1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi

Main article: 1976 United States presidential election
1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi
← 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 7 0
Popular vote 381,309 366,846
Percentage 49.56% 47.68%
County Results
President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elections in Mississippi
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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]

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 2024 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

Source Rating As of
The Atlanta Constitution[5] Likely D (Flip) September 13, 1976
Kansas City Times[6] Lean R October 26, 1976
Daily News[7] Tossup October 27, 1976
Sun Herald[8] Lean R October 31, 1976
Austin American-Statesman[9] Lean R October 31, 1976

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi[1]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Jimmy Carter 381,309 49.56% 7
Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent) 366,845 47.68% 0
Mississippi American Thomas J. Anderson 6,678 0.87% 0
Independent Lester Maddox 4,861 0.63% 0
Independent Eugene McCarthy 4,074 0.53% 0
Independent Peter Camejo 2,805 0.36% 0
Independent Roger MacBride 2,787 0.36% 0
Totals 769,363 100.0% 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 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 6,619 47.75% 6,431 46.40% 80 0.58% 153 1.10% 56 0.40% 227 1.64% 295 2.13% 188 1.35% 13,861
Alcorn 6,995 64.95% 3,430 31.85% 96 0.89% 121 1.12% 59 0.55% 36 0.33% 33 0.31% 3,565 33.10% 10,770
Amite 2,574 51.49% 2,256 45.13% 61 1.22% 45 0.90% 20 0.40% 24 0.48% 19 0.38% 318 6.36% 4,999
Attala 4,068 54.80% 3,146 42.38% 64 0.86% 64 0.86% 35 0.47% 23 0.31% 23 0.31% 922 12.42% 7,423
Benton 2,375 74.01% 790 24.62% 25 0.78% 19 0.59% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,585 49.39% 3,209
Bolivar 7,561 58.73% 5,136 39.89% 102 0.79% 20 0.16% 31 0.24% 12 0.09% 13 0.10% 2,425 18.84% 12,875
Calhoun 2,724 56.89% 1,892 39.52% 70 1.46% 34 0.71% 24 0.50% 26 0.54% 18 0.38% 832 17.37% 4,788
Carroll 1,566 49.45% 1,561 49.29% 15 0.47% 13 0.41% 5 0.16% 3 0.09% 4 0.13% 5 0.16% 3,167
Chickasaw 2,891 50.52% 2,581 45.10% 66 1.15% 54 0.94% 47 0.82% 45 0.79% 39 0.68% 310 5.42% 5,723
Choctaw 1,520 47.93% 1,561 49.23% 36 1.14% 18 0.57% 17 0.54% 7 0.22% 12 0.38% -41 -1.30% 3,171
