1976 United States presidential election in Georgia

The 1976 United States presidential election in Georgia was held on November 2, 1976. The Democratic candidate, former Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter, overwhelmingly won his home state with 66.74% of the vote ahead of the Republican Party nominee, incumbent President Gerald Ford, giving him the state's 12 electoral votes. Carter carried all of Georgia's 159 counties (the last time any presidential candidate has won every single county in the state) and 10 congressional districts by wide margins.

This is the only presidential election in Georgia's history where the Democratic candidate carried all of Georgia's counties, despite the state's long Democratic streak, which had ended only in 1964.Thomas, G. Scott; The Pursuit of the White House: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics and History, p. 425 Even though Carter's percentage of the vote was lower than that of several previous Democratic victors in the state, such as Woodrow Wilson, James M. Cox, John W. Davis, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, none of these had carried every county in the state. In particular, Carter remains the only Democrat to carry historically pro-Union, East Tennessee-orientedMosher, John; Weber, Jennifer L.: Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln's Opponents in the North (book review); History, 35(3) (2007), pp. 303–304. Fannin County since 1912, and the only Democrat to obtain a majority of the vote there since William Jennings Bryan in 1900.Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote, 1896–1932, p. 165. There are a further seven counties, in addition to Fannin, that have never voted Democratic again since 1976: Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Fayette, Columbia, Lee and Lowndes.Sullivan, Robert David; 'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016. Douglas and Rockdale counties would not vote Democratic for president again until 2008, and Cobb and Gwinnett would not do so until 2016.

The election represented a complete flip from the previous election when President Richard Nixon also won Georgia with 75% of the vote and carried every county. Georgia swung 84 points Democratic, the largest partisan swing of any state in 1976.

Ford did carry one of Georgia's 161 historical counties, with the former Milton County backing the incumbent president 51.1%–48.9%. In fact, Ford carried many precincts in northern Fulton and DeKalb Counties, some by landslide margins. For example, one precinct in Dunwoody voted for Ford by a margin of 1245 to 500.

Among white voters, 58% supported Carter while 42% supported Ford.

Results United States presidential election in Georgia, 1976PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic James Carter 979,409 66.74% 12 Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent) 483,743 32.96% 0 Write-in Thomas J. Anderson 1,168 0.08% 0 Write-in Lester Maddox 1,071 0.07% 0 Write-in Eugene McCarthy 991 0.07% 0 Write-in Write-ins (scattered) 847 0.06% 0 Write-in Roger MacBride 175 0.01% 0 Write-in Peter Camejo 43 0.00% 0 Write-in Gus Hall 3 0.00% 0 Write-in Ernest Miller 3 0.00% 0 Write-in Julius Levin 2 0.00% 0 Write-in Frank Zeidler 2 0.00% 0 Write-in Lyndon LaRouche 1 0.00% 0 Totals 1,467,458 100.00% 12 Voter turnout 42% —

