1976 United States presidential election in Oregon
← 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 6 0
Popular vote 492,120 490,407
Percentage 47.78% 47.62%
County Results
President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

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

Oregon was narrowly won by incumbent President Gerald Ford (R–Michigan) with 47.78% of the popular vote, against Jimmy Carter (D–Georgia), with 47.62% of the popular vote. Separated by a margin of 1,713 votes, this was the closest state in the 1976 presidential election.[1] This was also the closest presidential election in Oregon since its statehood in 1859. Oregon voted in this election at just over 2% more Republican than the nation-at-large.

None of the third-party candidates amounted to a significant portion of the vote, but Eugene McCarthy (I–Minnesota) won 3.90% of the popular vote and came third overall in the nation. Despite losing in Oregon, Carter went on to win the national election and became the 39th president of the United States.

As of 2020, this is the last occasion when Crook County, Wheeler County and Linn County have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[2] It was to end almost a century as a bellwether for Crook County, which was to become solidly Republican following the "Reagan Revolution".[3] Clackamas County, which supported Ford, would not vote for a losing presidential nominee again until 2016. This was the last election in which Oregon would vote Republican in a close presidential election, as well as in which it would vote for a losing Republican, as of 2020. This was also the last time that Oregon voted more Republican than Texas.

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Oregon[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gerald Ford (inc.) 492,120 47.78%
Democratic Jimmy Carter 490,407 47.62%
Independent Eugene McCarthy 40,207 3.90%
Write-in[a] 7,142 0.69%
Total votes 1,029,876 100%

Results by county

County Gerald Rudolph Ford
Republican 		James Earl Carter
Democratic 		Eugene Joseph McCarthy[5]
Independent 		Various candidates[5]
Write-ins 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Baker 3,340 48.27% 3,306 47.78% 225 3.25% 48 0.69% 34 0.49% 6,919
Benton 15,555 53.08% 11,887 40.56% 1,635 5.58% 230 0.78% 3,668 12.52% 29,307
Clackamas 47,671 50.74% 42,504 45.24% 3,318 3.53% 466 0.50% 5,167 5.50% 93,959
Clatsop 6,178 45.37% 6,690 49.13% 684 5.02% 64 0.47% -512 -3.76% 13,616
Columbia 5,226 37.71% 8,005 57.76% 521 3.76% 107 0.77% -2,779 -20.05% 13,859
Coos 9,481 38.35% 14,168 57.30% 924 3.74% 152 0.61% -4,687 -18.96% 24,725
Crook 2,093 43.81% 2,536 53.09% 102 2.14% 46 0.96% -443 -9.27% 4,777
Curry 2,962 45.52% 3,227 49.59% 294 4.52% 24 0.37% -265 -4.07% 6,507
Deschutes 9,054 46.71% 9,480 48.91% 729 3.76% 119 0.61% -426 -2.20% 19,382
Douglas 16,500 50.04% 14,965 45.39% 1,187 3.60% 321 0.97% 1,535 4.66% 32,973
Gilliam 612 52.49% 508 43.57% 36 3.09% 10 0.86% 104 8.92% 1,166
Grant 1,640 51.15% 1,393 43.45% 148 4.62% 25 0.78% 247 7.70% 3,206
Harney 1,652 48.49% 1,567 45.99% 163 4.78% 25 0.73% 85 2.49% 3,407
Hood River 3,210 48.37% 3,114 46.93% 287 4.32% 25 0.38% 96 1.45% 6,636
Jackson 24,237 48.25% 23,384 46.55% 1,926 3.83% 689 1.37% 853 1.70% 50,236
Jefferson 1,810 47.92% 1,769 46.84% 153 4.05% 45 1.19% 41 1.09% 3,777
Josephine 10,726 50.81% 9,061 42.92% 899 4.26% 424 2.01% 1,665 7.89% 21,110
Klamath 11,649 52.50% 9,659 43.53% 652 2.94% 227 1.02% 1,990 8.97% 22,187
Lake 1,575 51.00% 1,381 44.72% 102 3.30% 30 0.97% 194 6.28% 3,088
Lane 46,245 42.67% 56,479 52.12% 4,769 4.40% 874 0.81% -10,234 -9.44% 108,367
Lincoln 5,755 43.60% 6,685 50.65% 685 5.19% 74 0.56% -930 -7.05% 13,199
Linn 14,128 45.22% 15,776 50.50% 1,198 3.83% 139 0.44% -1,648 -5.28% 31,241
Malheur 5,682 59.13% 3,507 36.49% 368 3.83% 53 0.55% 2,175 22.63% 9,610
Marion 35,497 49.08% 33,781 46.70% 2,678 3.70% 375 0.52% 1,716 2.37% 72,331
Morrow 1,091 46.09% 1,162 49.09% 78 3.30% 36 1.52% -71 -3.00% 2,367
Multnomah 112,400 46.04% 129,060 52.86% 1,064 0.44% 1,635 0.67% -16,660 -6.82% 244,159
Polk 8,528 48.65% 8,141 46.44% 752 4.29% 109 0.62% 387 2.21% 17,530
Sherman 567 51.13% 491 44.27% 48 4.33% 3 0.27% 76 6.85% 1,109
Tillamook 4,033 45.48% 4,456 50.25% 337 3.80% 41 0.46% -423 -4.77% 8,867
Umatilla 9,345 51.83% 7,985 44.28% 599 3.33% 102 0.57% 1,360 7.54% 18,031
Union 5,111 52.00% 4,280 43.54% 397 4.04% 41 0.42% 831 8.45% 9,829
Wallowa 1,693 53.76% 1,310 41.60% 110 3.49% 36 1.14% 383 12.16% 3,149
Wasco 4,258 46.08% 4,560 49.35% 350 3.79% 72 0.78% -302 -3.27% 9,240
Washington 52,376 57.80% 34,847 38.46% 2,999 3.31% 389 0.43% 17,529 19.35% 90,611
Wheeler 355 45.57% 402 51.60% 17 2.18% 5 0.64% -47 -6.03% 779
Yamhill 9,885 50.38% 8,881 45.27% 773 3.94% 81 0.41% 1,004 5.12% 19,620
Totals 492,120 47.78% 490,407 47.62% 40,207 3.90% 7,142[a] 0.69% 1,713 0.17% 1,029,876

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Amongst these are 1,035 write-ins for national American Party candidate Thomas J. Anderson, which were not separated by county but given only as a statewide total.[5]

References

  1. ^ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S Presidential Elections; 1976 Presidential Election Statistics
  2. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ Lewis-Beck; Michael S.; 'Election Forecasts in 1984: How Accurate Were They'; Political Science and Politics 18(1) (January 1985), pp. 53-63
  4. ^ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S Presidential Elections; 1976 Presidential General Election Results – Oregon
  5. ^ a b c Our Campaigns; OR US President, November 02, 1976
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