1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Flag of Wisconsin (1913-1981).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 vote110
Popular vote1,040,2321,004,987
Percentage49.50%47.83%

Wisconsin Presidential Election Results 1976.svg
County Results

President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

The 1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 2, 1976, as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Jimmy Carter won the state of Wisconsin with 49.50 percent of the vote [1] giving him 11 electoral votes.

Contents

In September, President Ford announced he would devote $20,000 to campaigning in Wisconsin. The state was one of ten he considered critical to defeating Carter, but Ford devoted less money to it than any of the others. [2] During his campaign, Ford focused chiefly on the Catholic working-class electorate in South Milwaukee, whose hierarchy had been disappointed Carter was not committed – following Roe v. Wade – to a constitutional amendment banning abortion. [3]

Carter himself responded by visiting white ethnic communities in the state during September. [4] His campaign amongst the Polish-Americans and Greek-Americans in the southeast of the state was strongly aimed at Ford's policy towards the totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe and their human rights violations. [5]

In early October, polls showed Wisconsin as a tossup. [6] Aided by a return of traditionally Democratic Catholic voters and a gain amongst nonpartisans, Carter established a lead in mid-October polls. [7] The Georgia Governor would retain this lead to election day, and carry Wisconsin by 1.68 points. This result nonetheless made Wisconsin 0.43% more Republican than the nation at large. Wisconsin was the tipping-point state of the election.[ citation needed ]

Ronald Reagan would flip Wisconsin back into the Republican column in 1980 and 1984, but Carter's victory was a sign of things to come for the state, as it would transition into a Democratic-leaning swing state in 1988, and would vote Republican only twice since then. This is the third most recent election in which Wisconsin voted for a different candidate than neighboring Iowa, a phenomenon that has only been repeated in 2004 and 2020.

Primaries

Democratic primaries

Despite the fact that at the time of this election Wisconsin had been dominated for a decade by very liberal Democrats like Senators Gaylord Nelson and William Proxmire, and had been the fifth-best state for George McGovern in his landslide 1972 presidential defeat, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won the state on a "nonideological" campaign in the April primaries, [8] despite claiming that price floors for dairy farmers in the nation's leading dairy state would need to be lowered. [9]

Republican primaries

Gerald Ford won the GOP primary against the insurgent conservative challenge of Ronald Reagan, saying that his win was largely due to the endorsement of Henry Kissinger. [10]

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin [1]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic Jimmy Carter 1,040,23249.50%11
Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent)1,004,98747.83%0
Independent Eugene McCarthy 34,9431.66%0
American Lester Maddox 8,5520.41%0
Independent Frank Zeidler 4,2980.20%0
Independent Roger L. MacBride 3,8140.18%0
Independent Peter Camejo 1,6910.08%0
Independent Margaret Wright 9430.04%0
Independent Gus Hall 7490.04%0
Independent Lyndon H. LaRouche 7380.04%0
Independent Julius Levin 3890.02%0
Totals2,101,336100.0%11

