1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee

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1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee
Flag of Tennessee.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 vote100
Popular vote825,879633,969
Percentage55.94%42.94%

Tennessee Presidential Election Results 1976.svg
TN-1976-pres-districts.svg

President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

The 1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on November 2, 1976. The Democratic Party candidate, former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter won the state of Tennessee with 56% of the vote against Republican Party candidate, President Gerald Ford, [1] carrying the state's 10 electoral votes.

Contents

As of the 2024 presidential election, this was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won more than 50% of the vote in Tennessee or carried the state by a double-digit margin. This is also the last election in which Williamson County, Sullivan County, Madison County, Hamblen County, Cumberland County, McMinn County, Loudon County, Monroe County, Rhea County, and Chester County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. [2]

Background

From 1966 to 1972, the Republicans won Tennessee in the presidential elections, both of the state's seats in the United States Senate, the governorship, and increased its membership in the U.S. House to four of the state's nine seats. However, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ray Blanton won in the 1974 election. [3]

Campaign

Carter won Tennessee and the Democratic nominee won in the concurrent senatorial election. [4] Among white voters, 51% supported Carter while 48% supported Ford. [5] [6]

Results

Electoral results
Presidential candidatePartyHome statePopular voteElectoral
vote
Running mate
CountPercentageVice-presidential candidateHome stateElectoral vote
Jimmy Carter Democratic Georgia 825,87955.94%10 Walter Mondale Minnesota 10
Gerald Ford (incumbent) Republican Michigan 633,96942.94%0 Bob Dole Kansas 0
Thomas J. Anderson Independent Tennessee 5,7690.39%0 Rufus Shackelford Florida 0
Eugene McCarthy Independent Minnesota 5,0040.34%00
Lester Maddox Independent Georgia 2,3030.16%0 William Dyke Wisconsin 0
Roger MacBride Independent Virginia 1,3750.09%0 David Bergland California 0
Gus Hall Independent New York 5470.04%0 Jarvis Tyner New York 0
Lyndon LaRouche Independent New York 5120.03%0 R. Wayne Evans Michigan 0
Benjamin Bubar Independent Maine 4420.03%0 Earl Dodge Colorado 0
Ernest Miller Independent 3160.02%0 Roy Eddy0
Write-ins 2300.02%00
Total1,476,346100%1010
Needed to win270270