Claiborne 2,657 68.98% 1,078 27.99% 36 0.93% 11 0.29% 23 0.60% 13 0.34% 34 0.88% 1,579 40.99% 3,852
Clarke 2,816 46.97% 2,935 48.96% 45 0.75% 66 1.10% 51 0.85% 41 0.68% 41 0.68% -119 -1.99% 5,995
Clay 3,514 51.40% 3,017 44.13% 64 0.94% 79 1.16% 61 0.89% 55 0.80% 47 0.69% 497 7.27% 6,837
Coahoma 6,412 57.70% 4,269 38.41% 104 0.94% 109 0.98% 106 0.95% 63 0.57% 50 0.45% 2,143 19.29% 11,113
Copiah 4,267 49.35% 4,108 47.51% 68 0.79% 64 0.74% 43 0.50% 51 0.59% 45 0.52% 159 1.84% 8,646
Covington 2,862 51.40% 2,591 46.53% 33 0.59% 21 0.38% 23 0.41% 19 0.34% 19 0.34% 271 4.87% 5,568
DeSoto 7,756 54.19% 6,240 43.60% 78 0.54% 69 0.48% 88 0.61% 46 0.32% 35 0.24% 1,516 10.59% 14,312
Forrest 7,914 41.39% 10,770 56.33% 167 0.87% 93 0.49% 95 0.50% 42 0.22% 39 0.20% -2,856 -14.94% 19,120
Franklin 1,578 46.48% 1,719 50.63% 29 0.85% 31 0.91% 17 0.50% 12 0.35% 9 0.27% -141 -4.15% 3,395
George 3,072 58.75% 1,957 37.43% 56 1.07% 39 0.75% 44 0.84% 34 0.65% 27 0.52% 1,115 21.32% 5,229
Greene 2,127 56.42% 1,538 40.80% 16 0.42% 34 0.90% 17 0.45% 15 0.40% 23 0.61% 589 15.62% 3,770
Grenada 3,263 46.48% 3,569 50.84% 72 1.03% 25 0.36% 45 0.64% 29 0.41% 17 0.24% -306 -4.36% 7,020
Hancock 3,855 49.16% 3,765 48.01% 47 0.60% 68 0.87% 44 0.56% 35 0.45% 28 0.36% 90 1.15% 7,842
Harrison 16,569 44.61% 19,207 51.72% 361 0.97% 328 0.88% 301 0.81% 207 0.56% 166 0.45% -2,638 -7.11% 37,139
Hinds 28,748 37.95% 45,803 60.46% 415 0.55% 261 0.34% 270 0.36% 114 0.15% 145 0.19% -17,055 -22.51% 75,756
Holmes 4,616 64.08% 2,438 33.85% 54 0.75% 37 0.51% 23 0.32% 15 0.21% 20 0.28% 2,178 30.23% 7,203
Humphreys 2,172 57.55% 1,445 38.29% 39 1.03% 37 0.98% 40 1.06% 20 0.53% 21 0.56% 727 19.26% 3,774
Issaquena 567 59.43% 325 34.07% 19 1.99% 17 1.78% 16 1.68% 8 0.84% 2 0.21% 242 25.36% 954
Itawamba 4,480 66.82% 2,153 32.11% 25 0.37% 10 0.15% 23 0.34% 6 0.09% 8 0.12% 2,327 34.71% 6,705
Jackson 12,533 40.32% 17,177 55.26% 332 1.07% 394 1.27% 248 0.80% 201 0.65% 197 0.63% -4,644 -14.94% 31,082
Jasper 3,109 56.39% 2,356 42.74% 28 0.51% 12 0.22% 4 0.07% 2 0.04% 2 0.04% 753 13.65% 5,513
Jefferson 2,562 74.78% 782 22.83% 21 0.61% 18 0.53% 19 0.55% 11 0.32% 13 0.38% 1,780 51.95% 3,426
Jefferson Davis 2,747 58.47% 1,868 39.76% 25 0.53% 13 0.28% 13 0.28% 15 0.32% 17 0.36% 879 18.71% 4,698
Jones 10,139 47.04% 11,098 51.49% 102 0.47% 81 0.38% 63 0.29% 28 0.13% 41 0.19% -959 -4.45% 21,552
Kemper 2,436 58.56% 1,680 40.38% 23 0.55% 14 0.34% 4 0.10% 3 0.07% 0 0.00% 756 18.18% 4,160
