1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi

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1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi
Flag of Mississippi (1894-1996).svg
  1972 November 2, 1976 1980  
  Jimmy Carter 1977 cropped.jpg Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg
Nominee Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Georgia Michigan
Running mate Walter Mondale Bob Dole
Electoral vote70
Popular vote381,309366,846
Percentage49.56%47.68%

Mississippi Presidential Election Results 1976.svg
County Results

President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Gerald Ford campaigning in Gulfport, Mississippi President Ford during a campaign stop - NARA - 7027915.jpg
Gerald Ford campaigning in Gulfport, Mississippi

The 1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi was held on November 2, 1976. The Democratic Party candidate Jimmy Carter won the state of Mississippi. He narrowly won the state with 49.56% of the vote, and all seven of the state's electors were pledged to Carter. [1]

Contents

In the 1972 election, Mississippi had Richard Nixon's strongest showing in the country, giving him 78% of the vote. Carter managed to carry Mississippi in 1976 by a slim margin of 1.88% against incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford. At that time, Carter’s performance in Mississippi was the narrowest victory for a post-Reconstruction Democratic presidential candidate, as he failed to win a majority of the vote. This was also the first time since 1848 that the state was decided by a single-digit margin.

While Carter performed well in northern Mississippi and in Black majority counties along the Mississippi River, President Ford’s wins in Hinds County (Jackson) and neighboring Rankin County, both of which were won with over sixty percent of the vote, along with a substantial win in Harrison County (Biloxi and Gulfport), kept the race in Mississippi extremely close.

As of the 2020 presidential election , this is the last time a Democrat won the state of Mississippi, as well as Hancock County, Neshoba County, DeSoto County, Carroll County, Covington County, Pearl River County, George County, Wayne County, Stone County, Greene County, Perry County, and Webster County. [2]

60% of white voters supported Ford while 36% supported Carter. [3] [4]

Predictions

SourceRatingAs of
The Atlanta Constitution [5] Likely D (Flip)September 13, 1976
Kansas City Times [6] Lean ROctober 26, 1976
Daily News [7] TossupOctober 27, 1976
Sun Herald [8] Lean ROctober 31, 1976
Austin American-Statesman [9] Lean ROctober 31, 1976

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi [1]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic Jimmy Carter 381,30949.56%7
Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent)366,84547.68%0
Mississippi American Thomas J. Anderson 6,6780.87%0
Independent Lester Maddox 4,8610.63%0
Independent Eugene McCarthy 4,0740.53%0
Independent Peter Camejo 2,8050.36%0
Independent Roger MacBride 2,7870.36%0
Totals769,363100.0%7

