1976 United States presidential election in New York

The 1976 United States presidential election in New York took place on November 2, 1976. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Voters chose 41 electors to the Electoral College, which voted for President and Vice President. New York was won by Democratic Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, in a narrow victory against incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford, who failed to gain the presidency through formal election that year. Carter was running with Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale, and President Ford had selected Kansas Senator Bob Dole. The presidential election of 1976 was a very partisan election in New York, with more than 99% of the electorate voting for either Carter or Ford.

Carter took 51.95% of the popular vote to Ford's 47.52%, a victory margin of 4.43%. New York weighed in as being slightly more Democratic than the national average, by about 2%. The vast majority of counties in New York state were won by the Republican Ford, but the highly populated regions of New York City, Buffalo and Albany were able to tip the scales for the Democratic Carter.

Despite Ford being a Northern moderate, the Southerner Carter won commanding victories over Ford in four of the five boroughs of New York City. Carter broke 70% of the vote in Manhattan and the Bronx, and received over 60% of the vote in Brooklyn and Queens. Overall Carter took a citywide vote total of 66.37%, up to that point the third highest vote share ever received by a Democratic presidential candidate in New York City, surpassed only by the nationwide landslide victories of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, despite the fact that Carter was only winning a narrow 2-point victory nationwide. The massive raw vote margin in New York City was the vital key to Carter's narrow margin of victory in New York state. One reason for Ford's unusually weak performance in the city was likely his initial refusal to grant the nearly bankrupt city a federal bailout during the city's 1975 fiscal crisis, sparking the infamous New York Daily News headline "Ford to City: Drop Dead." While Ford ultimately would extend federal loans to the city to prevent it from falling into bankruptcy, the damage to Ford's reputation in New York City likely contributed to his poor performance among voters there, and to his narrow loss in both New York state and in the nation overall, as Ford would have won the 1976 election and retained the presidency had he carried New York state.

Results

1976 United States presidential election in New YorkPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic Jimmy Carter 3,244,165 49.65% Liberal Jimmy Carter 145,393 2.23% Total Jimmy Carter 3,389,558 51.87% 41 Republican Gerald Ford 2,825,913 43.24% Conservative Gerald Ford 274,878 4.21% Total Gerald Ford (incumbent) 3,100,791 47.45% 0 Free Libertarian Roger MacBride 12,197 0.19% 0 Communist Gus Hall 10,270 0.16% 0 Socialist Workers Peter Camejo 6,996 0.11% 0 U.S. Labor Lyndon LaRouche 5,413 0.08% 0 Write-ins Various candidates 4,342 0.07% 0 Write-ins Eugene McCarthy 4,303 0.07% 0 Write-ins Thomas J. Anderson 451 0.01% 0 Write-ins Lester Maddox 99 0.00% 0 Totals 6,534,170 100.0% 41

New York City results

1976 presidential election in New York CityManhattanThe BronxBrooklynQueens Staten IslandTotal Democratic-LiberalJimmy Carter337,438238,786419,382379,90747,8671,423,38066.37%73.22%70.77%68.34%60.54%45.45% Republican-ConservativeGerald Ford117,70296,842190,728244,39656,995706,66332.95%25.54%28.70%31.08%38.95%54.11% CommunistGus Hall2,0757011,4321,034905,3320.25%0.45%0.21%0.23%0.16%0.09% Socialist WorkersPeter Camejo1,4684538707671023,6600.17%0.32%0.13%0.14%0.12%0.10% Free LibertarianRoger MacBride6832765515771152,2020.10%0.15%0.08%0.09%0.09%0.11% U.S. LaborLyndon LaRouche5922615486151012,1170.10%0.13%0.08%0.09%0.10%0.10% Write-insWrite-ins88072132207561,3470.06%TOTAL460,838337,391613,643627,503105,3262,144,701100.00%