Lafayette 4,375 52.39% 3,735 44.73% 57 0.68% 58 0.69% 64 0.77% 40 0.48% 22 0.26% 640 7.66% 8,351
Lamar 3,109 41.93% 4,056 54.71% 97 1.31% 89 1.20% 35 0.47% 7 0.09% 21 0.28% -947 -12.78% 7,414
Lauderdale 9,813 40.14% 14,273 58.39% 131 0.54% 134 0.55% 45 0.18% 17 0.07% 33 0.13% -4,460 -18.25% 24,446
Lawrence 2,242 50.54% 2,109 47.54% 33 0.74% 19 0.43% 16 0.36% 7 0.16% 10 0.23% 133 3.00% 4,436
Leake 3,415 52.47% 2,952 45.36% 39 0.60% 33 0.51% 27 0.41% 29 0.45% 13 0.20% 463 7.11% 6,508
Lee 8,504 52.07% 7,366 45.10% 229 1.40% 49 0.30% 109 0.67% 52 0.32% 24 0.15% 1,138 6.97% 16,333
Leflore 6,135 48.73% 5,872 46.64% 255 2.03% 74 0.59% 129 1.02% 85 0.68% 39 0.31% 263 2.09% 12,589
Lincoln 4,043 38.90% 6,084 58.55% 72 0.69% 85 0.82% 47 0.45% 37 0.36% 24 0.23% -2,041 -19.65% 10,392
Lowndes 6,181 42.05% 8,003 54.44% 275 1.87% 68 0.46% 63 0.43% 55 0.37% 55 0.37% -1,822 -12.39% 14,700
Madison 6,240 55.14% 4,838 42.75% 120 1.06% 50 0.44% 31 0.27% 9 0.08% 28 0.25% 1,402 12.39% 11,316
Marion 5,283 49.20% 5,300 49.36% 66 0.61% 28 0.26% 23 0.21% 17 0.16% 20 0.19% -17 -0.16% 10,737
Marshall 6,769 73.37% 2,242 24.30% 49 0.53% 47 0.51% 50 0.54% 31 0.34% 38 0.41% 4,527 49.07% 9,226
Monroe 6,097 54.27% 4,737 42.17% 100 0.89% 75 0.67% 91 0.81% 68 0.61% 66 0.59% 1,360 12.10% 11,234
Montgomery 2,410 49.93% 2,278 47.19% 42 0.87% 32 0.66% 33 0.68% 17 0.35% 15 0.31% 132 2.74% 4,827
Neshoba 3,891 49.76% 3,859 49.35% 25 0.32% 23 0.29% 8 0.10% 5 0.06% 8 0.10% 32 0.41% 7,819
Newton 2,741 40.97% 3,813 57.00% 114 1.70% 8 0.12% 8 0.12% 3 0.04% 3 0.04% -1,072 -16.03% 6,690
Noxubee 2,121 51.28% 1,860 44.97% 45 1.09% 39 0.94% 36 0.87% 26 0.63% 9 0.22% 261 6.31% 4,136
Oktibbeha 4,339 44.62% 5,194 53.41% 61 0.63% 27 0.28% 46 0.47% 20 0.21% 38 0.39% -855 -8.79% 9,725
Panola 5,517 60.85% 3,341 36.85% 70 0.77% 35 0.39% 45 0.50% 31 0.34% 28 0.31% 2,176 24.00% 9,067
Pearl River 5,024 51.98% 4,332 44.82% 56 0.58% 105 1.09% 74 0.77% 32 0.33% 42 0.43% 692 7.16% 9,665
Perry 1,965 52.75% 1,527 40.99% 112 3.01% 39 1.05% 38 1.02% 24 0.64% 20 0.54% 438 11.76% 3,725
Pike 5,749 48.92% 5,659 48.16% 109 0.93% 103 0.88% 54 0.46% 28 0.24% 49 0.42% 90 0.76% 11,751
Pontotoc 4,066 62.64% 2,245 34.59% 77 1.19% 31 0.48% 26 0.40% 18 0.28% 28 0.43% 1,821 28.05% 6,491
Prentiss 4,431 63.51% 2,362 33.85% 44 0.63% 42 0.60% 46 0.66% 29 0.42% 23 0.33% 2,069 29.66% 6,977
Quitman 2,621 64.80% 1,287 31.82% 34 0.84% 25 0.62% 30 0.74% 23 0.57% 25 0.62% 1,334 32.98% 4,045
