1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota explained

See main article: 1976 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Country:Minnesota
Flag Year:1957
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1972 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Previous Year:1972
Next Election:1980 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Next Year:1980
Turnout:73.01%[1]
Election Date:November 2, 1976
Image1:Jimmy Carter 1977 cropped.jpg
Nominee1:Jimmy Carter
Party1:Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Home State1:Georgia
Running Mate1:Walter Mondale
Electoral Vote1:10
Popular Vote1:1,070,440
Percentage1:54.90%
Nominee2:Gerald Ford
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:Michigan
Running Mate2:Bob Dole
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:819,395
Percentage2:42.02%
Map Size:320px
President
Before Election:Gerald Ford
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Jimmy Carter
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

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

Minnesota was won by the Democratic Party candidate, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, won the state over incumbent President Gerald Ford by a landslide margin of 251,045 votes, or approximately 12.88%. Carter went on to win the election nationally, as the country's confidence in the Republican Party had been deeply shaken following the Watergate scandal and the subsequent resignation of Richard Nixon.

Prior to the election, Minnesota was considered as leaning-Carter. The Republican Party of Minnesota had been terribly weakened by the Watergate scandal. That weakened position was further eroded when Jimmy Carter chose Minnesota senator Walter Mondale as his vice-presidential running mate, securing the state for Carter. Mondale later went on to become the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1984, in which he only won one state, Minnesota.[2]

The effect of Watergate on the political landscape in Minnesota can be clearly seen in the results of this election, as well as the landslide DFL victory in the 1974 gubernatorial election. Previously Minnesota had cast its electoral votes for the Republican nominee in twenty of the twenty-nine presidential elections from 1860 to 1972.

As of the 2020 presidential election, Minnesota has not cast a single electoral vote in favor of a Republican since 1972, making it the state with the longest Democratic streak up to the present day.[3], this is the last election in which Roseau County, Wilkin County, Douglas County, Wadena County, and Pipestone County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[4]

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota[5]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic (DFL)Jimmy Carter1,070,44054.90%10
RepublicanGerald Ford (incumbent)819,39542.02%0
McCarthy ‘76Eugene McCarthy35,490 1.82%0
AmericanThomas J. Anderson13,5920.70%0
Socialist WorkersPeter Camejo4,1490.21%0
LibertarianRoger MacBride3,5290.18% 0
CommunistGus Hall1,0920.06%0
People'sMargaret Wright6350.03%0
U.S. LaborLyndon LaRouche5430.03% 0
Socialist LaborJulius Levin3700.02%0
SocialistFrank Zeidler3540.02%0
Write-insWrite-ins3420.02%0
Invalid or blank votes
Totals1,978,590100.00%10
Voter turnout77%