Results by county County Jimmy CarterDemocratic/Liberal Gerald FordRepublican/Conservative Roger MacBrideFree Libertarian Gus HallCommunist Peter CamejoSocialist Workers Lyndon LaRoucheU.S. Labor Margin Total votescast # % # % # % # % # % # % # % Albany 71,616 50.29% 69,592 48.87% 519 0.36% 148 0.10% 1950.14% 138 0.10% 2,024 1.42% 142,409 Allegany 6,134 34.06% 11,769 65.35% 36 0.20% 14 0.08% 160.09% 9 0.05% −5,635 −31.29% 18,010 Bronx 238,786 70.77% 96,842 28.70% 276 0.08% 701 0.21% 4530.13% 261 0.08% 141,944 42.07% 337,391 Broome 39,827 43.93% 50,340 55.53% 174 0.19% 79 0.09% 850.09% 44 0.05% −10,513 −11.60% 90,658 Cattaraugus 13,768 41.19% 19,469 58.25% 71 0.21% 23 0.07% 210.06% 41 0.12% −5,701 −17.06% 33,422 Cayuga 13,348 40.03% 19,775 59.31% 44 0.13% 30 0.09% 160.05% 42 0.13% −6,427 −19.28% 33,343 Chautauqua 27,447 44.68% 33,730 54.90% 137 0.22% 40 0.07% 420.07% 40 0.07% −6,283 −10.22% 61,436 Chemung 17,207 45.25% 20,640 54.28% 55 0.14% 28 0.07% 220.06% 45 0.12% −3,433 −9.03% 38,026 Chenango 7,356 37.08% 12,384 62.43% 47 0.24% 16 0.08% 80.04% 19 0.10% −5,028 −25.35% 19,837 Clinton 11,555 42.63% 15,433 56.94% 44 0.16% 20 0.07% 250.09% 22 0.08% −3,878 −14.31% 27,103 Columbia 10,514 39.56% 15,871 59.72% 82 0.31% 38 0.14% 270.10% 42 0.16% −5,357 −20.16% 26,574 Cortland 6,947 37.96% 11,222 61.32% 67 0.37% 12 0.07% 160.09% 13 0.07% −4,275 −23.36% 18,300 Delaware 7,254 36.59% 12,443 62.76% 40 0.20% 17 0.09% 110.06% 14 0.07% −5,189 −26.17% 19,827 Dutchess 37,531 41.65% 51,312 56.94% 264 0.30% 76 0.09% 880.10% 62 0.07% −13,781 −15.29% 90,111 Erie 229,397 50.66% 220,310 48.65% 1,346 0.30% 540 0.12% 2520.06% 508 0.11% 9,087 2.01% 452,843 Essex 6,556 38.97% 10,194 60.59% 34 0.20% 23 0.14% 80.05% 9 0.05% −3,638 −21.62% 16,824 Franklin 7,248 44.87% 8,846 54.77% 23 0.14% 9 0.06% 60.04% 9 0.06% −1,598 −9.90% 16,152 Fulton 9,323 43.10% 12,161 56.23% 71 0.33% 15 0.07% 50.02% 17 0.08% −2,838 −13.13% 21,629 Genesee 10,803 42.30% 14,567 57.04% 61 0.24% 26 0.10% 80.03% 22 0.09% −3,764 −14.74% 25,536 Greene 7,740 40.18% 11,370 59.02% 56 0.29% 16 0.08% 260.14% 26 0.14% −3,630 −18.84% 19,264 Hamilton 1,052 31.22% 2,306 68.43% 8 0.24% 3 0.09% 10.03% 0 0.00% −1,254 −37.21% 3,370 Herkimer 12,875 45.37% 15,362 54.14% 58 0.20% 24 0.08% 190.07% 23 0.08% −2,487 −8.77% 28,377 Jefferson 13,503 39.68% 20,401 59.95% 32 0.09% 29 0.09% 140.04% 27 0.08% −6,898 −20.27% 34,028 Kings 419,382 68.34% 190,728 31.08% 551 0.09% 1,432 0.23% 8700.14% 548 0.09% 228,654 37.26% 613,643 Lewis 3,764 39.07% 5,840 60.62% 15 0.16% 6 0.06% 40.04% 4 0.04% −2,076 −21.55% 9,633 Livingston 9,629 40.43% 14,044 58.96% 78 0.33% 28 0.12% 100.04% 21 0.09% −4,415 −18.53% 23,819 Madison 8,822 35.87% 15,674 63.74% 39 0.16% 15 0.06% 160.07% 25 0.10% −6,852 −27.87% 24,591 Monroe 134,739 44.40% 167,303 55.14% 781 0.26% 243 0.08% 1770.06% 191 0.06% −32,564 −10.74% 303,434 Montgomery 11,271 45.57% 13,281 53.70% 59 0.24% 27 0.11% 170.07% 30 0.12% −2,010 −8.13% 24,734 Nassau 302,869 47.64% 329,176 51.78% 955 0.15% 734 0.12% 5150.08% 334 0.05% −26,307 −4.14% 635,756 New York 337,438 73.22% 117,702 