Results by county CountyJimmy CarterDemocraticGerald FordRepublicanMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%Appling3,58578.86%96121.14%2,62457.72%4,546Atkinson1,56081.80%34718.20%1,21363.60%1,907Bacon2,39580.13%59419.87%1,80160.26%2,989Baker1,16279.21%30520.79%85758.42%1,467Baldwin4,67456.41%3,61243.59%1,06212.82%8,286Banks2,38787.85%33012.15%2,05773.70%2,717Barrow4,75677.71%1,36422.29%3,39255.42%6,120Bartow8,16681.32%1,87618.68%6,29062.64%10,042Ben Hill2,44975.05%81424.95%1,63550.10%3,263Berrien3,39485.95%55514.05%2,83971.90%3,949Bibb31,90271.34%12,81928.66%19,08342.68%44,721Bleckley2,60572.83%97227.17%1,63345.66%3,577Brantley2,29486.50%35813.50%1,93673.00%2,652Brooks2,65370.65%1,10229.35%1,55141.30%3,755Bryan2,04572.88%76127.12%1,28445.76%2,806Bulloch5,19962.23%3,15637.77%2,04324.46%8,355Burke3,01465.82%1,56534.18%1,44931.64%4,579Butts2,89877.97%81922.03%2,07955.94%3,717Calhoun1,39476.17%43623.83%95852.34%1,830Camden2,96274.85%99525.15%1,96749.70%3,957Candler1,38868.24%64631.76%74236.48%2,034Carroll10,05073.41%3,64026.59%6,41046.82%13,690Catoosa6,02061.31%3,79938.69%2,22122.62%9,819Charlton1,75079.47%45220.53%1,29858.94%2,202Chatham32,07557.04%24,16042.96%7,91514.08%56,235Chattahoochee50673.98%17826.02%32847.96%684Chattooga4,68681.17%1,08718.83%3,59962.34%5,773Cherokee6,53971.48%2,60928.52%3,93042.96%9,148Clarke11,34263.18%6,61036.82%4,73226.36%17,952Clay94776.25%29523.75%65252.50%1,242Clayton21,43262.42%12,90537.58%8,52724.84%34,337Clinch1,41478.69%38321.31%1,03157.38%1,797Cobb45,00256.73%34,32443.27%10,67812.46%79,326Coffee4,60176.45%1,41723.55%3,18452.90%6,018Colquitt6,92876.06%2,18123.94%4,74752.12%9,109Columbia4,67457.73%3,42342.27%1,25115.46%8,097Cook2,88281.14%67018.86%2,21262.28%3,552Coweta6,19567.05%3,04432.95%3,15134.10%9,239Crawford1,84282.97%37817.03%1,46465.94%2,220Crisp3,74773.83%1,32826.17%2,41947.66%5,075Dade2,26361.98%1,38838.02%87523.96%3,651Dawson1,38478.91%37021.09%1,01457.82%1,754Decatur3,73659.91%2,50040.09%1,23619.82%6,236DeKalb86,87256.40%67,16043.60%19,71212.80%154,032Dodge5,26786.13%84813.87%4,41972.26%6,115Dooly2,44178.84%65521.16%1,78657.68%3,096Dougherty11,46155.11%9,33744.89%2,12410.22%20,798Douglas7,80566.35%3,95933.65%3,84632.70%11,764Early2,40567.52%1,15732.48%1,24835.04%3,562Echols58584.05%11115.95%47468.10%696Effingham2,90663.73%1,65436.27%1,25227.46%4,560Elbert4,73083.11%96116.89%3,76966.22%5,691Emanuel4,60375.51%1,49324.49%3,11051.02%6,096Evans1,63168.62%74631.38%88537.24%2,377Fannin3,40256.25%2,64643.75%75612.50%6,048Fayette3,71856.72%2,83743.28%88113.44%6,555Floyd15,15166.27%7,71333.73%7,43832.54%22,864Forsyth4,69376.48%1,44323.52%3,25052.96%6,136Franklin4,19285.92%68714.08%3,50571.84%4,879Fulton129,84967.84%61,55232.16%68,29735.68%191,401Gilmer2,49966.46%1,26133.54%1,23832.92%3,760Glascock70465.49%37134.51%33330.98%1,075Glynn9,45963.65%5,40336.35%4,05627.30%14,862Gordon6,05278.09%1,69821.91%4,35456.18%7,750Grady3,75875.66%1,20924.34%2,54951.32%4,967Greene2,53479.54%65220.46%1,88259.08%3,186Gwinnett20,83859.97%13,91240.03%6,92619.94%34,750Habersham5,12079.56%1,31520.44%3,80559.12%6,435Hall12,80471.54%5,09328.46%7,71143.08%17,897Hancock2,11776.48%65123.52%1,46652.96%2,768Haralson4,55077.76%1,30122.24%3,24955.52%5,851Harris2,86164.95%1,54435.05%1,31729.90%4,405Hart4,60584.26%86015.74%3,74568.52%5,465Heard1,59378.63%43321.37%1,16057.26%2,026Henry5,71768.56%2,62231.44%3,09537.12%8,339Houston13,16470.90%5,40429.10%7,76041.80%18,568Irwin2,01278.20%56121.80%1,46156.40%2,573Jackson5,93182.72%1,23917.28%4,69265.44%7,170Jasper1,85272.88%68927.12%1,16345.76%2,541Jeff