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]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic (DFL)	Jimmy Carter	1,070,440	54.90%	10
	Republican	Gerald Ford (incumbent)	819,395	42.02%	0
	McCarthy ‘76	Eugene McCarthy	35,490	1.82%	0
	American	Thomas J. Anderson	13,592	0.70%	0
	Socialist Workers	Peter Camejo	4,149	0.21%	0
	Libertarian	Roger MacBride	3,529	0.18%	0
	Communist	Gus Hall	1,092	0.06%	0
	People's	Margaret Wright	635	0.03%	0
	U.S. Labor	Lyndon LaRouche	543	0.03%	0
	Socialist Labor	Julius Levin	370	0.02%	0
	Socialist	Frank Zeidler	354	0.02%	0
	Write-ins	Write-ins	342	0.02%	0
Invalid or blank votes					—
Totals			1,978,590	100.00%	10
Voter turnout			77%		—

Results by county

County	Jimmy Carter DFL		Gerald Ford Republican		Eugene McCarthy Independent		Thomas Anderson American		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Aitkin		4,308		61.99%		2,476		35.63%		109		1.57%		26		0.37%		30		0.43%		1,832		26.36%		6,949
	Anoka		48,173		61.51%		27,863		35.58%		1,298		1.66%		472		0.60%		509		0.65%		20,310		25.93%		78,315
	Becker		6,597		52.50%		5,611		44.65%		215		1.71%		104		0.83%		39		0.31%		986		7.85%		12,566
	Beltrami		7,540		56.76%		5,214		39.25%		289		2.18%		175		1.32%		67		0.50%		2,326		17.51%		13,285
	Benton		6,235		56.86%		4,099		37.38%		285		2.60%		271		2.47%		75		0.68%		2,136		19.48%		10,965
	Big Stone		2,581		64.41%		1,332		33.24%		45		1.12%		42		1.05%		7		0.17%		1,249		31.17%		4,007
	Blue Earth		12,930		50.33%		11,998		46.71%		582		2.27%		91		0.35%		87		0.34%		932		3.62%		25,688
	Brown		5,792		41.26%		7,479		53.27%		330		2.35%		409		2.91%		29		0.21%		-1,687		-12.01%		14,039
	Carlton		9,247		66.28%		4,371		31.33%		239		1.71%		29		0.21%		66		0.47%		4,876		34.95%		13,952
	Carver		7,574		46.33%		8,199		50.16%		336		2.06%		201		1.23%		37		0.23%		-625		-3.83%		16,347
	Cass		5,424		53.00%		4,443		43.41%		173		1.69%		159		1.55%		35		0.34%		981		9.59%		10,234
	Chippewa		4,648		57.77%		3,254		40.44%		75		0.93%		56		0.70%		13		0.16%		1,394		17.33%		8,046
	Chisago		6,625		60.96%		3,874		35.65%		185		1.70%		142		1.31%		41		0.38%		2,751		25.31%		10,867
	Clay		10,876		50.10%		10,317		47.53%		319		1.47%		62		0.29%		134		0.62%		559		2.57%		21,708
	Clearwater		2,437		60.70%		1,374		34.22%		57		1.42%		115		2.86%		32		0.80%		1,063		26.48%		4,015
	Cook		1,018		47.79%		1,034		48.54%		41		1.92%		27		1.27%		10		0.47%		-16		-0.75%		2,130
	Cottonwood		3,813		48.52%		3,906		49.70%		85		1.08%		46		0.59%		9		0.11%		-93		-1.18%		7,859
	Crow Wing		10,653		54.45%		8,072		41.26%		284		1.45%		447		2.28%		108		0.55%		2,581		13.19%		19,564
	Dakota		44,253		52.63%		37,542		44.65%		1,500		1.78%		400		0.48%		385		0.46%		6,711		7.98%		84,080
	Dodge		3,009		45.60%		3,446		52.23%		67		1.02%		64		0.97%		12		0.18%		-437		-6.63%		6,598
	Douglas		7,097		53.30%		5,910		44.38%		138		1.04%		143		1.07%		28		0.21%		1,187		8.92%		13,316
	Faribault		5,049		46.61%		5,577		51.48%		118		1.09%		68		0.63%		21		0.19%		-528		-4.87%		10,833
	Fillmore		4,758		43.42%		5,984		54.61%		135		1.23%		63		0.57%		17		0.16%		-1,226		-11.19%		10,957
	Freeborn		9,470		52.56%		8,220		45.62%		207		1.15%		61		0.34%		60		0.33%		1,250		6.94%		18,018
	Goodhue		8,926		46.20%		9,967		51.59%		271		1.40%		108		0.56%		49		0.25%		-1,041		-5.39%		19,321
	Grant		2,624		60.49%		1,635		37.69%		57		1.31%		14		0.32%		8		0.18%		989		22.80%		4,338