Results by county

CountyJimmy Carter
DFL
Gerald Ford
Republican
Eugene McCarthy
Independent
Thomas Anderson
American
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
%%%%%%
Aitkin4,30861.99%2,47635.63%1091.57%260.37%300.43%1,83226.36%6,949
Anoka48,17361.51%27,86335.58%1,2981.66%4720.60%5090.65%20,31025.93%78,315
Becker6,59752.50%5,61144.65%2151.71%1040.83%390.31%9867.85%12,566
Beltrami7,54056.76%5,21439.25%2892.18%1751.32%670.50%2,32617.51%13,285
Benton6,23556.86%4,09937.38%2852.60%2712.47%750.68%2,13619.48%10,965
Big Stone2,58164.41%1,33233.24%451.12%421.05%70.17%1,24931.17%4,007
Blue Earth12,93050.33%11,99846.71%5822.27%910.35%870.34%9323.62%25,688
Brown5,79241.26%7,47953.27%3302.35%4092.91%290.21%-1,687-12.01%14,039
Carlton9,24766.28%4,37131.33%2391.71%290.21%660.47%4,87634.95%13,952
Carver7,57446.33%8,19950.16%3362.06%2011.23%370.23%-625-3.83%16,347
Cass5,42453.00%4,44343.41%1731.69%1591.55%350.34%9819.59%10,234
Chippewa4,64857.77%3,25440.44%750.93%560.70%130.16%1,39417.33%8,046
Chisago6,62560.96%3,87435.65%1851.70%1421.31%410.38%2,75125.31%10,867
Clay10,87650.10%10,31747.53%3191.47%620.29%1340.62%5592.57%21,708
Clearwater2,43760.70%1,37434.22%571.42%1152.86%320.80%1,06326.48%4,015
Cook1,01847.79%1,03448.54%411.92%271.27%100.47%-16-0.75%2,130
Cottonwood3,81348.52%3,90649.70%851.08%460.59%90.11%-93-1.18%7,859
Crow Wing10,65354.45%8,07241.26%2841.45%4472.28%1080.55%2,58113.19%19,564
Dakota44,25352.63%37,54244.65%1,5001.78%4000.48%3850.46%6,7117.98%84,080
Dodge3,00945.60%3,44652.23%671.02%640.97%120.18%-437-6.63%6,598
Douglas7,09753.30%5,91044.38%1381.04%1431.07%280.21%1,1878.92%13,316
Faribault5,04946.61%5,57751.48%1181.09%680.63%210.19%-528-4.87%10,833
Fillmore4,75843.42%5,98454.61%1351.23%630.57%170.16%-1,226-11.19%10,957
Freeborn9,47052.56%8,22045.62%2071.15%610.34%600.33%1,2506.94%18,018
Goodhue8,92646.20%9,96751.59%2711.40%1080.56%490.25%-1,041-5.39%19,321
Grant2,62460.49%1,63537.69%571.31%140.32%80.18%98922.80%4,338
Hennepin257,38053.25%211,89243.84%9,3761.94%1,7160.36%3,0140.62%45,4889.41%483,378
Houston3,86143.26%4,85354.37%1371.53%530.59%220.25%-992-11.11%8,926
Hubbard3,19649.25%2,98546.00%1342.07%1622.50%120.18%2113.25%6,489
Isanti6,01363.85%3,15933.55%1351.43%840.89%260.28%2,85430.30%9,417
Itasca12,97964.00%6,64632.77%3781.86%1550.76%1230.61%6,33331.23%20,281
Jackson4,31159.16%2,87039.39%821.13%130.18%110.15%1,44119.77%7,287
Kanabec3,18860.03%1,94336.58%781.47%931.75%90.17%1,24523.45%5,311
Kandiyohi9,99258.33%6,66438.90%2541.48%1700.99%500.29%3,32819.43%17,130
Kittson2,00855.33%1,55542.85%411.13%130.36%120.33%45312.48%3,629
Koochiching4,84660.52%2,89336.13%1672.09%670.84%340.42%1,95324.39%8,007
Lac qui Parle3,64760.13%2,29237.79%580.96%600.99%80.13%1,35522.34%6,065
Lake2,97353.10%2,31341.31%1582.82%1322.36%230.41%66011.79%5,599
Lake of the Woods1,10556.23%75738.52%351.78%522.65%160.81%34817.71%1,965
Le Sueur6,55657.60%4,56540.11%1431.26%750.66%420.37%1,99117.49%11,381
Lincoln2,59460.79%1,59937.47%400.94%310.73%30.07%99523.32%4,267
Lyon7,12257.17%5,03640.42%1781.43%740.59%480.39%2,08616.75%12,458
Mahnomen1,59060.85%90534.63%702.68%371.42%110.42%68526.22%2,613
Marshall3,74457.70%2,60540.14%781.20%450.69%170.26%1,13917.56%6,489
Martin5,67245.42%6,48451.92%1601.28%1551.24%170.14%-812-6.50%12,488
McLeod6,24947.21%6,51949.24%1981.50%1401.06%1321.00%-270-2.03%13,238