Results by county

County [10] Jimmy Carter
Democratic
Gerald Ford
Republican
Thomas Anderson
Mississippi American
Lester Maddox
Independent
Eugene McCarthy
Independent
Peter Camejo
Independent
Roger MacBride
Independent
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %# %# %# %
Adams 6,61947.75%6,43146.40%800.58%1531.10%560.40%2271.64%2952.13%1881.35%13,861
Alcorn 6,99564.95%3,43031.85%960.89%1211.12%590.55%360.33%330.31%3,56533.10%10,770
Amite 2,57451.49%2,25645.13%611.22%450.90%200.40%240.48%190.38%3186.36%4,999
Attala 4,06854.80%3,14642.38%640.86%640.86%350.47%230.31%230.31%92212.42%7,423
Benton 2,37574.01%79024.62%250.78%190.59%00.00%00.00%00.00%1,58549.39%3,209
Bolivar 7,56158.73%5,13639.89%1020.79%200.16%310.24%120.09%130.10%2,42518.84%12,875
Calhoun 2,72456.89%1,89239.52%701.46%340.71%240.50%260.54%180.38%83217.37%4,788
Carroll 1,56649.45%1,56149.29%150.47%130.41%50.16%30.09%40.13%50.16%3,167
Chickasaw 2,89150.52%2,58145.10%661.15%540.94%470.82%450.79%390.68%3105.42%5,723
Choctaw 1,52047.93%1,56149.23%361.14%180.57%170.54%70.22%120.38%-41-1.30%3,171
Claiborne 2,65768.98%1,07827.99%360.93%110.29%230.60%130.34%340.88%1,57940.99%3,852
Clarke 2,81646.97%2,93548.96%450.75%661.10%510.85%410.68%410.68%-119-1.99%5,995
Clay 3,51451.40%3,01744.13%640.94%791.16%610.89%550.80%470.69%4977.27%6,837
Coahoma 6,41257.70%4,26938.41%1040.94%1090.98%1060.95%630.57%500.45%2,14319.29%11,113
Copiah 4,26749.35%4,10847.51%680.79%640.74%430.50%510.59%450.52%1591.84%8,646
Covington 2,86251.40%2,59146.53%330.59%210.38%230.41%190.34%190.34%2714.87%5,568
DeSoto 7,75654.19%6,24043.60%780.54%690.48%880.61%460.32%350.24%1,51610.59%14,312
Forrest 7,91441.39%10,77056.33%1670.87%930.49%950.50%420.22%390.20%-2,856-14.94%19,120
Franklin 1,57846.48%1,71950.63%290.85%310.91%170.50%120.35%90.27%-141-4.15%3,395
George 3,07258.75%1,95737.43%561.07%390.75%440.84%340.65%270.52%1,11521.32%5,229
Greene 2,12756.42%1,53840.80%160.42%340.90%170.45%150.40%230.61%58915.62%3,770
Grenada 3,26346.48%3,56950.84%721.03%250.36%450.64%290.41%170.24%-306-4.36%7,020
Hancock 3,85549.16%3,76548.01%470.60%680.87%440.56%350.45%280.36%901.15%7,842
Harrison 16,56944.61%19,20751.72%3610.97%3280.88%3010.81%2070.56%1660.45%-2,638-7.11%37,139
Hinds 28,74837.95%45,80360.46%4150.55%2610.34%2700.36%1140.15%1450.19%-17,055-22.51%75,756
Holmes 4,61664.08%2,43833.85%540.75%370.51%230.32%150.21%200.28%2,17830.23%7,203
Humphreys 2,17257.55%1,44538.29%391.03%370.98%401.06%200.53%210.56%72719.26%3,774
Issaquena 56759.43%32534.07%191.99%171.78%161.68%80.84%20.21%24225.36%954
Itawamba 4,48066.82%2,15332.11%250.37%100.15%230.34%60.09%80.12%2,32734.71%6,705
Jackson 12,53340.32%17,17755.26%3321.07%3941.27%2480.80%2010.65%1970.63%-4,644-14.94%31,082
Jasper 3,10956.39%2,35642.74%280.51%120.22%40.07%20.04%20.04%75313.65%5,513
Jefferson 2,56274.78%78222.83%210.61%180.53%190.55%110.32%130.38%1,78051.95%3,426
Jefferson Davis 2,74758.47%1,86839.76%250.53%130.28%130.28%150.32%170.36%87918.71%4,698
Jones 10,13947.04%11,09851.49%1020.47%810.38%630.29%280.13%410.19%-959-4.45%21,552
Kemper 2,43658.56%1,68040.38%230.55%140.34%40.10%30.07%00.00%75618.18%4,160
Lafayette 4,37552.39%3,73544.73%570.68%580.69%640.77%400.48%220.26%6407.66%8,351
Lamar 3,10941.93%4,05654.71%971.31%891.20%350.47%70.09%210.28%-947-12.78%7,414
Lauderdale 9,81340.14%14,27358.39%1310.54%1340.55%450.18%170.07%330.13%-4,460-18.25%24,446
Lawrence 2,24250.54%2,10947.54%330.74%190.43%160.36%70.16%100.23%1333.00%4,436
Leake 3,41552.47%2,95245.36%390.60%330.51%270.41%290.45%130.20%4637.11%6,508
Lee 8,50452.07%7,36645.10%2291.40%490.30%1090.67%520.32%240.15%1,1386.97%16,333
Leflore 6,13548.73%5,87246.64%2552.03%740.59%1291.02%850.68%390.31%2632.09%12,589
Lincoln 4,04338.90%6,08458.55%720.69%850.82%470.45%370.36%240.23%-2,041-19.65%10,392
Lowndes 6,18142.05%8,00354.44%2751.87%680.46%630.43%550.37%550.37%-1,822-12.39%14,700
Madison 6,24055.14%4,83842.75%1201.06%500.44%310.27%90.08%280.25%1,40212.39%11,316
Marion 5,28349.20%5,30049.36%660.61%280.26%230.21%170.16%200.19%-17-0.16%10,737