	Hennepin		257,380		53.25%		211,892		43.84%		9,376		1.94%		1,716		0.36%		3,014		0.62%		45,488		9.41%		483,378
	Houston		3,861		43.26%		4,853		54.37%		137		1.53%		53		0.59%		22		0.25%		-992		-11.11%		8,926
	Hubbard		3,196		49.25%		2,985		46.00%		134		2.07%		162		2.50%		12		0.18%		211		3.25%		6,489
	Isanti		6,013		63.85%		3,159		33.55%		135		1.43%		84		0.89%		26		0.28%		2,854		30.30%		9,417
	Itasca		12,979		64.00%		6,646		32.77%		378		1.86%		155		0.76%		123		0.61%		6,333		31.23%		20,281
	Jackson		4,311		59.16%		2,870		39.39%		82		1.13%		13		0.18%		11		0.15%		1,441		19.77%		7,287
	Kanabec		3,188		60.03%		1,943		36.58%		78		1.47%		93		1.75%		9		0.17%		1,245		23.45%		5,311
	Kandiyohi		9,992		58.33%		6,664		38.90%		254		1.48%		170		0.99%		50		0.29%		3,328		19.43%		17,130
	Kittson		2,008		55.33%		1,555		42.85%		41		1.13%		13		0.36%		12		0.33%		453		12.48%		3,629
	Koochiching		4,846		60.52%		2,893		36.13%		167		2.09%		67		0.84%		34		0.42%		1,953		24.39%		8,007
	Lac qui Parle		3,647		60.13%		2,292		37.79%		58		0.96%		60		0.99%		8		0.13%		1,355		22.34%		6,065
	Lake		2,973		53.10%		2,313		41.31%		158		2.82%		132		2.36%		23		0.41%		660		11.79%		5,599
	Lake of the Woods		1,105		56.23%		757		38.52%		35		1.78%		52		2.65%		16		0.81%		348		17.71%		1,965
	Le Sueur		6,556		57.60%		4,565		40.11%		143		1.26%		75		0.66%		42		0.37%		1,991		17.49%		11,381
	Lincoln		2,594		60.79%		1,599		37.47%		40		0.94%		31		0.73%		3		0.07%		995		23.32%		4,267
	Lyon		7,122		57.17%		5,036		40.42%		178		1.43%		74		0.59%		48		0.39%		2,086		16.75%		12,458
	Mahnomen		1,590		60.85%		905		34.63%		70		2.68%		37		1.42%		11		0.42%		685		26.22%		2,613
	Marshall		3,744		57.70%		2,605		40.14%		78		1.20%		45		0.69%		17		0.26%		1,139		17.56%		6,489
	Martin		5,672		45.42%		6,484		51.92%		160		1.28%		155		1.24%		17		0.14%		-812		-6.50%		12,488
	McLeod		6,249		47.21%		6,519		49.24%		198		1.50%		140		1.06%		132		1.00%		-270		-2.03%		13,238
	Meeker		5,295		54.25%		4,097		41.97%		255		2.61%		89		0.91%		25		0.26%		1,198		12.28%		9,761
	Mille Lacs		5,172		59.65%		3,212		37.05%		145		1.67%		105		1.21%		36		0.42%		1,960		22.60%		8,670
	Morrison		8,176		61.50%		4,590		34.53%		256		1.93%		195		1.47%		77		0.58%		3,586		26.97%		13,294
	Mower		12,837		59.74%		8,163		37.99%		290		1.35%		81		0.38%		116		0.54%		4,674		21.75%		21,487
	Murray		3,685		57.59%		2,605		40.71%		86		1.34%		17		0.27%		6		0.09%		1,080		16.88%		6,399
	Nicollet		5,777		47.18%		6,071		49.58%		258		2.11%		85		0.69%		54		0.44%		-294		-2.40%		12,245
	Nobles		6,034		56.21%		4,503		41.95%		135		1.26%		42		0.39%		21		0.20%		1,531		14.26%		10,735
	Norman		2,946		58.78%		1,983		39.57%		47		0.94%		20		0.40%		16		0.32%		963		19.21%		5,012
	Olmsted		14,676		37.02%		24,060		60.69%		487		1.23%		329		0.83%		95		0.24%		-9,384		-23.67%		39,647
	Otter Tail		11,881		48.47%		12,113		49.42%		312		1.27%		117		0.48%		87		0.35%		-232		-0.95%		24,510
	Pennington		3,787		54.50%		3,023		43.51%		58		0.83%		62		0.89%		18		0.26%		764		10.99%		6,948
	Pine		5,442		61.24%		3,057		34.40%		170		1.91%		182		2.05%		36		0.41%		2,385		26.84%		8,887
	Pipestone		3,272		51.12%		3,018		47.15%		87		1.36%		19		0.30%		5		0.08%		254		3.97%		6,401
	Polk		9,078		56.62%		6,552		40.86%		190		1.18%		163		1.02%		51		0.32%		2,526		15.76%		16,034
