1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina
← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →
 
Nominee Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Georgia Michigan
Running mate Walter Mondale Bob Dole
Electoral vote 13 0
Popular vote 927,365 741,960
Percentage 55.27% 44.22%
President before election

Gerald R. Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elections in North Carolina
Federal government
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
State executive
Gubernatorial elections
Lieutenant Governor elections
Attorney General elections
Council of State elections
Secretary of State elections
State legislature
State Senate elections
State House elections
State judiciary
Judicial elections
Ballot measures
2012
Amendment 1
Mayoral elections
Charlotte mayoral elections
Cary mayoral elections
Durham mayoral elections
Fayetteville mayoral elections
Greensboro mayoral elections
Raleigh mayoral elections
Winston-Salem mayoral elections

The 1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 2, 1976, and 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.

51% of white voters supported Ford while 48% supported Carter.[1][2]

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time a Democrat won North Carolina with a majority of the vote, and the last time that North Carolina would vote Democratic in a presidential election until 2008. This is also the last time a Democrat has won Gaston County, Onslow County, Polk County, Johnston County, Iredell County, Alamance County, Rowan County, Craven County, Burke County, Caldwell County, Lincoln County, Surry County, Rutherford County, Carteret County, Stanly County, Beaufort County, Stokes County, McDowell County, Alexander County, Dare County, Macon County, Transylvania County, Cherokee County, Ashe County, Clay County, and Graham County.[3]

Primary Elections

Democratic primary

Former Georgia Governor 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% of the vote to Wallace's 35%. Sen. Scoop Jackson trailed far behind, with approximately 4%.[4] The North Carolina primary was the first in which Carter won an absolute majority and helped seal his ultimate nomination.[5] Wallace, who had won the North Carolina primary in 1972, was all but eliminated from the race by his defeat.[6]

Republican primary

Former California Governor Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent President Ford in the North Carolina Republican presidential primary on March 23, 1976, with approximately 52% 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.[7]

Predictions

Source Rating As of
The Atlanta Constitution[8] Safe D September 13, 1976
Simpson’s Leader-Times[9] Tilt D October 18, 1976
The Chapel Hill News[10] Tossup October 24, 1976
Sun Herald[11] Tilt D October 25, 1976
Kansas City Times[12] Tossup October 26, 1976
Daily News[13] Lean D October 27, 1976
Austin American-Statesman[14] Lean D October 31, 1976

Results

1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina[15]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Jimmy Carter 927,365 55.23% 13
Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent) 741,960 44.19% 0
American Thomas Anderson 5,607 0.33% 0
Libertarian Roger MacBride 2,219 0.13% 0
Write-in Eugene McCarthy 855 0.01% 0
US Labor Lyndon LaRouche 755 0.04% 0
Write-ins — 169 0.01% 0
Write-in Ronald Reagan 87 0.01% 0
Totals 1,677,906 100.0% 13
Voter turnout 54.52% —