Marshall 6,76973.37%2,24224.30%490.53%470.51%500.54%310.34%380.41%4,52749.07%9,226
Monroe 6,09754.27%4,73742.17%1000.89%750.67%910.81%680.61%660.59%1,36012.10%11,234
Montgomery 2,41049.93%2,27847.19%420.87%320.66%330.68%170.35%150.31%1322.74%4,827
Neshoba 3,89149.76%3,85949.35%250.32%230.29%80.10%50.06%80.10%320.41%7,819
Newton 2,74140.97%3,81357.00%1141.70%80.12%80.12%30.04%30.04%-1,072-16.03%6,690
Noxubee 2,12151.28%1,86044.97%451.09%390.94%360.87%260.63%90.22%2616.31%4,136
Oktibbeha 4,33944.62%5,19453.41%610.63%270.28%460.47%200.21%380.39%-855-8.79%9,725
Panola 5,51760.85%3,34136.85%700.77%350.39%450.50%310.34%280.31%2,17624.00%9,067
Pearl River 5,02451.98%4,33244.82%560.58%1051.09%740.77%320.33%420.43%6927.16%9,665
Perry 1,96552.75%1,52740.99%1123.01%391.05%381.02%240.64%200.54%43811.76%3,725
Pike 5,74948.92%5,65948.16%1090.93%1030.88%540.46%280.24%490.42%900.76%11,751
Pontotoc 4,06662.64%2,24534.59%771.19%310.48%260.40%180.28%280.43%1,82128.05%6,491
Prentiss 4,43163.51%2,36233.85%440.63%420.60%460.66%290.42%230.33%2,06929.66%6,977
Quitman 2,62164.80%1,28731.82%340.84%250.62%300.74%230.57%250.62%1,33432.98%4,045
Rankin 6,93736.75%11,50760.95%1330.70%1250.66%830.44%540.29%390.21%-4,570-24.20%18,878
Scott 3,64348.78%3,64948.86%610.82%590.79%250.33%140.19%170.23%-6-0.08%7,468
Sharkey 1,28352.39%1,02441.81%431.76%230.94%331.35%210.86%220.90%25910.58%2,449
Simpson 3,60045.23%4,29153.91%330.41%220.28%110.14%10.01%20.03%-691-8.68%7,960
Smith 2,43442.35%3,14754.75%320.56%530.92%320.56%200.35%300.52%-713-12.40%5,748
Stone 1,64850.27%1,57548.05%260.79%90.27%50.15%10.03%140.43%732.22%3,278
Sunflower 4,32253.86%3,45643.07%690.86%460.57%490.61%470.59%350.44%86610.79%8,024
Tallahatchie 2,99156.95%2,14640.86%370.70%290.55%200.38%170.32%120.23%84516.09%5,252
Tate 3,74758.22%2,49738.80%510.79%570.89%400.62%200.31%240.37%1,25019.42%6,436
Tippah 4,26067.90%1,88730.08%470.75%260.41%250.40%150.24%140.22%2,37337.82%6,274
Tishomingo 3,73463.95%1,96933.72%530.91%280.48%200.34%200.34%150.26%1,76530.23%5,839
Tunica 1,69561.50%95134.51%230.83%240.87%331.20%170.62%130.47%74426.99%2,756
Union 5,02165.56%2,50732.73%520.68%380.50%200.26%90.12%120.16%2,51432.83%7,659
Walthall 2,65053.79%2,11042.83%501.01%400.81%440.89%230.47%100.20%54010.96%4,927
Warren 6,29940.11%8,69955.39%2311.47%1440.92%1520.97%1000.64%800.51%-2,400-15.28%15,705
Washington 9,65053.17%7,47441.18%3461.91%1530.84%2221.22%1360.75%1680.93%2,17611.99%18,149
Wayne 3,30651.48%3,02247.06%140.22%360.56%100.16%130.20%210.33%2844.42%6,422
Webster 2,21851.81%1,94345.39%441.03%370.86%150.35%110.26%130.30%2756.42%4,281
Wilkinson 2,51465.38%1,27333.11%160.42%130.34%110.29%70.18%110.29%1,24132.27%3,845
Winston 3,95650.77%3,65946.96%600.77%340.44%370.47%280.36%180.23%2973.81%7,792
Yalobusha 2,60357.81%1,80840.15%320.71%300.67%70.16%140.31%90.20%79517.66%4,503
Yazoo 4,05347.85%4,25550.23%420.50%450.53%310.37%190.22%260.31%-202-2.38%8,471
Totals381,30949.56%366,84647.68%6,6780.87%4,8610.63%4,0740.53%2,8050.36%2,7870.36%14,4631.88%769,360

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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References

  1. 1 2 "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Mississippi" . Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  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. Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  5. Joyce, Faye S. (September 13, 1976). "Southerners Favour Carter, Poll Shows". The Atlanta Constitution . p. 2-A.
  6. Patterson, Kathleen (October 26, 1976). "South Still Hard To Peg". Kansas City Times . Kansas City, Missouri. p. 10.
  7. "Convention Wounds Remain". Daily News . New York City. October 27, 1976. p. 45.
  8. "Political Science Majors Predict Ford Win". Sun Herald . Biloxi, Mississippi. October 31, 1976. p. D-11.
  9. "Electoral Votes: A Photo Finish — Polls". Austin American-Statesman . October 31, 1976. pp. A1, A6.
  10. "MS US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.

Works cited