1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on November 2, 1976. The Democratic Party candidate, former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter won the state of Tennessee with 56% of the vote against Republican Party candidate, President Gerald Ford, carrying the state's 10 electoral votes.

As of the 2024 presidential election, this was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won more than 50% of the vote in Tennessee or carried the state by a double-digit margin. This was also the last presidential election until 2020 that the Democratic nominee won over 60% of the vote in Davidson County, home to Nashville.

This is also the last election in which Williamson County, Sullivan County, Madison County, Hamblen County, Cumberland County, McMinn County, Loudon County, Monroe County, Rhea County, and Chester County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016 In addition, despite landslide victories statewide in previous elections, this would be the first time Wayne County would vote for the Republican nominee by less than 16 points since Samuel J. Tilden's victory in the county, as well as the closest any Democratic candidate running for president would get to winning there since Reconstruction.

Background From 1966 to 1972, the Republicans won Tennessee in the presidential elections, both of the state's seats in the United States Senate, the governorship, and increased its membership in the U.S. House to four of the state's nine seats. However, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ray Blanton won in the 1974 election.

Campaign Carter won Tennessee and the Democratic nominee won in the concurrent senatorial election. Among white voters, 51% supported Carter while 48% supported Ford.

Primary elections

Democratic primary Jimmy Carter easily won Tennessee in the 1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

Republican primary Gerald Ford narrowly won the popular vote in the 1976 Tennessee Republican presidential primary, but Ronald Reagan won the majority of Tennessee's delegates.