Davis2,40579.45%62220.55%1,78358.90%3,027Jefferson3,11570.41%1,30929.59%1,80640.82%4,424Jenkins1,82076.37%56323.63%1,25752.74%2,383Johnson2,21076.00%69824.00%1,51252.00%2,908Jones3,47172.49%1,31727.51%2,15444.98%4,788Lamar2,78576.68%84723.32%1,93853.36%3,632Lanier1,26985.98%20714.02%1,06271.96%1,476Laurens8,61772.42%3,28127.58%5,33644.84%11,898Lee1,72760.87%1,11039.13%61721.74%2,837Liberty3,32877.27%97922.73%2,34954.54%4,307Lincoln1,58373.32%57626.68%1,00746.64%2,159Long1,24384.85%22215.15%1,02169.70%1,465Lowndes8,83066.18%4,51233.82%4,31832.36%13,342Lumpkin2,30180.79%54719.21%1,75461.58%2,848McDuffie3,02464.09%1,69435.91%1,33028.18%4,718McIntosh1,97878.71%53521.29%1,44357.42%2,513Macon3,01382.53%63817.47%2,37565.06%3,651Madison3,36775.12%1,11524.88%2,25250.24%4,482Marion1,31481.87%29118.13%1,02363.74%1,605Meriwether4,83076.91%1,45023.09%3,38053.82%6,280Miller1,53676.34%47623.66%1,06052.68%2,012Mitchell4,49574.09%1,57225.91%2,92348.18%6,067Monroe2,96273.32%1,07826.68%1,88446.64%4,040Montgomery1,61072.00%62628.00%98442.00%2,236Morgan2,27471.55%90428.45%1,37042.90%3,178Murray3,51179.80%88920.20%2,62259.60%4,400Muscogee24,09264.09%13,49635.91%10,59628.18%37,588Newton6,29474.65%2,13725.35%4,15749.30%8,431Oconee2,22865.30%1,18434.70%1,04430.60%3,412Oglethorpe1,85469.57%81130.43%1,04339.14%2,665Paulding5,42079.10%1,43220.90%3,98858.20%6,852Peach3,98977.43%1,16322.57%2,82654.86%5,152Pickens2,57172.55%97327.45%1,59845.10%3,544Pierce2,62882.85%54417.15%2,08465.70%3,172Pike1,90371.03%77628.97%1,12742.06%2,679Polk6,11575.88%1,94424.12%4,17151.76%8,059Pulaski2,31882.70%48517.30%1,83365.40%2,803Putnam2,04070.96%83529.04%1,20541.92%2,875Quitman67768.38%31331.62%36436.76%990Rabun2,39880.23%59119.77%1,80760.46%2,989Randolph2,18674.53%74725.47%1,43949.06%2,933Richmond24,04257.33%17,89342.67%6,14914.66%41,935Rockdale4,64060.94%2,97439.06%1,66621.88%7,614Schley78374.50%26825.50%51549.00%1,051Screven2,16864.83%1,17635.17%99229.66%3,344Seminole2,07475.28%68124.72%1,39350.56%2,755Spalding7,59367.00%3,73933.00%3,85434.00%11,332Stephens5,56080.58%1,34019.42%4,22061.16%6,900Stewart1,63279.03%43320.97%1,19958.06%2,065Sumter5,32872.19%2,05327.81%3,27544.38%7,381Talbot1,63478.07%45921.93%1,17556.14%2,093Taliaferro74876.02%23623.98%51252.04%984Tattnall3,55672.84%1,32627.16%2,23045.68%4,882Taylor1,96279.56%50420.44%1,45859.12%2,466Telfair3,53484.73%63715.27%2,89769.46%4,171Terrell2,34866.78%1,16833.22%1,18033.56%3,516Thomas6,14765.32%3,26334.68%2,88430.64%9,410Tift5,18570.57%2,16229.43%3,02341.14%7,347Toombs4,04765.56%2,12634.44%1,92131.12%6,173Towns1,78660.32%1,17539.68%61120.64%2,961Treutlen1,56777.12%46522.88%1,10254.24%2,032Troup7,69963.52%4,42236.48%3,27727.04%12,121Turner2,26584.48%41615.52%1,84968.96%2,681Twiggs2,51583.06%51316.94%2,00266.12%3,028Union2,79570.78%1,15429.22%1,64141.56%3,949Upson4,21959.29%2,89740.71%1,32218.58%7,116Walker8,00762.49%4,80737.51%3,20024.98%12,814Walton5,40276.20%1,68723.80%3,71552.40%7,089Ware7,71974.36%2,66125.64%5,05848.72%10,380Warren1,33564.96%72035.04%61529.92%2,055Washington3,86569.99%1,65730.01%2,20839.98%5,522Wayne4,48974.97%1,49925.03%2,99049.94%5,988Webster62279.03%16520.97%45758.06%787Wheeler1,37880.02%34419.98%1,03460.04%1,722White2,12577.27%62522.73%1,50054.54%2,750Whitfield10,47569.96%4,49830.04%5,97739.92%14,973Wilcox2,15386.15%34613.85%1,80772.30%2,499Wilkes2,46169.76%1,06730.24%1,39439.52%3,528Wilkinson2,65276.01%83723.99%1,81552.02%3,489Worth2,79070.70%1,15629.30%1,63441.40%3,946Totals979,40966.74%483,74332.96%495,66633.78%1,467,458

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic All 159

By congressional district Carter carried all 10 districts in Georgia. District Carter Ford Representative 64.4% 35.6%Ronald "Bo" Ginn 69.1% 30.9%Dawson Mathis 69.1% 30.9%Jack Brinkley 57.2% 42.8%Elliott H. Levitas 67.5% 32.5%Andrew Young 67.5% 32.5%John Flynt 64.2% 35.8%Larry Mcdonald 74.8% 25.2%Billy Lee Evans 70.9% 29.1%Ed Jenkins 65.9% 34.1%Doug Barnard Jr.

Notes

References

Works cited