	Pope		3,746		61.14%		2,251		36.74%		58		0.95%		61		1.00%		11		0.18%		1,495		24.40%		6,127
	Ramsey		133,682		58.62%		86,480		37.92%		4,908		2.15%		970		0.43%		2,027		0.89%		47,202		20.70%		228,067
	Red Lake		1,748		67.23%		737		28.35%		42		1.62%		59		2.27%		14		0.54%		1,011		38.88%		2,600
	Redwood		4,525		46.07%		4,926		50.15%		151		1.54%		200		2.04%		20		0.20%		-401		-4.08%		9,822
	Renville		5,762		54.64%		4,482		42.50%		166		1.57%		116		1.10%		19		0.18%		1,280		12.14%		10,545
	Rice		10,590		54.01%		8,311		42.39%		419		2.14%		112		0.57%		175		0.89%		2,279		11.62%		19,607
	Rock		2,769		48.25%		2,892		50.39%		47		0.82%		15		0.26%		16		0.28%		-123		-2.14%		5,739
	Roseau		3,215		55.90%		2,382		41.42%		50		0.87%		87		1.51%		17		0.30%		833		14.48%		5,751
	St. Louis		75,040		65.78%		35,331		30.97%		2,256		1.98%		364		0.32%		1,084		0.95%		39,709		34.81%		114,075
	Scott		9,912		56.34%		7,154		40.66%		336		1.91%		148		0.84%		43		0.24%		2,758		15.68%		17,593
	Sherburne		6,678		58.36%		4,361		38.11%		234		2.05%		119		1.04%		50		0.44%		2,317		20.25%		11,442
	Sibley		3,752		47.74%		3,871		49.25%		138		1.76%		84		1.07%		15		0.19%		-119		-1.51%		7,860
	Stearns		25,027		52.33%		19,574		40.93%		1,612		3.37%		1,290		2.70%		318		0.66%		5,453		11.40%		47,821
	Steele		6,263		45.89%		7,053		51.68%		174		1.28%		92		0.67%		65		0.48%		-790		-5.79%		13,647
	Stevens		3,171		54.78%		2,484		42.91%		99		1.71%		17		0.29%		18		0.31%		687		11.87%		5,789
	Swift		4,428		65.48%		2,190		32.39%		77		1.14%		51		0.75%		16		0.24%		2,238		33.09%		6,762
	Todd		6,530		58.05%		4,278		38.03%		186		1.65%		200		1.78%		54		0.48%		2,252		20.02%		11,248
	Traverse		2,020		62.99%		1,130		35.24%		41		1.28%		13		0.41%		3		0.09%		890		27.75%		3,207
	Wabasha		4,286		47.36%		4,484		49.55%		174		1.92%		71		0.78%		34		0.38%		-198		-2.19%		9,049
	Wadena		3,164		49.25%		3,048		47.45%		80		1.25%		110		1.71%		22		0.34%		116		1.80%		6,424
	Waseca		4,002		45.45%		4,582		52.04%		141		1.60%		49		0.56%		31		0.35%		-580		-6.59%		8,805
	Washington		26,454		54.45%		20,716		42.64%		892		1.84%		237		0.49%		284		0.58%		5,738		11.81%		48,583
	Watonwan		3,177		47.69%		3,351		50.30%		79		1.19%		47		0.71%		8		0.12%		-174		-2.61%		6,662
	Wilkin		2,103		51.17%		1,882		45.79%		88		2.14%		28		0.68%		9		0.22%		221		5.38%		4,110
	Winona		10,939		49.92%		10,436		47.62%		420		1.92%		66		0.30%		53		0.24%		503		2.30%		21,914
	Wright		13,379		57.02%		9,314		39.69%		410		1.75%		291		1.24%		70		0.30%		4,065		17.33%		23,464
	Yellow Medicine		4,337		58.12%		2,946		39.48%		96		1.29%		67		0.90%		16		0.21%		1,391		18.64%		7,462
Totals	1,070,440	54.90%	819,395	42.02%	35,490	1.82%	13,592	0.70%	11,014	0.56%	251,045	12.88%	1,949,931

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Aitkin
• Anoka
• Beltrami
• Becker
• Benton
• Blue Earth
• Chippewa
• Clay
• Cass
• Chisago
• Crow Wing
• Douglas
• Freeborn
• Grant
• Hennepin
• Hubbard
• Jackson
• Kittson
• Koochiching
• Lac qui Parle
• Le Sueur
• Lyon
• Marshall
• Meeker
• Murray
• Norman
• Pine
• Pennington
• Pipestone
• Red Lake
• Polk
• Renville
• Roseau
• Rice
• Todd
• Wadena
• Winona
• Wilkin
• Yellow Medicine
• Clearwater
• Dakota
• Isanti
• Kanabec
• Mille Lacs
• Morrison
• Scott
• Sherburne
• Washington
• Wright

See also

• United States presidential elections in Minnesota

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.