Meeker5,29554.25%4,09741.97%2552.61%890.91%250.26%1,19812.28%9,761
Mille Lacs5,17259.65%3,21237.05%1451.67%1051.21%360.42%1,96022.60%8,670
Morrison8,17661.50%4,59034.53%2561.93%1951.47%770.58%3,58626.97%13,294
Mower12,83759.74%8,16337.99%2901.35%810.38%1160.54%4,67421.75%21,487
Murray3,68557.59%2,60540.71%861.34%170.27%60.09%1,08016.88%6,399
Nicollet5,77747.18%6,07149.58%2582.11%850.69%540.44%-294-2.40%12,245
Nobles6,03456.21%4,50341.95%1351.26%420.39%210.20%1,53114.26%10,735
Norman2,94658.78%1,98339.57%470.94%200.40%160.32%96319.21%5,012
Olmsted14,67637.02%24,06060.69%4871.23%3290.83%950.24%-9,384-23.67%39,647
Otter Tail11,88148.47%12,11349.42%3121.27%1170.48%870.35%-232-0.95%24,510
Pennington3,78754.50%3,02343.51%580.83%620.89%180.26%76410.99%6,948
Pine5,44261.24%3,05734.40%1701.91%1822.05%360.41%2,38526.84%8,887
Pipestone3,27251.12%3,01847.15%871.36%190.30%50.08%2543.97%6,401
Polk9,07856.62%6,55240.86%1901.18%1631.02%510.32%2,52615.76%16,034
Pope3,74661.14%2,25136.74%580.95%611.00%110.18%1,49524.40%6,127
Ramsey133,68258.62%86,48037.92%4,9082.15%9700.43%2,0270.89%47,20220.70%228,067
Red Lake1,74867.23%73728.35%421.62%592.27%140.54%1,01138.88%2,600
Redwood4,52546.07%4,92650.15%1511.54%2002.04%200.20%-401-4.08%9,822
Renville5,76254.64%4,48242.50%1661.57%1161.10%190.18%1,28012.14%10,545
Rice10,59054.01%8,31142.39%4192.14%1120.57%1750.89%2,27911.62%19,607
Rock2,76948.25%2,89250.39%470.82%150.26%160.28%-123-2.14%5,739
Roseau3,21555.90%2,38241.42%500.87%871.51%170.30%83314.48%5,751
St. Louis75,04065.78%35,33130.97%2,2561.98%3640.32%1,0840.95%39,70934.81%114,075
Scott9,91256.34%7,15440.66%3361.91%1480.84%430.24%2,75815.68%17,593
Sherburne6,67858.36%4,36138.11%2342.05%1191.04%500.44%2,31720.25%11,442
Sibley3,75247.74%3,87149.25%1381.76%841.07%150.19%-119-1.51%7,860
Stearns25,02752.33%19,57440.93%1,6123.37%1,2902.70%3180.66%5,45311.40%47,821
Steele6,26345.89%7,05351.68%1741.28%920.67%650.48%-790-5.79%13,647
Stevens3,17154.78%2,48442.91%991.71%170.29%180.31%68711.87%5,789
Swift4,42865.48%2,19032.39%771.14%510.75%160.24%2,23833.09%6,762
Todd6,53058.05%4,27838.03%1861.65%2001.78%540.48%2,25220.02%11,248
Traverse2,02062.99%1,13035.24%411.28%130.41%30.09%89027.75%3,207
Wabasha4,28647.36%4,48449.55%1741.92%710.78%340.38%-198-2.19%9,049
Wadena3,16449.25%3,04847.45%801.25%1101.71%220.34%1161.80%6,424
Waseca4,00245.45%4,58252.04%1411.60%490.56%310.35%-580-6.59%8,805
Washington26,45454.45%20,71642.64%8921.84%2370.49%2840.58%5,73811.81%48,583
Watonwan3,17747.69%3,35150.30%791.19%470.71%80.12%-174-2.61%6,662
Wilkin2,10351.17%1,88245.79%882.14%280.68%90.22%2215.38%4,110
Winona10,93949.92%10,43647.62%4201.92%660.30%530.24%5032.30%21,914
Wright13,37957.02%9,31439.69%4101.75%2911.24%700.30%4,06517.33%23,464
Yellow Medicine4,33758.12%2,94639.48%961.29%670.90%160.21%1,39118.64%7,462
Totals1,070,44054.90%819,39542.02%35,4901.82%13,5920.70%11,0140.56%251,04512.88%1,949,931

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State. www.sos.state.mn.us. en. 2017-07-22.
  2. Web site: Presidential Election of 1984.
  3. Web site: Minnesota Presidential Election Voting History.
  4. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  5. Web site: 1976 Presidential Election Results, 1976 . 2014-01-23 . Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.