Results by county

1976 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county[16]
County James Earl Carter
Democratic 		Gerald Rudolph Ford
Republican 		Thomas Jefferson Anderson
American 		Roger Lea MacBride
Libertarian 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin
% # % # % # % # % # % #
Robeson 80.53% 20,695 19.09% 4,907 0.21% 54 0.04% 9 0.13% 34 61.43% 15,788
Northampton 80.22% 5,118 19.40% 1,238 0.28% 18 0.03% 2 0.06% 4 60.82% 3,880
Bladen 79.18% 6,009 20.37% 1,546 0.34% 26 0.08% 6 0.03% 2 58.81% 4,463
Columbus 77.41% 11,148 22.11% 3,184 0.35% 51 0.06% 9 0.06% 9 55.30% 7,964
Hoke 77.27% 3,186 22.31% 920 0.19% 8 0.15% 6 0.07% 3 54.96% 2,266
Gates 75.66% 2,291 23.84% 722 0.13% 4 0.23% 7 0.13% 4 51.82% 1,569
Richmond 75.38% 8,793 24.41% 2,848 0.15% 17 0.05% 6 0.01% 1 50.96% 5,945
Bertie 75.27% 4,117 24.35% 1,332 0.24% 13 0.07% 4 0.07% 4 50.91% 2,785
Anson 74.65% 4,796 25.03% 1,608 0.14% 9 0.06% 4 0.12% 8 49.62% 3,188
Hertford 72.33% 3,986 27.53% 1,517 0.04% 2 0.04% 2 0.07% 4 44.80% 2,469
Martin 69.74% 4,518 29.81% 1,931 0.32% 21 0.06% 4 0.06% 4 39.94% 2,587
Scotland 69.32% 4,430 30.23% 1,932 0.25% 16 0.05% 3 0.16% 10 39.09% 2,498
Tyrrell 68.97% 900 30.88% 403 0.15% 2 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 38.08% 497
Warren 68.72% 3,185 30.79% 1,427 0.32% 15 0.09% 4 0.09% 4 37.93% 1,758
Camden 68.05% 1,231 31.07% 562 0.88% 16 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 36.98% 669
Pender 67.64% 4,422 31.55% 2,063 0.60% 39 0.09% 6 0.12% 8 36.08% 2,359
Jones 66.95% 2,016 31.48% 948 1.36% 41 0.10% 3 0.10% 3 35.47% 1,068
Caswell 67.54% 3,707 32.08% 1,761 0.35% 19 0.04% 2 0.00% 0 35.45% 1,946
Currituck 67.26% 1,999 32.10% 954 0.47% 14 0.03% 1 0.13% 4 35.16% 1,045
Franklin 66.75% 5,405 32.48% 2,630 0.54% 44 0.17% 14 0.05% 4 34.27% 2,775
Brunswick 66.66% 7,377 32.86% 3,636 0.33% 36 0.14% 15 0.02% 2 33.81% 3,741
Greene 66.41% 2,740 32.86% 1,356 0.34% 14 0.22% 9 0.17% 7 33.54% 1,384
Pamlico 65.85% 2,113 33.28% 1,068 0.59% 19 0.19% 6 0.09% 3 32.56% 1,045
Duplin 65.81% 7,696 33.45% 3,912 0.56% 66 0.10% 12 0.07% 8 32.36% 3,784
Washington 65.08% 2,840 34.05% 1,486 0.66% 29 0.07% 3 0.14% 6 31.03% 1,354
Perquimans 64.55% 1,666 35.22% 909 0.12% 3 0.08% 2 0.04% 1 29.33% 757
Chowan 64.43% 1,862 35.26% 1,019 0.24% 7 0.03% 1 0.03% 1 29.17% 843
Haywood 64.20% 10,692 35.33% 5,885 0.28% 47 0.11% 19 0.07% 12 28.86% 4,807
Cleveland 63.73% 14,406 35.86% 8,106 0.24% 55 0.07% 16 0.10% 22 27.87% 6,300
Granville 63.56% 5,244 35.81% 2,955 0.41% 34 0.11% 9 0.11% 9 27.74% 2,289
Hyde 63.10% 1,084 36.26% 623 0.41% 7 0.12% 2 0.12% 2 26.83% 461
Union 62.79% 10,578 36.71% 6,184 0.30% 50 0.11% 18 0.10% 17 26.08% 4,394
Cumberland 62.79% 24,297 36.77% 14,226 0.22% 87 0.14% 54 0.08% 30 26.03% 10,071
Orange 62.28% 15,755 36.77% 9,302 0.22% 55 0.39% 99 0.34% 86 25.51% 6,453
Alleghany 62.21% 2,550 37.37% 1,532 0.24% 10 0.07% 3 0.10% 4 24.84% 1,018
Edgecombe 61.69% 8,001 37.39% 4,850 0.78% 101 0.07% 9 0.07% 9 24.29% 3,151
Pasquotank 61.49% 4,302 37.89% 2,651 0.50% 35 0.09% 6 0.03% 2 23.60% 1,651
