1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi

The 1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi was held on November 2, 1976. The Democratic Party candidate Jimmy Carter won the state of Mississippi. He narrowly won the state with 49.56% of the vote, and all seven of the state's electors were pledged to Carter.

In the 1972 election, Mississippi had Richard Nixon's strongest showing in the country, giving him 78% of the vote. Carter managed to carry Mississippi in 1976 by a slim margin of 1.88% against incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford. At that time, Carter’s performance in Mississippi was the narrowest victory for a post-Reconstruction Democratic presidential candidate, as he failed to win a majority of the vote. This was also only the second time since 1848 that the state was decided by a single-digit margin (the other being 1960).

While Carter performed well in northern Mississippi and in Black majority counties along the Mississippi River, President Ford’s wins in Hinds County (Jackson) and neighboring Rankin County, both of which were won with over sixty percent of the vote, along with a substantial win in Harrison County (Biloxi and Gulfport), kept the race in Mississippi extremely close.

, this is the last time a Democrat won the state of Mississippi, as well as Hancock County, Neshoba County, DeSoto County, Carroll County, Covington County, Pearl River County, George County, Wayne County, Stone County, Greene County, Perry County, and Webster County.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

Among white voters, 60% supported Ford while 36% supported Carter.

Predictions SourceRatingAs ofThe Atlanta Constitution(Flip)September 13, 1976Kansas City TimesOctober 26, 1976Daily NewsOctober 27, 1976Sun HeraldOctober 31, 1976Austin American-StatesmanOctober 31, 1976

Results 1976 United States presidential election in MississippiPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Democratic Jimmy Carter 381,309 49.56% 7 Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent) 366,845 47.68% 0 Mississippi American Thomas J. Anderson 6,678 0.87% 0 Independent Lester Maddox 4,861 0.63% 0 Independent Eugene McCarthy 4,074 0.53% 0 Independent Peter Camejo 2,805 0.36% 0 Independent Roger MacBride 2,787 0.36% 0 Totals 769,363 100.0% 7