Results

Results by county CountyOur Campaigns; TN US President Race, November 02, 1976Jimmy CarterDemocraticGerald FordRepublicanThomas AndersonIndependentEugene McCarthyIndependentVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%#%#%Anderson13,45555.50%10,49443.29%600.25%1500.62%830.34%2,96112.21%24,242Bedford7,22869.79%3,02329.19%410.40%260.25%390.38%4,20540.60%10,357Benton4,08870.41%1,67828.90%210.36%90.16%100.17%2,41041.51%5,806Bledsoe1,75751.66%1,62047.63%90.26%70.21%80.24%1374.03%3,401Blount12,09646.10%13,85152.79%710.27%920.35%1300.50%-1,755-6.69%26,240Bradley8,77648.62%9,13650.61%280.16%420.23%690.38%-360-1.99%18,051Campbell5,20654.47%4,27744.75%290.30%150.16%300.31%9299.72%9,557Cannon2,46372.46%90826.71%150.44%50.15%80.24%1,55545.75%3,399Carroll5,58157.41%4,03141.47%480.49%190.20%420.43%1,55015.94%9,721Carter7,44345.08%8,93454.11%270.16%580.35%480.29%-1,491-9.03%16,510Cheatham4,22574.59%1,37624.29%300.53%100.18%230.41%2,84950.30%5,664Chester2,53256.05%1,94943.15%140.31%20.04%200.44%58312.90%4,517Claiborne3,46151.33%3,22747.86%190.28%150.22%210.31%2343.47%6,743Clay1,67162.40%98236.67%140.52%50.19%60.22%68925.73%2,678Cocke3,14138.22%5,00460.88%220.27%220.27%300.37%-1,863-22.66%8,219Coffee8,01766.78%3,84832.05%480.40%550.46%370.31%4,16934.73%12,005Crockett2,96363.08%1,69436.07%150.32%80.17%170.36%1,26927.01%4,697Cumberland4,54351.84%4,11947.00%420.48%220.25%370.42%4244.84%8,763Davidson99,00761.27%60,66237.54%5290.33%7850.49%6150.38%38,34523.73%161,598DeKalb2,43259.09%1,63739.77%150.36%120.29%200.49%79519.32%4,116Decatur3,22268.52%1,44330.69%90.19%140.30%140.30%1,77937.83%4,702Dickson6,55173.43%2,28525.61%320.36%150.17%390.44%4,26647.82%8,922Dyer5,93756.66%4,39141.91%560.53%150.14%790.75%1,54614.75%10,478Fayette3,85363.79%2,13335.31%190.31%110.18%240.40%1,72028.48%6,040Fentress1,95351.97%1,76747.02%110.29%120.32%150.40%1864.95%3,758Franklin6,78871.27%2,61927.50%270.28%370.39%530.56%4,16943.77%9,524Gibson10,35664.60%5,56334.70%420.26%300.19%400.25%4,79329.90%16,031Giles5,22572.09%1,95226.93%220.30%250.34%240.33%3,27345.16%7,248Grainger2,01841.50%2,80557.68%120.25%100.21%180.37%-787-16.18%4,863Greene7,07044.52%8,66454.56%530.33%500.31%430.27%-1,594-10.04%15,880Grundy2,85076.59%85022.84%120.32%20.05%70.19%2,00053.75%3,721Hamblen7,50451.30%6,98947.78%490.33%350.24%510.35%5153.52%14,628Hamilton45,34848.03%47,96950.80%3060.32%3040.32%4940.52%-2,621-2.77%94,421Hancock76436.56%1,30962.63%70.33%10.05%90.43%-545-26.07%2,090Hardeman3,93462.74%2,25435.95%250.40%130.21%440.70%1,68026.79%6,270Hardin3,43850.18%3,36249.07%90.13%130.19%300.44%761.11%6,852Hawkins5,93147.78%6,40751.62%240.19%150.12%350.28%-476-3.84%12,412Haywood3,68165.02%1,95234.48%130.23%50.09%100.18%1,72930.54%5,661Henderson3,36644.37%4,15254.73%200.26%130.17%350.46%-786-10.36%7,586Henry7,16272.48%2,58526.16%870.88%170.17%300.30%4,57746.32%9,881Hickman3,59074.99%1,15424.11%280.58%80.17%70.15%2,43650.88%4,787Houston1,99081.99%40716.77%100.41%80.33%120.49%1,58365.22%2,427Humphreys4,02174.28%1,33824.72%250.46%160.30%130.24%2,68349.56%5,413Jackson2,95982.91%59116.56%40.11%90.25%60.17%2,36866.35%3,569Jefferson3,99541.89%5,45957.23%260.27%260.27%320.34%-1,464-15.34%9,538Johnson1,46432.69%2,98666.68%110.25%60.13%110.25%-1,522-33.99%4,478Knox53,03448.03%56,01350.73%3670.33%6000.54%3950.36%-2,979-2.70%110,409Lake1,93375.83%59123.19%60.24%40.16%150.59%1,34252.64%2,549Lauderdale4,74769.03%2,10530.61%150.22%40.06%60.09%2,64238.42%6,877Lawrence7,14058.57%4,96740.75%330.27%240.20%260.21%2,17317.82%12,190Lewis2,39178.75%61720.32%110.36%80.26%90.30%1,77458.43%3,036Lincoln5,73276.24%1,72422.93%310.41%140.19%170.23%4,00853.31%7,518Loudon4,68350.72%4,45848.28%360.39%160.17%400.43%2252.44%9,233Macon1,95148.16%2,06350.93%210.52%90.22%70.17%-112-2.77%4,051Madison12,98952.67%11,36446.08%1190.48%640.26%1230.50%1,6256.59%24,659Marion4,61560.39%2,96538.80%160.21%80.10%380.50%1,65021.59%7,642Marshall4,45771.78%1,67426.96%530.85%90.14%160.26%2,78344.82%6,209Maury8,74761.32%5,32737.34%910.64%410.29%590.41%3,42023.98%14,265McMinn7,02051.12%6,63848.34%170.12%210.15%360.26%3822.78%13,732McNairy4,29355.49%3,38843.80%170.22%60.08%320.41%90511.69%7,736Meigs1,25455.93%97543.49%10.04%60.27%60.27%27912.44%2,242Monroe5,36849.91%5,33549.60%140.13%100.09%290.27%330.31%10,756Montgomery12,31066.73%5,92332.11%660.36%700.38%790.43%6,38734.62%18,448Moore1,10176.04%33122.86%70.48%20.14%70.48%77053.18%1,448Morgan2,95359.79%1,94939.46%150.30%110.22%110.22%1,00420.33%4,939Obion7,20469.81%2,98628.93%670.65%190.18%440.43%4,21840.88%10,320Overton3,89777.21%1,11522.09%120.24%20.04%210.42%2,78255.12%5,047Perry1,66075.42%52023.63%60.27%60.27%90.41%1,14051.79%2,201Pickett94848.77%98650.72%20.10%30.15%50.26%-38-1.95%1,944Polk3,28463.71%1,83535.60%140.27%90.17%130.25%1,44928.11%5,155Putnam8,48566.77%4,07932.10%340.27%600.47%500.39%4,40634.67%12,708Rhea3,73551.58%3,44947.63%190.26%110.15%270.37%2863.95%7,241Roane9,21655.89%7,12143.18%480.29%510.31%550.33%2,09512.71%16,491Robertson7,54774.62%2,50524.77%360.36%150.15%110.11%5,04249.85%10,114Rutherford14,85464.35%7,92134.32%950.41%1070.46%1050.45%6,93330.03%23,082Scott2,26047.78%2,43251.42%130.27%140.30%110.23%-172-3.64%4,730Sequatchie1,73360.98%1,06537.47%220.77%70.25%150.53%66823.51%2,842Sevier3,99333.80%7,60864.40%1020.86%490.41%620.52%-3,615-30.60%11,814Shelby147,89352.89%128,64646.01%6520.23%1,0860.39%1,3240.47%19,2476.88%279,601Smith3,75373.07%1,33225.93%280.55%70.14%160.31%2,42147.14%5,136Stewart2,44282.17%51017.16%40.13%50.17%110.37%1,93265.01%2,972Sullivan23,35349.94%22,08747.23%1,0032.14%1640.35%1550.33%1,2662.71%46,762Sumner13,84862.91%7,94636.10%1020.46%610.28%550.25%5,90226.81%22,012Tipton5,66762.47%3,32936.70%310.34%190.21%260.29%2,33825.77%9,072Trousdale1,38580.24%33219.24%30.17%20.12%40.23%1,05361.00%1,726Unicoi2,52643.69%3,21155.53%150.26%160.28%140.24%-685-11.84%5,782Union1,63147.18%1,80152.10%60.17%100.29%90.26%-170-4.92%3,457Van Buren1,08575.24%34623.99%30.21%20.14%60.42%73951.25%1,442Warren6,66673.13%2,36425.94%270.30%220.24%360.39%4,30247.19%9,115Washington13,95148.05%14,77050.87%840.29%1140.39%1130.39%-819-2.82%29,032Wayne1,89141.92%2,59757.57%100.22%80.18%50.11%-706-15.65%4,511Weakley6,60568.12%2,87529.65%1731.78%230.24%200.21%3,73038.47%9,696White3,87472.90%1,38226.01%310.58%190.36%80.15%2,49246.89%5,314Williamson8,18350.31%7,88048.44%1140.70%540.33%350.22%3031.87%16,266Wilson10,53768.59%4,69630.57%520.34%480.31%290.19%5,84138.02%15,362Totals825,87955.94%633,96942.94%5,7690.39%5,0040.34%5,7250.39%191,91013.00%1,476,346