25.54% 683 0.15% 2,075 0.45% 1,4680.32% 592 0.13% 219,736 47.68% 460,838 Niagara 43,667 48.39% 46,101 51.09% 232 0.26% 52 0.06% 460.05% 79 0.09% −2,434 −2.70% 90,239 Oneida 47,779 45.08% 57,655 54.40% 251 0.24% 85 0.08% 470.04% 89 0.08% −9,876 −9.32% 105,988 Onondaga 76,097 39.51% 115,474 59.96% 312 0.16% 214 0.11% 1030.05% 126 0.07% −39,377 −20.45% 192,578 Ontario 14,044 39.63% 21,118 59.59% 100 0.28% 35 0.10% 130.04% 31 0.09% −7,074 −19.96% 35,441 Orange 40,362 44.51% 49,685 54.80% 183 0.20% 113 0.12% 610.07% 60 0.07% −9,323 −10.29% 90,673 Orleans 5,927 39.45% 8,994 59.87% 48 0.32% 11 0.07% 100.07% 7 0.05% −3,067 −20.42% 15,023 Oswego 16,332 40.36% 23,949 59.19% 83 0.21% 42 0.10% 180.04% 27 0.07% −7,617 −18.83% 40,463 Otsego 9,787 39.54% 14,796 59.77% 51 0.21% 25 0.10% 100.04% 29 0.12% −5,009 −20.23% 24,754 Putnam 11,963 38.95% 18,523 60.31% 65 0.21% 38 0.12% 340.11% 25 0.08% −6,560 −21.36% 30,711 Queens 379,907 60.54% 244,396 38.95% 577 0.09% 1,034 0.16% 7670.12% 615 0.10% 135,511 21.59% 627,503 Rensselaer 28,979 41.60% 40,229 57.76% 213 0.31% 64 0.09% 420.06% 59 0.08% −11,250 −16.16% 69,653 Richmond 47,867 45.45% 56,995 54.11% 115 0.11% 90 0.09% 1020.10% 101 0.10% −9,128 −8.66% 105,326 Rockland 48,673 47.93% 52,087 51.30% 208 0.21% 166 0.16% 1100.11% 46 0.05% −3,414 −3.37% 101,540 Saratoga 23,768 38.04% 38,296 61.29% 220 0.35% 76 0.12% 260.04% 51 0.08% −14,528 −23.25% 62,486 Schenectady 31,838 42.60% 40,789 54.58% 242 0.33% 117 0.16% 690.09% 88 0.12% −8,951 −11.98% 74,732 Schoharie 5,250 41.95% 7,154 57.16% 39 0.31% 20 0.16% 160.13% 18 0.14% −1,904 −15.21% 12,515 Schuyler 2,885 40.13% 4,267 59.35% 17 0.24% 6 0.08% 60.08% 5 0.07% −1,382 −19.22% 7,189 Seneca 5,745 42.53% 7,659 56.70% 44 0.33% 10 0.07% 50.04% 9 0.07% −1,914 −14.17% 13,508 St. Lawrence 17,503 43.83% 22,249 55.71% 55 0.14% 43 0.11% 220.06% 15 0.04% −4,746 −11.88% 39,934 Steuben 14,685 38.63% 23,164 60.93% 80 0.21% 40 0.11% 280.07% 18 0.05% −8,479 −22.30% 38,015 Suffolk 208,263 45.27% 248,908 54.10% 1,035 0.23% 486 0.11% 3910.09% 328 0.07% −40,645 −8.83% 460,048 Sullivan 14,189 50.50% 13,709 48.79% 70 0.25% 46 0.16% 300.11% 34 0.12% 480 1.71% 28,096 Tioga 6,969 36.89% 11,824 62.58% 32 0.17% 17 0.09% 150.08% 11 0.06% −4,855 −25.69% 18,893 Tompkins 12,808 44.67% 15,463 53.93% 58 0.20% 38 0.13% 730.26% 19 0.07% −2,655 −9.26% 28,671 Ulster 30,190 45.64% 35,353 53.44% 207 0.31% 130 0.20% 890.13% 57 0.09% −5,163 −7.80% 66,153 Warren 7,264 33.15% 14,548 66.39% 41 0.19% 17 0.08% 120.05% 13 0.06% −7,284 −33.24% 21,912 Washington 7,262 34.06% 13,946 65.40% 56 0.26% 25 0.12% 130.06% 12 0.06% −6,684 −31.34% 21,324 Wayne 12,061 38.22% 19,324 61.24% 81 0.26% 16 0.05% 70.02% 14 0.04% −7,263 −23.02% 31,557 Westchester 173,153 45.06% 208,527 54.26% 706 0.18% 705 0.18% 3830.10% 229 0.06% −35,374 −9.20% 384,296 Wyoming 5,737 36.92% 9,726 62.59% 45 0.29% 15 0.10% 40.03% 12 0.08% −3,989 −25.67% 15,539 Yates 2,903 33.21% 5,796 66.30% 25 0.29% 7 0.08% 40.05% 7 0.08% −2,893 −33.09% 8,742Totals3,389,55851.87%3,100,79147.45%12,1970.19%10,2700.16%6,9960.11%5,4130.08%288,7674.42%6,534,420