Results by county CountyJimmy CarterDemocraticGerald FordRepublicanThomas AndersonMississippi AmericanLester MaddoxIndependentEugene McCarthyIndependentPeter CamejoIndependentRoger MacBrideIndependentMarginTotal votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % Adams 6,619 47.75% 6,431 46.40% 80 0.58% 153 1.10% 56 0.40% 227 1.64% 295 2.13% 188 1.35% 13,861 Alcorn 6,995 64.95% 3,430 31.85% 96 0.89% 121 1.12% 59 0.55% 36 0.33% 33 0.31% 3,565 33.10% 10,770 Amite 2,574 51.49% 2,256 45.13% 61 1.22% 45 0.90% 20 0.40% 24 0.48% 19 0.38% 318 6.36% 4,999 Attala 4,068 54.80% 3,146 42.38% 64 0.86% 64 0.86% 35 0.47% 23 0.31% 23 0.31% 922 12.42% 7,423 Benton 2,375 74.01% 790 24.62% 25 0.78% 19 0.59% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 1,585 49.39% 3,209 Bolivar 7,561 58.73% 5,136 39.89% 102 0.79% 20 0.16% 31 0.24% 12 0.09% 13 0.10% 2,425 18.84% 12,875 Calhoun 2,724 56.89% 1,892 39.52% 70 1.46% 34 0.71% 24 0.50% 26 0.54% 18 0.38% 832 17.37% 4,788 Carroll 1,566 49.45% 1,561 49.29% 15 0.47% 13 0.41% 5 0.16% 3 0.09% 4 0.13% 5 0.16% 3,167 Chickasaw 2,891 50.52% 2,581 45.10% 66 1.15% 54 0.94% 47 0.82% 45 0.79% 39 0.68% 310 5.42% 5,723 Choctaw 1,520 47.93% 1,561 49.23% 36 1.14% 18 0.57% 17 0.54% 7 0.22% 12 0.38% -41 -1.30% 3,171 Claiborne 2,657 68.98% 1,078 27.99% 36 0.93% 11 0.29% 23 0.60% 13 0.34% 34 0.88% 1,579 40.99% 3,852 Clarke 2,816 46.97% 2,935 48.96% 45 0.75% 66 1.10% 51 0.85% 41 0.68% 41 0.68% -119 -1.99% 5,995 Clay 3,514 51.40% 3,017 44.13% 64 0.94% 79 1.16% 61 0.89% 55 0.80% 47 0.69% 497 7.27% 6,837 Coahoma 6,412 57.70% 4,269 38.41% 104 0.94% 109 0.98% 106 0.95% 63 0.57% 50 0.45% 2,143 19.29% 11,113 Copiah 4,267 49.35% 4,108 47.51% 68 0.79% 64 0.74% 43 0.50% 51 0.59% 45 0.52% 159 1.84% 8,646 Covington 2,862 51.40% 2,591 46.53% 33 0.59% 21 0.38% 23 0.41% 19 0.34% 19 0.34% 271 4.87% 5,568 DeSoto 7,756 54.19% 6,240 43.60% 78 0.54% 69 0.48% 88 0.61% 46 0.32% 35 0.24% 1,516 10.59% 14,312 Forrest 7,914 41.39% 10,770 56.33% 167 0.87% 93 0.49% 95 0.50% 42 0.22% 39 0.20% -2,856 -14.94% 19,120 Franklin 1,578 46.48% 1,719 50.63% 29 0.85% 31 0.91% 17 0.50% 12 0.35% 9 0.27% -141 -4.15% 3,395 George 3,072 58.75% 1,957 37.43% 56 1.07% 39 0.75% 44 0.84% 34 0.65% 27 0.52% 1,115 21.32% 5,229 Greene 2,127 56.42% 1,538 40.80% 16 0.42% 34 0.90% 17 0.45% 15 0.40% 23 0.61% 589 15.62% 3,770 Grenada 3,263 46.48% 3,569 50.84% 72 1.03% 25 0.36% 45 0.64% 29 0.41% 17 0.24% -306 -4.36% 7,020 Hancock 3,855 49.16% 3,765 48.01% 47 0.60% 68 0.87% 44 0.56% 35 0.45% 28 0.36% 90 1.15% 7,842 Harrison 16,569 44.61% 19,207 51.72% 361 0.97% 328 0.88% 301 0.81% 207 0.56% 166 0.45% -2,638 -7.11% 37,139 Hinds 28,748 37.95% 45,803 60.46% 415 0.55% 261 0.34% 270 0.36% 114 0.15% 145 0.19% -17,055 -22.51% 75,756 Holmes 4,616 64.08% 2,438 33.85% 54 0.75% 37 0.51% 23 0.32% 15 0.21% 20 0.28% 2,178 30.23% 7,203 Humphreys 2,172 57.55% 1,445 38.29% 39 1.03% 37 0.98% 40 1.06% 20 0.53% 21 0.56% 727 19.26% 3,774 Issaquena 567 59.43% 325 34.07% 19 1.99% 17 1.78% 16 1.68% 8 0.84% 2 0.21% 242 25.36% 954 Itawamba 4,480 66.82% 2,153 32.11% 25 0.37% 10 0.15% 23 0.34% 6 0.09% 8 