Results by county

County [7] Jimmy Carter
Democratic
Gerald Ford
Republican
Thomas Anderson
Independent
Eugene McCarthy
Independent
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%#%#%
Anderson 13,45555.50%10,49443.29%600.25%1500.62%830.34%2,96112.21%24,242
Bedford 7,22869.79%3,02329.19%410.40%260.25%390.38%4,20540.60%10,357
Benton 4,08870.41%1,67828.90%210.36%90.16%100.17%2,41041.51%5,806
Bledsoe 1,75751.66%1,62047.63%90.26%70.21%80.24%1374.03%3,401
Blount 12,09646.10%13,85152.79%710.27%920.35%1300.50%-1,755-6.69%26,240
Bradley 8,77648.62%9,13650.61%280.16%420.23%690.38%-360-1.99%18,051
Campbell 5,20654.47%4,27744.75%290.30%150.16%300.31%9299.72%9,557
Cannon 2,46372.46%90826.71%150.44%50.15%80.24%1,55545.75%3,399
Carroll 5,58157.41%4,03141.47%480.49%190.20%420.43%1,55015.94%9,721
Carter 7,44345.08%8,93454.11%270.16%580.35%480.29%-1,491-9.03%16,510
Cheatham 4,22574.59%1,37624.29%300.53%100.18%230.41%2,84950.30%5,664
Chester 2,53256.05%1,94943.15%140.31%20.04%200.44%58312.90%4,517
Claiborne 3,46151.33%3,22747.86%190.28%150.22%210.31%2343.47%6,743
Clay 1,67162.40%98236.67%140.52%50.19%60.22%68925.73%2,678
Cocke 3,14138.22%5,00460.88%220.27%220.27%300.37%-1,863-22.66%8,219
Coffee 8,01766.78%3,84832.05%480.40%550.46%370.31%4,16934.73%12,005
Crockett 2,96363.08%1,69436.07%150.32%80.17%170.36%1,26927.01%4,697
Cumberland 4,54351.84%4,11947.00%420.48%220.25%370.42%4244.84%8,763
Davidson 99,00761.27%60,66237.54%5290.33%7850.49%6150.38%38,34523.73%161,598
DeKalb 2,43259.09%1,63739.77%150.36%120.29%200.49%79519.32%4,116
Decatur 3,22268.52%1,44330.69%90.19%140.30%140.30%1,77937.83%4,702
Dickson 6,55173.43%2,28525.61%320.36%150.17%390.44%4,26647.82%8,922
Dyer 5,93756.66%4,39141.91%560.53%150.14%790.75%1,54614.75%10,478
Fayette 3,85363.79%2,13335.31%190.31%110.18%240.40%1,72028.48%6,040
Fentress 1,95351.97%1,76747.02%110.29%120.32%150.40%1864.95%3,758
Franklin 6,78871.27%2,61927.50%270.28%370.39%530.56%4,16943.77%9,524
Gibson 10,35664.60%5,56334.70%420.26%300.19%400.25%4,79329.90%16,031
Giles 5,22572.09%1,95226.93%220.30%250.34%240.33%3,27345.16%7,248
Grainger 2,01841.50%2,80557.68%120.25%100.21%180.37%-787-16.18%4,863
Greene 7,07044.52%8,66454.56%530.33%500.31%430.27%-1,594-10.04%15,880
Grundy 2,85076.59%85022.84%120.32%20.05%70.19%2,00053.75%3,721
Hamblen 7,50451.30%6,98947.78%490.33%350.24%510.35%5153.52%14,628
Hamilton 45,34848.03%47,96950.80%3060.32%3040.32%4940.52%-2,621-2.77%94,421
Hancock 76436.56%1,30962.63%70.33%10.05%90.43%-545-26.07%2,090
Hardeman 3,93462.74%2,25435.95%250.40%130.21%440.70%1,68026.79%6,270
Hardin 3,43850.18%3,36249.07%90.13%130.19%300.44%761.11%6,852
Hawkins 5,93147.78%6,40751.62%240.19%150.12%350.28%-476-3.84%12,412
Haywood 3,68165.02%1,95234.48%130.23%50.09%100.18%1,72930.54%5,661
Henderson 3,36644.37%4,15254.73%200.26%130.17%350.46%-786-10.36%7,586
Henry 7,16272.48%2,58526.16%870.88%170.17%300.30%4,57746.32%9,881
Hickman 3,59074.99%1,15424.11%280.58%80.17%70.15%2,43650.88%4,787
Houston 1,99081.99%40716.77%100.41%80.33%120.49%1,58365.22%2,427
Humphreys 4,02174.28%1,33824.72%250.46%160.30%130.24%2,68349.56%5,413
Jackson 2,95982.91%59116.56%40.11%90.25%60.17%2,36866.35%3,569
Jefferson 3,99541.89%5,45957.23%260.27%260.27%320.34%-1,464-15.34%9,538
Johnson 1,46432.69%2,98666.68%110.25%60.13%110.25%-1,522-33.99%4,478
Knox 53,03448.03%56,01350.73%3670.33%6000.54%3950.36%-2,979-2.70%110,409
Lake 1,93375.83%59123.19%60.24%40.16%150.59%1,34252.64%2,549
Lauderdale 4,74769.03%2,10530.61%150.22%40.06%60.09%2,64238.42%6,877
Lawrence 7,14058.57%4,96740.75%330.27%240.20%260.21%2,17317.82%12,190
Lewis 2,39178.75%61720.32%110.36%80.26%90.30%1,77458.43%3,036
Lincoln 5,73276.24%1,72422.93%310.41%140.19%170.23%4,00853.31%7,518
Loudon 4,68350.72%4,45848.28%360.39%160.17%400.43%2252.44%9,233
Macon 1,95148.16%2,06350.93%210.52%90.22%70.17%-112-2.77%4,051