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Anderson Bedford Benton Bledsoe Campbell Cannon Carroll Cheatham Chester Claiborne Clay Coffee Crockett Cumberland Davidson Decatur DeKalb Dickson Dyer Fayette Fentress Franklin Gibson Giles Grundy Hamblen Hardeman Hardin Haywood Henry Hickman Humphreys Lake Lauderdale Lawrence Lewis Lincoln Loudon Madison Marion Marshall Maury McMinn McNairy Meigs Monroe Montgomery Moore Morgan Morgan Obion Overton Polk Putnam Rhea Roane Robertson Rutherford Sequatchie Shelby Smith Sullivan Sumner Tipton Trousdale Van Buren Warren Weakley White Williamson Wilson

Results by congressional district In Tennessee Jimmy Carter won 6 out of the 8 congressional districts, including one that elected a republican, while Ford won the other two. DistrictCarterFordRepresentative1st 46.4% 53.6%Jimmy Quillen2nd 49.2% 50.8%John Duncan Sr.3rd 52.0% 48.0%Marilyn Lloyd4th 68.0% 32.0%Al Gore5th 63.2% 36.8%Clifford Allen6th 52.6% 47.4%Robin Beard7th 57.7% 42.3%Ed Jones8th 64.9% 35.1%Harold Ford Sr.

References

Works cited