0.12% 2,327 34.71% 6,705 Jackson 12,533 40.32% 17,177 55.26% 332 1.07% 394 1.27% 248 0.80% 201 0.65% 197 0.63% -4,644 -14.94% 31,082 Jasper 3,109 56.39% 2,356 42.74% 28 0.51% 12 0.22% 4 0.07% 2 0.04% 2 0.04% 753 13.65% 5,513 Jefferson 2,562 74.78% 782 22.83% 21 0.61% 18 0.53% 19 0.55% 11 0.32% 13 0.38% 1,780 51.95% 3,426 Jefferson Davis 2,747 58.47% 1,868 39.76% 25 0.53% 13 0.28% 13 0.28% 15 0.32% 17 0.36% 879 18.71% 4,698 Jones 10,139 47.04% 11,098 51.49% 102 0.47% 81 0.38% 63 0.29% 28 0.13% 41 0.19% -959 -4.45% 21,552 Kemper 2,436 58.56% 1,680 40.38% 23 0.55% 14 0.34% 4 0.10% 3 0.07% 0 0.00% 756 18.18% 4,160 Lafayette 4,375 52.39% 3,735 44.73% 57 0.68% 58 0.69% 64 0.77% 40 0.48% 22 0.26% 640 7.66% 8,351 Lamar 3,109 41.93% 4,056 54.71% 97 1.31% 89 1.20% 35 0.47% 7 0.09% 21 0.28% -947 -12.78% 7,414 Lauderdale 9,813 40.14% 14,273 58.39% 131 0.54% 134 0.55% 45 0.18% 17 0.07% 33 0.13% -4,460 -18.25% 24,446 Lawrence 2,242 50.54% 2,109 47.54% 33 0.74% 19 0.43% 16 0.36% 7 0.16% 10 0.23% 133 3.00% 4,436 Leake 3,415 52.47% 2,952 45.36% 39 0.60% 33 0.51% 27 0.41% 29 0.45% 13 0.20% 463 7.11% 6,508 Lee 8,504 52.07% 7,366 45.10% 229 1.40% 49 0.30% 109 0.67% 52 0.32% 24 0.15% 1,138 6.97% 16,333 Leflore 6,135 48.73% 5,872 46.64% 255 2.03% 74 0.59% 129 1.02% 85 0.68% 39 0.31% 263 2.09% 12,589 Lincoln 4,043 38.90% 6,084 58.55% 72 0.69% 85 0.82% 47 0.45% 37 0.36% 24 0.23% -2,041 -19.65% 10,392 Lowndes 6,181 42.05% 8,003 54.44% 275 1.87% 68 0.46% 63 0.43% 55 0.37% 55 0.37% -1,822 -12.39% 14,700 Madison 6,240 55.14% 4,838 42.75% 120 1.06% 50 0.44% 31 0.27% 9 0.08% 28 0.25% 1,402 12.39% 11,316 Marion 5,283 49.20% 5,300 49.36% 66 0.61% 28 0.26% 23 0.21% 17 0.16% 20 0.19% -17 -0.16% 10,737 Marshall 6,769 73.37% 2,242 24.30% 49 0.53% 47 0.51% 50 0.54% 31 0.34% 38 0.41% 4,527 49.07% 9,226 Monroe 6,097 54.27% 4,737 42.17% 100 0.89% 75 0.67% 91 0.81% 68 0.61% 66 0.59% 1,360 12.10% 11,234 Montgomery 2,410 49.93% 2,278 47.19% 42 0.87% 32 0.66% 33 0.68% 17 0.35% 15 0.31% 132 2.74% 4,827 Neshoba 3,891 49.76% 3,859 49.35% 25 0.32% 23 0.29% 8 0.10% 5 0.06% 8 0.10% 32 0.41% 7,819 Newton 2,741 40.97% 3,813 57.00% 114 1.70% 8 0.12% 8 0.12% 3 0.04% 3 0.04% -1,072 -16.03% 6,690 Noxubee 2,121 51.28% 1,860 44.97% 45 1.09% 39 0.94% 36 0.87% 26 0.63% 9 0.22% 261 6.31% 4,136 Oktibbeha 4,339 44.62% 5,194 53.41% 61 0.63% 27 0.28% 46 0.47% 20 0.21% 38 0.39% -855 -8.79% 9,725 Panola 5,517 60.85% 3,341 36.85% 70 0.77% 35 0.39% 45 0.50% 31 0.34% 28 0.31% 2,176 24.00% 9,067 Pearl River 5,024 51.98% 4,332 44.82% 56 0.58% 105 1.09% 74 0.77% 32 0.33% 42 0.43% 692 7.16% 9,665 Perry 1,965 52.75% 1,527 40.99% 112 3.01% 39 1.05% 38 1.02% 24 0.64% 20 0.54% 438 11.76% 3,725 Pike 5,749 48.92% 5,659 48.16% 109 0.93% 103 0.88% 54 0.46% 28 0.24% 49 0.42% 90 0.76% 11,751 Pontotoc 4,066 62.64% 2,245 34.59% 77 1.19% 31 0.48% 26 0.40% 18 0.28% 28 0.43% 1,821 28.05% 6,491 Prentiss 4,431 63.51% 2,362 33.85% 44 0.63% 42 0.60% 46 0.66% 29 0.42% 23 0.33% 2,069 29.66% 6,977 Quitman 2,621 64.80% 1,287 31.82% 34 0.84% 25 0.62% 30 0.74% 23 0.57% 25 0.62% 1,334 32.98% 4,045 Rankin 6,937 36.75% 11,507 60.95% 