1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi explained

See main article: 1976 United States presidential election.

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.^[1]

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 the first time since 1848 that the state was decided by a single-digit margin.

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.^[2]

60% of white voters supported Ford while 36% supported Carter.

Predictions

Source	Rating	As of
The Atlanta Constitution[3]	(Flip)	September 13, 1976
Kansas City Times[4]		October 26, 1976
Daily News[5]		October 27, 1976
Sun Herald[6]		October 31, 1976
Austin American-Statesman[7]		October 31, 1976

Results

1976 United States presidential election in Mississippi
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral 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

County[8]	Jimmy Carter Democratic		Gerald Ford Republican		Thomas Anderson Mississippi American		Lester Maddox Independent		Eugene McCarthy Independent		Peter Camejo Independent		Roger MacBride Independent		Margin		Total 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%		8,471
Totals	381,309	49.56%	366,846	47.68%	6,678	0.87%	4,861	0.63%	4,074	0.53%	2,805	0.36%	2,787	0.36%	14,463	1.88%	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

Works cited

• Book: Black . Earl . Earl Black (political scientist) . Black . Merle . Merle Black . The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected . . 1992 . 0674941306.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1976 Presidential General Election Results – Mississippi. May 18, 2016.
2. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
3. News: Joyce. Faye S.. September 13, 1976. Southerners Favour Carter, Poll Shows. 2-A. The Atlanta Constitution.
4. News: Patterson. Kathleen. South Still Hard To Peg. Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. 10. October 26, 1976.
5. News: Convention Wounds Remain. Daily News. New York City. October 27, 1976. 45.
6. News: October 31, 1976. Political Science Majors Predict Ford Win. D-11. Sun Herald. Biloxi, Mississippi.
7. News: October 31, 1976. Electoral Votes: A Photo Finish — Polls. A1, A6. Austin American-Statesman.
8. Web site: MS US President Race, November 02, 1976. Our Campaigns.