Results by county

CountyJimmy Carter
Democratic
Gerald Ford
Republican
Eugene McCarthy
Independent
Lester Maddox
American
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast [11]
# %# %# %# %# %# %
Adams 3,08955.28%2,37742.54%771.38%220.39%230.41%71212.74%5,588
Ashland 4,68858.89%3,04538.25%1311.65%430.54%540.68%1,64320.64%7,961
Barron 8,67852.97%7,39345.13%2051.25%620.38%440.27%1,2857.84%16,382
Bayfield 3,88558.05%2,62439.21%1362.03%180.27%300.45%1,26118.84%6,693
Brown 33,57246.47%36,57150.62%1,4802.05%3440.48%2760.38%-2,999-4.15%72,243
Buffalo 3,44853.65%2,84444.25%831.29%330.51%190.30%6049.40%6,427
Burnett 3,72057.74%2,57339.93%891.38%310.48%300.47%1,14717.81%6,443
Calumet 6,24147.53%6,58950.18%2211.68%420.32%390.30%-348-2.65%13,132
Chippewa 11,53857.42%8,13740.50%2701.34%930.46%550.27%3,40116.92%20,093
Clark 7,23852.67%6,09544.35%2041.48%1721.25%330.24%1,1438.32%13,742
Columbia 9,45747.52%10,07550.63%2351.18%670.34%660.33%-618-3.11%19,900
Crawford 3,62950.39%3,39347.11%1281.78%320.44%200.28%2363.28%7,202
Dane 82,32153.96%63,46641.60%4,6293.03%3690.24%1,7671.16%18,85512.36%152,552
Dodge 13,64343.12%17,33554.79%4641.47%1040.33%950.30%-3,692-11.67%31,641
Door 4,55339.88%6,55757.43%1981.73%460.40%630.55%-2,004-17.55%11,417
Douglas 13,47864.32%6,99933.40%3261.56%240.11%1290.62%6,47930.92%20,956
Dunn 7,88252.53%6,75144.99%2341.56%950.63%420.28%1,1317.54%15,004
Eau Claire 18,26351.66%16,38846.36%4911.39%730.21%1380.39%1,8755.30%35,353
Florence 96550.23%92248.00%281.46%20.10%40.21%432.23%1,921
Fond du Lac 16,57141.59%22,22655.79%6761.70%2240.56%1440.36%-5,655-14.20%39,841
Forest 2,57460.72%1,60437.84%431.01%120.28%60.14%97022.88%4,239
Grant 9,63943.41%12,01654.11%4161.87%570.26%790.36%-2,377-10.70%22,207
Green 5,63243.17%7,08554.31%1691.30%1120.86%480.37%-1,453-11.14%13,046
Green Lake 3,41139.69%5,02058.41%1111.29%330.38%200.23%-1,609-18.72%8,595
Iowa 4,25249.00%4,19548.34%1391.60%620.71%300.35%570.66%8,678
Iron 2,39963.13%1,34035.26%431.13%40.11%140.37%1,05927.87%3,800
Jackson 3,73551.42%3,40646.89%731.00%220.30%280.39%3294.53%7,264
Jefferson 12,57743.65%15,52853.89%4541.58%1310.45%1220.42%-2,951-10.24%28,812
Juneau 4,51249.71%4,24246.73%961.06%2012.21%260.29%2702.98%9,077
Kenosha 27,58553.82%22,34943.61%8321.62%2480.48%2360.46%5,23610.21%51,250
Kewaunee 4,60749.65%4,44747.93%1351.45%640.69%260.28%1601.72%9,279
La Crosse 16,67440.02%24,18858.06%5641.35%1010.24%1320.32%-7,514-18.04%41,659
Lafayette 3,83946.91%4,13150.48%1211.48%620.76%300.37%-292-3.57%8,183
Langlade 4,13446.29%4,63051.85%1221.37%250.28%190.21%-496-5.56%8,930
Lincoln 5,80049.48%5,67248.38%1761.50%420.36%330.28%1281.10%11,723
Manitowoc 19,81953.90%16,03943.62%5041.37%2930.80%1160.32%3,78010.28%36,771
Marathon 24,93451.94%21,89845.62%8111.69%2180.45%1400.29%3,0366.32%48,001
Marinette 8,48248.68%8,59149.30%2361.35%700.40%460.26%-109-0.62%17,425
Marquette 2,51648.30%2,60750.05%500.96%190.36%170.33%-91-1.75%5,209
Menominee 76668.27%32428.88%242.14%10.09%70.62%44239.39%1,122
Milwaukee 249,73954.75%192,00842.09%7,5081.65%1,7600.39%5,1451.13%57,73112.66%456,160
Monroe 6,46546.28%7,24251.85%1771.27%380.27%460.33%-777-5.57%13,968
Oconto 6,54150.21%6,23247.84%1401.07%750.58%390.30%3092.37%13,027
Oneida 7,21648.31%7,34749.19%2851.91%400.27%480.32%-131-0.88%14,936
Outagamie 23,07943.95%28,36354.02%7701.47%1550.30%1400.27%-5,284-10.07%52,507
Ozaukee 11,27135.36%19,81762.17%4881.53%1330.42%1680.53%-8,546-26.81%31,877
Pepin 1,95558.64%1,31239.35%441.32%190.57%40.12%64319.29%3,334
Pierce 8,03957.16%5,67640.36%2671.90%410.29%410.29%2,36316.80%14,064
Polk 8,48556.85%6,15941.27%2221.49%230.15%350.23%2,32615.58%14,924
Portage 15,91260.65%9,52036.28%6072.31%430.16%1550.59%6,39224.37%26,237
Price 4,02854.44%3,20443.30%1031.39%200.27%440.59%82411.14%7,399
Racine 36,74048.54%37,08849.00%1,2221.61%3280.43%3080.41%-348-0.46%75,686
Richland 3,63444.05%4,46654.14%961.16%320.39%210.25%-832-10.09%8,249
Rock 28,04848.56%28,32549.04%9331.62%2460.43%2100.36%-277-0.48%57,762
Rusk 4,05058.21%2,72439.15%1101.58%320.46%410.59%1,32619.06%6,957
Sauk 9,20447.88%9,57749.82%3051.59%920.48%450.23%-373-1.94%19,223
Sawyer 3,05550.04%2,72044.55%2614.28%180.29%510.84%3355.49%6,105
Shawano 6,75143.63%8,50554.97%910.59%1000.65%250.16%-1,754-11.34%15,472
Sheboygan 24,22651.65%22,33247.62%1680.36%1100.23%650.14%1,8944.03%46,901
St. Croix 10,60155.74%7,68540.41%5572.93%370.19%1370.72%2,91615.33%19,017
Taylor 4,10151.90%3,59145.45%1361.72%390.49%340.43%5106.45%7,901
Trempealeau 6,21853.05%5,34145.56%1171.00%250.21%210.18%8777.49%11,722
Vernon 5,53446.54%6,13251.56%1561.31%600.50%100.08%-598-5.02%11,892
Vilas 3,20938.61%4,92959.30%1081.30%360.43%300.36%-1,720-20.69%8,312
Walworth 12,41839.67%18,09157.79%5401.72%1250.40%1330.42%-5,673-18.12%31,307
Washburn 3,50354.30%2,78743.20%1141.77%280.43%190.29%71611.10%6,451
Washington 14,42242.33%18,79855.17%5091.49%1680.49%1730.51%-4,376-12.84%34,070
Waukesha 47,48739.26%70,41858.22%1,8151.50%5280.44%7050.58%-22,931-18.96%120,953
Waupaca 6,85738.00%10,84960.13%2021.12%680.38%670.37%-3,992-22.13%18,043
Waushara 3,48543.04%4,44954.94%961.19%300.37%380.47%-964-11.90%8,098
Winnebago 24,48542.16%32,14955.35%9541.64%2210.38%2730.47%-7,664-13.19%58,082
Wood 14,72847.58%15,47950.00%4381.41%2090.68%1030.33%-751-2.42%30,957
Totals1,040,23249.50%1,004,98747.83%34,9431.66%8,5520.41%12,6220.60%35,2451.67%2,101,336