133 0.70% 125 0.66% 83 0.44% 54 0.29% 39 0.21% -4,570 -24.20% 18,878 Scott 3,643 48.78% 3,649 48.86% 61 0.82% 59 0.79% 25 0.33% 14 0.19% 17 0.23% -6 -0.08% 7,468 Sharkey 1,283 52.39% 1,024 41.81% 43 1.76% 23 0.94% 33 1.35% 21 0.86% 22 0.90% 259 10.58% 2,449 Simpson 3,600 45.23% 4,291 53.91% 33 0.41% 22 0.28% 11 0.14% 1 0.01% 2 0.03% -691 -8.68% 7,960 Smith 2,434 42.35% 3,147 54.75% 32 0.56% 53 0.92% 32 0.56% 20 0.35% 30 0.52% -713 -12.40% 5,748 Stone 1,648 50.27% 1,575 48.05% 26 0.79% 9 0.27% 5 0.15% 1 0.03% 14 0.43% 73 2.22% 3,278 Sunflower 4,322 53.86% 3,456 43.07% 69 0.86% 46 0.57% 49 0.61% 47 0.59% 35 0.44% 866 10.79% 8,024 Tallahatchie 2,991 56.95% 2,146 40.86% 37 0.70% 29 0.55% 20 0.38% 17 0.32% 12 0.23% 845 16.09% 5,252 Tate 3,747 58.22% 2,497 38.80% 51 0.79% 57 0.89% 40 0.62% 20 0.31% 24 0.37% 1,250 19.42% 6,436 Tippah 4,260 67.90% 1,887 30.08% 47 0.75% 26 0.41% 25 0.40% 15 0.24% 14 0.22% 2,373 37.82% 6,274 Tishomingo 3,734 63.95% 1,969 33.72% 53 0.91% 28 0.48% 20 0.34% 20 0.34% 15 0.26% 1,765 30.23% 5,839 Tunica 1,695 61.50% 951 34.51% 23 0.83% 24 0.87% 33 1.20% 17 0.62% 13 0.47% 744 26.99% 2,756 Union 5,021 65.56% 2,507 32.73% 52 0.68% 38 0.50% 20 0.26% 9 0.12% 12 0.16% 2,514 32.83% 7,659 Walthall 2,650 53.79% 2,110 42.83% 50 1.01% 40 0.81% 44 0.89% 23 0.47% 10 0.20% 540 10.96% 4,927 Warren 6,299 40.11% 8,699 55.39% 231 1.47% 144 0.92% 152 0.97% 100 0.64% 80 0.51% -2,400 -15.28% 15,705 Washington 9,650 53.17% 7,474 41.18% 346 1.91% 153 0.84% 222 1.22% 136 0.75% 168 0.93% 2,176 11.99% 18,149 Wayne 3,306 51.48% 3,022 47.06% 14 0.22% 36 0.56% 10 0.16% 13 0.20% 21 0.33% 284 4.42% 6,422 Webster 2,218 51.81% 1,943 45.39% 44 1.03% 37 0.86% 15 0.35% 11 0.26% 13 0.30% 275 6.42% 4,281 Wilkinson 2,514 65.38% 1,273 33.11% 16 0.42% 13 0.34% 11 0.29% 7 0.18% 11 0.29% 1,241 32.27% 3,845 Winston 3,956 50.77% 3,659 46.96% 60 0.77% 34 0.44% 37 0.47% 28 0.36% 18 0.23% 297 3.81% 7,792 Yalobusha 2,603 57.81% 1,808 40.15% 32 0.71% 30 0.67% 7 0.16% 14 0.31% 9 0.20% 795 17.66% 4,503 Yazoo 4,053 47.85% 4,255 50.23% 42 0.50% 45 0.53% 31 0.37% 19 0.22% 26 0.31% -202 -2.38% 8,471Totals381,30949.56%366,84647.68%6,6780.87%4,8610.63%4,0740.53%2,8050.36%2,7870.36%14,4631.88%769,360

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Adams Bolivar Carroll Coahoma Covington Desoto George Greene Hancock Humphreys Marshall Lawrence Neshoba Noxubee Quitman Sharkey Pearl River Perry Stone Tunica Wilkinson Wayne Webster Alcorn Amite Attala Benton Calhoun Chickasaw Clarke Clay Copiah Issaquena Itawamba Jasper Jefferson Davis Kemper Lafayette Leake Lee Leflore Madison Monroe Montgomery Panola Pike Pontotoc Prentiss Sunflower Tallahatchie Tate Tippah Tishomingo Union Walthall Washington Yalobusha Winston

Results by congressional district Despite winning the state, Carter only won 2 of five congressional districts, while Ford won the other three, including one held by a Democrat. District Carter Ford Representative 61.7% 38.3%Jamie Whitten 52.9% 47.1%David R. Bowen 48.9% 51.1%Sonny Montgomery 45.0% 55.0%Thad Cochran 47.1% 52.9%Trent Lott

References

Works cited