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Albany Erie Queens Sullivan

By congressional district Despite losing the state, Ford won 23 of the state's 39 congressional districts, including 13 which elected Democrats, while the remaining 11 districts were won by Carter, including one which elected a Republican. District Carter Ford Representative 45.6% 54.4%Otis G. Pike 45.4% 54.6%Thomas Downey 45.8% 54.2%Jerome Ambro 48.8% 51.2%Norman F. Lent 48.3% 51.7%John W. Wydler 49.5% 50.5%Lester Wolff 71.6% 28.4%Joseph P. Addabbo 66.7% 33.3%Ben Rosenthal 45.7% 54.3%James J. Delaney 57.2% 42.8%Mario Biaggi 70% 30%James H. Scheuer 82.5% 17.5%Shirley Chisholm 71.7% 28.3%Stephen Solarz 78.1% 21.9%Fred Richmond 49.8% 50.2%Leo C. Zeferetti 71.3% 28.7%Elizabeth Holtzman 54.8% 45.2%John Murphy 63.1% 36.9%Ed Koch 87.1% 12.9%Charlie Rangel76.7%23.3%Bella AbzugTed Weiss 90.7% 9.3%Herman Badillo 76.5% 23.5%Jonathan B. Bingham52.5%47.5%Peter A. PeyserBruce Caputo 47% 53%Richard Ottinger 42.1% 57.9%Hamilton Fish IV 46.4% 53.6%Benjamin Gilman 44.9% 55.1%Matt McHugh 48.6% 51.4%Samuel Stratton 39% 61%Edward W. Pattison 41.8% 58.2%Robert C. McEwen 44.1% 55.9%Don Mitchell 39.1% 60.9%James M. Hanley 39.5% 60.5%William F. Walsh 43.4% 56.6%Frank Horton 43.4% 56.6%Barber Conable 46.3% 53.7%John LaFalce 63.4% 36.6%Henry J. Nowak 44.6% 55.4%Jack Kemp 42.1% 57.9%Stan Lundine

Analysis