Rutherford 60.51% 10,361 39.23% 6,718 0.17% 29 0.06% 10 0.04% 6 21.27% 3,643
Harnett 59.99% 8,992 39.60% 5,935 0.26% 39 0.07% 10 0.08% 12 20.40% 3,057
Montgomery 59.72% 4,308 39.81% 2,872 0.25% 18 0.08% 6 0.14% 10 19.91% 1,436
Halifax 59.54% 7,892 39.66% 5,257 0.62% 82 0.09% 12 0.08% 11 19.88% 2,635
Chatham 59.62% 6,397 39.88% 4,279 0.21% 23 0.21% 23 0.07% 8 19.74% 2,118
Jackson 59.37% 5,223 40.19% 3,536 0.16% 14 0.11% 10 0.17% 15 19.17% 1,687
Vance 59.40% 5,620 40.30% 3,813 0.20% 19 0.07% 7 0.02% 2 19.10% 1,807
Yancey 59.13% 3,932 40.42% 2,688 0.29% 19 0.11% 7 0.06% 4 18.71% 1,244
Rockingham 58.64% 13,413 40.93% 9,362 0.29% 67 0.08% 18 0.05% 12 17.71% 4,051
Lincoln 58.36% 9,462 41.21% 6,682 0.30% 48 0.09% 15 0.04% 7 17.15% 2,780
Burke 58.32% 14,254 41.20% 10,070 0.27% 66 0.12% 30 0.08% 20 17.12% 4,184
Madison 58.23% 3,433 41.49% 2,446 0.10% 6 0.03% 2 0.15% 9 16.74% 987
McDowell 58.10% 6,246 41.40% 4,450 0.34% 37 0.06% 6 0.10% 11 16.71% 1,796
Lee 57.78% 5,104 41.78% 3,691 0.22% 19 0.15% 13 0.08% 7 16.00% 1,413
Alamance 57.43% 17,371 41.92% 12,680 0.46% 138 0.13% 38 0.07% 20 15.51% 4,691
Surry 57.31% 10,024 42.33% 7,403 0.26% 46 0.09% 15 0.01% 2 14.99% 2,621
Swain 57.04% 2,151 42.64% 1,608 0.19% 7 0.08% 3 0.05% 2 14.40% 543
Onslow 56.90% 7,954 42.59% 5,953 0.27% 38 0.12% 17 0.11% 16 14.32% 2,001
Person 56.52% 3,977 43.17% 3,038 0.21% 15 0.01% 1 0.09% 6 13.34% 939
Dare 56.31% 2,191 43.18% 1,680 0.31% 12 0.15% 6 0.05% 2 13.13% 511
Craven 55.75% 7,553 43.41% 5,881 0.52% 70 0.21% 28 0.12% 16 12.34% 1,672
Sampson 55.77% 8,869 43.82% 6,968 0.18% 28 0.14% 23 0.09% 14 11.95% 1,901
Beaufort 54.72% 5,728 44.68% 4,677 0.44% 46 0.11% 11 0.05% 5 10.04% 1,051
Carteret 54.72% 7,080 44.72% 5,786 0.42% 54 0.13% 17 0.02% 2 10.00% 1,294
Pitt 54.61% 11,636 44.73% 9,532 0.31% 66 0.18% 39 0.17% 36 9.87% 2,104
Johnston 54.56% 10,301 45.08% 8,511 0.23% 44 0.09% 17 0.04% 8 9.48% 1,790
Polk 54.28% 3,155 44.82% 2,605 0.83% 48 0.07% 4 0.00% 0 9.46% 550
Wilson 54.41% 8,209 45.04% 6,795 0.41% 62 0.08% 12 0.06% 9 9.37% 1,414
Caldwell 54.37% 11,894 45.13% 9,872 0.24% 52 0.15% 33 0.11% 24 9.24% 2,022
Macon 54.22% 4,403 45.23% 3,673 0.31% 25 0.12% 10 0.11% 9 8.99% 730
Buncombe 53.88% 26,633 45.44% 22,461 0.36% 177 0.17% 84 0.15% 73 8.44% 4,172
Durham 53.93% 22,425 45.56% 18,945 0.22% 90 0.14% 58 0.16% 66 8.37% 3,480
Gaston 53.48% 22,878 46.12% 19,727 0.21% 90 0.12% 51 0.07% 30 7.37% 3,151
Iredell 52.88% 13,295 46.03% 11,573 0.87% 218 0.10% 25 0.12% 31 6.85% 1,722
Alexander 53.00% 5,287 46.73% 4,661 0.20% 20 0.06% 6 0.01% 1 6.28% 626
Transylvania 52.71% 4,636 46.49% 4,089 0.53% 47 0.17% 15 0.09% 8 6.22% 547
Cherokee 52.14% 3,571 46.87% 3,210 0.88% 60 0.06% 4 0.06% 4 5.27% 361
Graham 52.31% 1,791 47.34% 1,621 0.23% 8 0.03% 1 0.09% 3 4.96% 170
Stokes 52.29% 6,647 47.43% 6,029 0.23% 29 0.01% 1 0.04% 5 4.86% 618
Clay 52.09% 1,569 47.41% 1,428 0.46% 14 0.03% 1 0.00% 0 4.68% 141
New Hanover 50.89% 14,504 48.02% 13,687 0.73% 208 0.20% 58 0.16% 45 2.87% 817
