21% 6,519 49.24% 198 1.50% 140 1.06% 132 1.00% -270 -2.04% 13,238
Meeker 5,295 54.25% 4,097 41.97% 255 2.61% 89 0.91% 25 0.26% 1,198 12.27% 9,761
Mille Lacs 5,172 59.65% 3,212 37.05% 145 1.67% 105 1.21% 36 0.42% 1,960 22.61% 8,670
Morrison 8,176 61.50% 4,590 34.53% 256 1.93% 195 1.47% 77 0.58% 3,586 26.97% 13,294
Mower 12,837 59.74% 8,163 37.99% 290 1.35% 81 0.38% 116 0.54% 4,674 21.75% 21,487
Murray 3,685 57.59% 2,605 40.71% 86 1.34% 17 0.27% 6 0.09% 1,080 16.88% 6,399
Nicollet 5,777 47.18% 6,071 49.58% 258 2.11% 85 0.69% 54 0.44% -294 -2.40% 12,245
Nobles 6,034 56.21% 4,503 41.95% 135 1.26% 42 0.39% 21 0.20% 1,531 14.26% 10,735
Norman 2,946 58.78% 1,983 39.57% 47 0.94% 20 0.40% 16 0.32% 963 19.21% 5,012
Olmsted 14,676 37.02% 24,060 60.69% 487 1.23% 329 0.83% 95 0.24% -9,384 -23.67% 39,647
Otter Tail 11,881 48.47% 12,113 49.42% 312 1.27% 117 0.48% 87 0.35% -232 -0.95% 24,510
Pennington 3,787 54.50% 3,023 43.51% 58 0.83% 62 0.89% 18 0.26% 764 11.00% 6,948
Pine 5,442 61.24% 3,057 34.40% 170 1.91% 182 2.05% 36 0.41% 2,385 26.84% 8,887
Pipestone 3,272 51.12% 3,018 47.15% 87 1.36% 19 0.30% 5 0.08% 254 3.97% 6,401
Polk 9,078 56.62% 6,552 40.86% 190 1.18% 163 1.02% 51 0.32% 2,526 15.75% 16,034
Pope 3,746 61.14% 2,251 36.74% 58 0.95% 61 1.00% 11 0.18% 1,495 24.40% 6,127
Ramsey 133,682 58.62% 86,480 37.92% 4,908 2.15% 970 0.43% 2,027 0.89% 47,202 20.70% 228,067
Red Lake 1,748 67.23% 737 28.35% 42 1.62% 59 2.27% 14 0.54% 1,011 38.88% 2,600
Redwood 4,525 46.07% 4,926 50.15% 151 1.54% 200 2.04% 20 0.20% -401 -4.08% 9,822
Renville 5,762 54.64% 4,482 42.50% 166 1.57% 116 1.10% 19 0.18% 1,280 12.14% 10,545
Rice 10,590 54.01% 8,311 42.39% 419 2.14% 112 0.57% 175 0.89% 2,279 11.62% 19,607
Rock 2,769 48.25% 2,892 50.39% 47 0.82% 15 0.26% 16 0.28% -123 -2.14% 5,739
Roseau 3,215 55.90% 2,382 41.42% 50 0.87% 87 1.51% 17 0.30% 833 14.48% 5,751
St. Louis 75,040 65.78% 35,331 30.97% 2,256 1.98% 364 0.32% 1,084 0.95% 39,709 34.81% 114,075
Scott 9,912 56.34% 7,154 40.66% 336 1.91% 148 0.84% 43 0.24% 2,758 15.68% 17,593
Sherburne 6,678 58.36% 4,361 38.11% 234 2.05% 119 1.04% 50 0.44% 2,317 20.25% 11,442
Sibley 3,752 47.74% 3,871 49.25% 138 1.76% 84 1.07% 15 0.19% -119 -1.51% 7,860
Stearns 25,027 52.33% 19,574 40.93% 1,612 3.37% 1,290 2.70% 318 0.66% 5,453 11.40% 47,821
Steele 6,263 45.89% 7,053 51.68% 174 1.28% 92 0.67% 65 0.48% -790 -5.79% 13,647
Stevens 3,171 54.78% 2,484 42.91% 99 1.71% 17 0.29% 18 0.31% 687 11.87% 5,789
Swift 4,428 65.48% 2,190 32.39% 77 1.14% 51 0.75% 16 0.24% 2,238 33.10% 6,762
Todd 6,530 58.05% 4,278 38.03% 186 1.65% 200 1.78% 54 0.48% 2,252 20.02% 11,248
Traverse 2,020 62.99% 1,130 35.24% 41 1.28% 13 0.41% 3 0.09% 890 27.75% 3,207
Wabasha 4,286 47.36% 4,484 49.55% 174 1.92% 71 0.78% 34 0.38% -198 -2.19% 9,049
Wadena 3,164 49.25% 3,048 47.45% 80 1.25% 110 1.71% 22 0.34% 116 1.81% 6,424
Waseca 4,002 45.45% 4,582 52.04% 141 1.60% 49 0.56% 31 0.35% -580 -6.59% 8,805
Washington 26,454 54.45% 20,716 42.64% 892 1.84% 237 0.49% 284 0.58% 5,738 11.81% 48,583
Watonwan 3,177 47.69% 3,351 50.30% 79 1.19% 47 0.71% 8 0.12% -174 -2.61% 6,662
Wilkin 2,103 51.17% 1,882 45.79% 88 2.14% 28 0.68% 9 0.22% 221 5.38% 4,110
Winona 10,939 49.92% 10,436 47.62% 420 1.92% 66 0.30% 53 0.24% 503 2.30% 21,914
Wright 13,379 57.02% 9,314 39.69% 410 1.75% 291 1.24% 70 0.30% 4,065 17.32% 23,464
Yellow Medicine 4,337 58.12% 2,946 39.48% 96 1.29% 67 0.90% 16 0.21% 1,391 18.64% 7,462
Totals 1,070,440 54.90% 819,395 42.02% 35,490 1.82% 13,592 0.70% 11,014 0.56% 251,045 12.87% 1,949,931

See also

References

  1. ^ "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "Presidential Election of 1984".
  3. ^ "Minnesota Presidential Election Voting History".
  4. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  5. ^ "1976 Presidential Election Results, 1976". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
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