Madison 12,98952.67%11,36446.08%1190.48%640.26%1230.50%1,6256.59%24,659
Marion 4,61560.39%2,96538.80%160.21%80.10%380.50%1,65021.59%7,642
Marshall 4,45771.78%1,67426.96%530.85%90.14%160.26%2,78344.82%6,209
Maury 8,74761.32%5,32737.34%910.64%410.29%590.41%3,42023.98%14,265
McMinn 7,02051.12%6,63848.34%170.12%210.15%360.26%3822.78%13,732
McNairy 4,29355.49%3,38843.80%170.22%60.08%320.41%90511.69%7,736
Meigs 1,25455.93%97543.49%10.04%60.27%60.27%27912.44%2,242
Monroe 5,36849.91%5,33549.60%140.13%100.09%290.27%330.31%10,756
Montgomery 12,31066.73%5,92332.11%660.36%700.38%790.43%6,38734.62%18,448
Moore 1,10176.04%33122.86%70.48%20.14%70.48%77053.18%1,448
Morgan 2,95359.79%1,94939.46%150.30%110.22%110.22%1,00420.33%4,939
Obion 7,20469.81%2,98628.93%670.65%190.18%440.43%4,21840.88%10,320
Overton 3,89777.21%1,11522.09%120.24%20.04%210.42%2,78255.12%5,047
Perry 1,66075.42%52023.63%60.27%60.27%90.41%1,14051.79%2,201
Pickett 94848.77%98650.72%20.10%30.15%50.26%-38-1.95%1,944
Polk 3,28463.71%1,83535.60%140.27%90.17%130.25%1,44928.11%5,155
Putnam 8,48566.77%4,07932.10%340.27%600.47%500.39%4,40634.67%12,708
Rhea 3,73551.58%3,44947.63%190.26%110.15%270.37%2863.95%7,241
Roane 9,21655.89%7,12143.18%480.29%510.31%550.33%2,09512.71%16,491
Robertson 7,54774.62%2,50524.77%360.36%150.15%110.11%5,04249.85%10,114
Rutherford 14,85464.35%7,92134.32%950.41%1070.46%1050.45%6,93330.03%23,082
Scott 2,26047.78%2,43251.42%130.27%140.30%110.23%-172-3.64%4,730
Sequatchie 1,73360.98%1,06537.47%220.77%70.25%150.53%66823.51%2,842
Sevier 3,99333.80%7,60864.40%1020.86%490.41%620.52%-3,615-30.60%11,814
Shelby 147,89352.89%128,64646.01%6520.23%1,0860.39%1,3240.47%19,2476.88%279,601
Smith 3,75373.07%1,33225.93%280.55%70.14%160.31%2,42147.14%5,136
Stewart 2,44282.17%51017.16%40.13%50.17%110.37%1,93265.01%2,972
Sullivan 23,35349.94%22,08747.23%1,0032.14%1640.35%1550.33%1,2662.71%46,762
Sumner 13,84862.91%7,94636.10%1020.46%610.28%550.25%5,90226.81%22,012
Tipton 5,66762.47%3,32936.70%310.34%190.21%260.29%2,33825.77%9,072
Trousdale 1,38580.24%33219.24%30.17%20.12%40.23%1,05361.00%1,726
Unicoi 2,52643.69%3,21155.53%150.26%160.28%140.24%-685-11.84%5,782
Union 1,63147.18%1,80152.10%60.17%100.29%90.26%-170-4.92%3,457
Van Buren 1,08575.24%34623.99%30.21%20.14%60.42%73951.25%1,442
Warren 6,66673.13%2,36425.94%270.30%220.24%360.39%4,30247.19%9,115
Washington 13,95148.05%14,77050.87%840.29%1140.39%1130.39%-819-2.82%29,032
Wayne 1,89141.92%2,59757.57%100.22%80.18%50.11%-706-15.65%4,511
Weakley 6,60568.12%2,87529.65%1731.78%230.24%200.21%3,73038.47%9,696
White 3,87472.90%1,38226.01%310.58%190.36%80.15%2,49246.89%5,314
Williamson 8,18350.31%7,88048.44%1140.70%540.33%350.22%3031.87%16,266
Wilson 10,53768.59%4,69630.57%520.34%480.31%290.19%5,84138.02%15,362
Totals825,87955.94%633,96942.94%5,7690.39%5,0040.34%5,7250.39%191,91013.00%1,476,346

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Results by congressional district

In Tennessee Jimmy Carter won 6 out of the 8 congressional districts in the state while Ford won 2 out of the 8 congressional districts. [8]

District [8] CarterFord
1st46.4%53.6%
2nd49.2%50.8%
3rd52%48%
4th68%32%
5th63.2%36.8%
6th52.6%47.4%
7th57.7%42.3%

References

  1. "1976 Presidential General Election Results - Tennessee" . Retrieved May 10, 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. Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 201-202.
  4. Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 202.
  5. Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  6. Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  7. Our Campaigns; TN US President Race, November 02, 1976
  8. 1 2 "1976 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District". U.S. Presidential Election Results by Congressional District. Western Washington University. Retrieved May 19, 2025.

Works cited