Nash 50.73% 8,937 48.12% 8,477 1.00% 176 0.11% 19 0.04% 7 2.61% 460
Ashe 51.14% 5,193 48.62% 4,937 0.19% 19 0.01% 1 0.05% 5 2.52% 256
Rowan 50.79% 15,363 48.41% 14,644 0.60% 183 0.08% 25 0.11% 33 2.38% 719
Stanly 50.92% 9,262 48.63% 8,845 0.34% 61 0.07% 12 0.05% 10 2.29% 417
Guilford 50.44% 46,826 48.94% 45,441 0.30% 274 0.17% 157 0.16% 146 1.49% 1,385
Mecklenburg 50.34% 63,198 49.16% 61,715 0.17% 211 0.17% 210 0.17% 215 1.18% 1,483
Forsyth 50.13% 39,561 49.27% 38,886 0.27% 211 0.15% 121 0.18% 145 0.86% 675
Wake 49.47% 44,005 49.80% 44,291 0.20% 182 0.31% 280 0.21% 188 -0.32% -286
Watauga 49.46% 5,358 49.85% 5,400 0.35% 38 0.16% 17 0.18% 20 -0.39% -42
Lenoir 49.41% 7,650 49.83% 7,715 0.56% 87 0.12% 19 0.08% 13 -0.42% -65
Moore 49.06% 7,373 50.41% 7,577 0.28% 42 0.16% 24 0.09% 14 -1.36% -204
Cabarrus 48.89% 12,049 50.54% 12,455 0.34% 85 0.13% 31 0.10% 24 -1.65% -406
Wayne 48.76% 9,265 50.56% 9,607 0.54% 103 0.05% 9 0.09% 17 -1.80% -342
Davidson 48.45% 17,859 51.03% 18,813 0.36% 132 0.12% 43 0.04% 16 -2.59% -954
Catawba 47.21% 16,862 52.34% 18,696 0.28% 101 0.10% 36 0.06% 23 -5.13% -1,834
Randolph 46.72% 12,714 52.69% 14,337 0.39% 107 0.12% 34 0.07% 20 -5.96% -1,623
Wilkes 46.19% 10,176 53.41% 11,768 0.25% 55 0.06% 14 0.09% 19 -7.23% -1,592
Davie 42.95% 3,635 56.39% 4,772 0.52% 44 0.08% 7 0.06% 5 -13.43% -1,137
Yadkin 42.95% 4,497 56.50% 5,916 0.46% 48 0.05% 5 0.05% 5 -13.55% -1,419
Henderson 42.57% 8,155 56.54% 10,830 0.66% 127 0.14% 27 0.09% 17 -13.96% -2,675
Avery 37.42% 1,869 61.76% 3,085 0.50% 25 0.10% 5 0.22% 11 -24.34% -1,216
Mitchell 35.13% 2,031 64.49% 3,728 0.24% 14 0.05% 3 0.09% 5 -29.35% -1,697

References

  1. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  2. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  4. ^ "Elections". geocities.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter
  6. ^ CQ Almanac
  7. ^ "How Jesse Helms Made the Reagan Revolution Possible". North Carolina History Project.
  8. ^ Joyce, Faye S. (September 13, 1976). "Southerners Favour Carter, Poll Shows". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 2-A.
  9. ^ "Strategists Think Carter Gaining in North Carolina". Simpson’s Leader-Times. Kittanning, Pennsylvania. October 18, 1976. p. 9.
  10. ^ "Race Dead Heat — Poll". The Chapel Hill News. October 24, 1976. p. 3.
  11. ^ Cullen, B. (October 25, 1976). "Presidential Candidates Will Go Where the "Hay" Is: Ford, Carter to Visit States with Largest Electoral Vote". Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi. pp. A-1, A-2.
  12. ^ Patterson, Kathleen (October 26, 1976). "South Still Hard To Peg". Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 10.
  13. ^ "The Strategies Vary". Daily News. New York City. October 27, 1976. p. 45.
  14. ^ "Electoral Votes: A Photo Finish — Polls". Austin American-Statesman. October 31, 1976. pp. A1, A6.
  15. ^ "1976 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina".
  16. ^ "NC US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.

Works cited

Categories