Rankin 6,937 36.75% 11,507 60.95% 133 0.70% 125 0.66% 83 0.44% 54 0.29% 39 0.21% -4,570 -24.20% 18,878
Scott 3,643 48.78% 3,649 48.86% 61 0.82% 59 0.79% 25 0.33% 14 0.19% 17 0.23% -6 -0.08% 7,468
Sharkey 1,283 52.39% 1,024 41.81% 43 1.76% 23 0.94% 33 1.35% 21 0.86% 22 0.90% 259 10.58% 2,449
Simpson 3,600 45.23% 4,291 53.91% 33 0.41% 22 0.28% 11 0.14% 1 0.01% 2 0.03% -691 -8.68% 7,960
Smith 2,434 42.35% 3,147 54.75% 32 0.56% 53 0.92% 32 0.56% 20 0.35% 30 0.52% -713 -12.40% 5,748
Stone 1,648 50.27% 1,575 48.05% 26 0.79% 9 0.27% 5 0.15% 1 0.03% 14 0.43% 73 2.22% 3,278
Sunflower 4,322 53.86% 3,456 43.07% 69 0.86% 46 0.57% 49 0.61% 47 0.59% 35 0.44% 866 10.79% 8,024
Tallahatchie 2,991 56.95% 2,146 40.86% 37 0.70% 29 0.55% 20 0.38% 17 0.32% 12 0.23% 845 16.09% 5,252
Tate 3,747 58.22% 2,497 38.80% 51 0.79% 57 0.89% 40 0.62% 20 0.31% 24 0.37% 1,250 19.42% 6,436
Tippah 4,260 67.90% 1,887 30.08% 47 0.75% 26 0.41% 25 0.40% 15 0.24% 14 0.22% 2,373 37.82% 6,274
Tishomingo 3,734 63.95% 1,969 33.72% 53 0.91% 28 0.48% 20 0.34% 20 0.34% 15 0.26% 1,765 30.23% 5,839
Tunica 1,695 61.50% 951 34.51% 23 0.83% 24 0.87% 33 1.20% 17 0.62% 13 0.47% 744 26.99% 2,756
Union 5,021 65.56% 2,507 32.73% 52 0.68% 38 0.50% 20 0.26% 9 0.12% 12 0.16% 2,514 32.83% 7,659
Walthall 2,650 53.79% 2,110 42.83% 50 1.01% 40 0.81% 44 0.89% 23 0.47% 10 0.20% 540 10.96% 4,927
Warren 6,299 40.11% 8,699 55.39% 231 1.47% 144 0.92% 152 0.97% 100 0.64% 80 0.51% -2,400 -15.28% 15,705
Washington 9,650 53.17% 7,474 41.18% 346 1.91% 153 0.84% 222 1.22% 136 0.75% 168 0.93% 2,176 11.99% 18,149
Wayne 3,306 51.48% 3,022 47.06% 14 0.22% 36 0.56% 10 0.16% 13 0.20% 21 0.33% 284 4.42% 6,422
Webster 2,218 51.81% 1,943 45.39% 44 1.03% 37 0.86% 15 0.35% 11 0.26% 13 0.30% 275 6.42% 4,281
Wilkinson 2,514 65.38% 1,273 33.11% 16 0.42% 13 0.34% 11 0.29% 7 0.18% 11 0.29% 1,241 32.27% 3,845
Winston 3,956 50.77% 3,659 46.96% 60 0.77% 34 0.44% 37 0.47% 28 0.36% 18 0.23% 297 3.81% 7,792
Yalobusha 2,603 57.81% 1,808 40.15% 32 0.71% 30 0.67% 7 0.16% 14 0.31% 9 0.20% 795 17.66% 4,503
Yazoo 4,053 47.85% 4,255 50.23% 42 0.50% 45 0.53% 31 0.37% 19 0.22% 26 0.31% -202 -2.38% 8,471
Totals 381,309 49.56% 366,846 47.68% 6,678 0.87% 4,861 0.63% 4,074 0.53% 2,805 0.36% 2,787 0.36% 14,463 1.88% 769,360

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

References

  1. ^ a b "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