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  2. Naughton, James M. (September 23, 1976). "Ford to Aim at New York, Jersey And 8 Other Key Industrial States: Ford Will Aim His Election Effort at 10 Major States". p. 85.
  3. "Ford Banks on Catholic". The Irish Times . September 10, 1976. p. 6.
  4. Naughton, James M. (October 10, 1976). "Remark by Ford Is Aid to Carter At Rally in Ohio: Carter, in Midwest, reaps an Ethnic Gain". The New York Times. p. 1.
  5. "Carter hits Ford about East Europe". The Irish Times. October 12, 1976. p. 7.
  6. "Poll Shows Carter Is Ahead in States Needed for Victory: But His Lead for Electoral Votes Is Found Small and Slipping Close Election Foreseen Poll Shows Carter Ahead in States With Majority in Electoral College". ]The New York Times. October 3, 1976. p. 1.
  7. Apple, R.W. (October 15, 1976). "Carter, Focusing on Ford Record, Gains Among Independents in Poll". The New York Times. p. 1.
  8. Apple, R. W. (April 2, 1976). "Carter Gains Among Wisconsin Liberals and Unions". The New York Times . p. 9. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  9. King, Seth S. (April 5, 1976). "Carter and Udall Vie in Wisconsin". The New York Times . p. 25. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. Naughton, James N. (April 8, 1976). "Ford Sees Wisconsin Vote As Kissinger Endorsement". The New York Times . p. 32. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  11. "WI US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.