See main article: 1976 United States presidential election.
| Election Name: | 1976 United States presidential election in Oregon |
| Country: | Oregon |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1972 United States presidential election in Oregon |
| Previous Year: | 1972 |
| Next Election: | 1980 United States presidential election in Oregon |
| Next Year: | 1980 |
| Election Date: | November 2, 1976 |
| Image1: | Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Gerald Ford |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Home State1: | Michigan |
| Running Mate1: | Bob Dole |
| Electoral Vote1: | 6 |
| Popular Vote1: | 492,120 |
| Percentage1: | 47.78% |
| Nominee2: | Jimmy Carter |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home State2: | Georgia |
| Running Mate2: | Walter Mondale |
| Electoral Vote2: | 0 |
| Popular Vote2: | 490,407 |
| Percentage2: | 47.62% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| 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 Oregon took place on November 2, 1976, as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Voters chose six representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president. Oregon was narrowly won by incumbent President Gerald Ford (R–Michigan) with 47.78% of the popular vote, against Jimmy Carter (D–Georgia), with 47.62% of the popular vote. Separated by a margin of 1,713 votes, this was the closest state in the 1976 presidential election.[1] This was also the closest presidential election in Oregon since its statehood in 1859. Oregon voted in this election at just over 2% more Republican than the nation-at-large.
None of the third-party candidates amounted to a significant portion of the vote, but Eugene McCarthy (I–Minnesota) won 3.90% of the popular vote and came third overall in the nation. Despite losing in Oregon, Carter went on to win the national election and became the 39th president of the United States.
As of 2020, this is the last occasion when Crook County, Wheeler County and Linn County have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[2] It was to end almost a century as a bellwether for Crook County, which was to become solidly Republican following the "Reagan Revolution".[3] Clackamas County, which supported Ford, would not vote for a losing presidential nominee again until 2016. This was also the last time in which a Democrat won the presidency without winning Oregon.
| County[4] | Gerald Ford Republican | Jimmy Carter Democratic | Eugene McCarthy Independent | Various candidates Write-ins | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Baker | 3,340 | 48.27% | 3,306 | 47.78% | 225 | 3.25% | 48 | 0.69% | 34 | 0.49% | 6,919 | ||||||||||||
| Benton | 15,555 | 53.08% | 11,887 | 40.56% | 1,635 | 5.58% | 230 | 0.78% | 3,668 | 12.52% | 29,307 | ||||||||||||
| Clackamas | 47,671 | 50.74% | 42,504 | 45.24% | 3,318 | 3.53% | 466 | 0.50% | 5,167 | 5.50% | 93,959 | ||||||||||||
| Clatsop | 6,178 | 45.37% | 6,690 | 49.13% | 684 | 5.02% | 64 | 0.47% | -512 | -3.76% | 13,616 | ||||||||||||
| Columbia | 5,226 | 37.71% | 8,005 | 57.76% | 521 | 3.76% | 107 | 0.77% | -2,779 | -20.05% | 13,859 | ||||||||||||
| Coos | 9,481 | 38.35% | 14,168 | 57.30% | 924 | 3.74% | 152 | 0.61% | -4,687 | -18.95% | 24,725 | ||||||||||||
| Crook | 2,093 | 43.81% | 2,536 | 53.09% | 102 | 2.14% | 46 | 0.96% | -443 | -9.28% | 4,777 | ||||||||||||
| Curry | 2,962 | 45.52% | 3,227 | 49.59% | 294 | 4.52% | 24 | 0.37% | -265 | -4.07% | 6,507 | ||||||||||||
| Deschutes | 9,054 | 46.71% | 9,480 | 48.91% | 729 | 3.76% | 119 | 0.61% | -426 | -2.20% | 19,382 | ||||||||||||
| Douglas | 16,500 | 50.04% | 14,965 | 45.39% | 1,187 | 3.60% | 321 | 0.97% | 1,535 | 4.65% | 32,973 | ||||||||||||
| Gilliam | 612 | 52.49% | 508 | 43.57% | 36 | 3.09% | 10 | 0.86% | 104 | 8.92% | 1,166 | ||||||||||||
| Grant | 1,640 | 51.15% | 1,393 | 43.45% | 148 | 4.62% | 25 | 0.78% | 247 | 7.70% | 3,206 | ||||||||||||
| Harney | 1,652 | 48.49% | 1,567 | 45.99% | 163 | 4.78% | 25 | 0.73% | 85 | 2.50% | 3,407 | ||||||||||||
| Hood River | 3,210 | 48.37% | 3,114 | 46.93% | 287 | 4.32% | 25 | 0.38% | 96 | 1.44% | 6,636 | ||||||||||||
| Jackson | 24,237 | 48.25% | 23,384 | 46.55% | 1,926 | 3.83% | 689 | 1.37% | 853 | 1.70% | 50,236 | ||||||||||||
| Jefferson | 1,810 | 47.92% | 1,769 | 46.84% | 153 | 4.05% | 45 | 1.19% | 41 | 1.08% | 3,777 | ||||||||||||
| Josephine | 10,726 | 50.81% | 9,061 | 42.92% | 899 | 4.26% | 424 | 2.01% | 1,665 | 7.89% | 21,110 | ||||||||||||
| Klamath | 11,649 | 52.50% | 9,659 | 43.53% | 652 | 2.94% | 227 | 1.02% | 1,990 | 8.97% | 22,187 | ||||||||||||
| Lake | 1,575 | 51.00% | 1,381 | 44.72% | 102 | 3.30% | 30 | 0.97% | 194 | 6.28% | 3,088 | ||||||||||||
| Lane | 46,245 | 42.67% | 56,479 | 52.12% | 4,769 | 4.40% | 874 | 0.81% | -10,234 | -9.45% | 108,367 | ||||||||||||
| Lincoln | 5,755 | 43.60% | 6,685 | 50.65% | 685 | 5.19% | 74 | 0.56% | -930 | -7.05% | 13,199 | ||||||||||||
| Linn | 14,128 | 45.22% | 15,776 | 50.50% | 1,198 | 3.83% | 139 | 0.44% | -1,648 | -5.28% | 31,241 | ||||||||||||
| Malheur | 5,682 | 59.13% | 3,507 | 36.49% | 368 | 3.83% | 53 | 0.55% | 2,175 | 22.64% | 9,610 | ||||||||||||
| Marion | 35,497 | 49.08% | 33,781 | 46.70% | 2,678 | 3.70% | 375 | 0.52% | 1,716 | 2.38% | 72,331 | ||||||||||||
| Morrow | 1,091 | 46.09% | 1,162 | 49.09% | 78 | 3.30% | 36 | 1.52% | -71 | -3.00% | 2,367 | ||||||||||||
| Multnomah | 112,400 | 44.40% | 129,060 | 50.98% | 10,064 | 3.98% | 1,635 | 0.65% | -16,660 | -6.58% | 253,159 | ||||||||||||
| Polk | 8,528 | 48.65% | 8,141 | 46.44% | 752 | 4.29% | 109 | 0.62% | 387 | 2.21% | 17,530 | ||||||||||||
| Sherman | 567 | 51.13% | 491 | 44.27% | 48 | 4.33% | 3 | 0.27% | 76 | 6.86% | 1,109 | ||||||||||||
| Tillamook | 4,033 | 45.48% | 4,456 | 50.25% | 337 | 3.80% | 41 | 0.46% | -423 | -4.77% | 8,867 | ||||||||||||
| Umatilla | 9,345 | 51.83% | 7,985 | 44.28% | 599 | 3.33% | 102 | 0.57% | 1,360 | 7.55% | 18,031 | ||||||||||||
| Union | 5,111 | 52.00% | 4,280 | 43.54% | 397 | 4.04% | 41 | 0.42% | 831 | 8.46% | 9,829 | ||||||||||||
| Wallowa | 1,693 | 53.76% | 1,310 | 41.60% | 110 | 3.49% | 36 | 1.14% | 383 | 12.16% | 3,149 | ||||||||||||
| Wasco | 4,258 | 46.08% | 4,560 | 49.35% | 350 | 3.79% | 72 | 0.78% | -302 | -3.27% | 9,240 | ||||||||||||
| Washington | 52,376 | 57.80% | 34,847 | 38.46% | 2,999 | 3.31% | 389 | 0.43% | 17,529 | 19.34% | 90,611 | ||||||||||||
| Wheeler | 355 | 45.57% | 402 | 51.60% | 17 | 2.18% | 5 | 0.64% | -47 | -6.03% | 779 | ||||||||||||
| Yamhill | 9,885 | 50.38% | 8,881 | 45.27% | 773 | 3.94% | 81 | 0.41% | 1,004 | 5.11% | 19,620 | ||||||||||||
| Totals | 492,120 | 47.78% | 490,407 | 47.62% | 40,207 | 3.90% | 7,142 | 0.69% | 1,713 | 0.16% | 1,029,876 | ||||||||||||