1976 United States presidential election in Tennessee explained

See main article: 1976 United States presidential election.

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,^[1] carrying the state's 10 electoral votes.

As of the 2020 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 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.^[2]

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. 51% of white voters supported Carter while 48% supported Ford.

Results

Results by county

County[3]	Jimmy Carter Democratic		Gerald Ford Republican		Thomas Anderson Independent		Eugene McCarthy Independent		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Anderson		13,455		55.50%		10,494		43.29%		60		0.25%		150		0.62%		83		0.34%		2,961		12.21%		24,242
	Bedford		7,228		69.79%		3,023		29.19%		41		0.40%		26		0.25%		39		0.38%		4,205		40.60%		10,357
	Benton		4,088		70.41%		1,678		28.90%		21		0.36%		9		0.16%		10		0.17%		2,410		41.51%		5,806
	Bledsoe		1,757		51.66%		1,620		47.63%		9		0.26%		7		0.21%		8		0.24%		137		4.03%		3,401
	Blount		12,096		46.10%		13,851		52.79%		71		0.27%		92		0.35%		130		0.50%		-1,755		-6.69%		26,240
	Bradley		8,776		48.62%		9,136		50.61%		28		0.16%		42		0.23%		69		0.38%		-360		-1.99%		18,051
	Campbell		5,206		54.47%		4,277		44.75%		29		0.30%		15		0.16%		30		0.31%		929		9.72%		9,557
	Cannon		2,463		72.46%		908		26.71%		15		0.44%		5		0.15%		8		0.24%		1,555		45.75%		3,399
	Carroll		5,581		57.41%		4,031		41.47%		48		0.49%		19		0.20%		42		0.43%		1,550		15.94%		9,721
	Carter		7,443		45.08%		8,934		54.11%		27		0.16%		58		0.35%		48		0.29%		-1,491		-9.03%		16,510
	Cheatham		4,225		74.59%		1,376		24.29%		30		0.53%		10		0.18%		23		0.41%		2,849		50.30%		5,664
	Chester		2,532		56.05%		1,949		43.15%		14		0.31%		2		0.04%		20		0.44%		583		12.90%		4,517
	Claiborne		3,461		51.33%		3,227		47.86%		19		0.28%		15		0.22%		21		0.31%		234		3.47%		6,743
	Clay		1,671		62.40%		982		36.67%		14		0.52%		5		0.19%		6		0.22%		689		25.73%		2,678
	Cocke		3,141		38.22%		5,004		60.88%		22		0.27%		22		0.27%		30		0.37%		-1,863		-22.66%		8,219
	Coffee		8,017		66.78%		3,848		32.05%		48		0.40%		55		0.46%		37		0.31%		4,169		34.73%		12,005
	Crockett		2,963		63.08%		1,694		36.07%		15		0.32%		8		0.17%		17		0.36%		1,269		27.01%		4,697
	Cumberland		4,543		51.84%		4,119		47.00%		42		0.48%		22		0.25%		37		0.42%		424		4.84%		8,763
	Davidson		99,007		61.27%		60,662		37.54%		529		0.33%		785		0.49%		615		0.38%		38,345		23.73%		161,598
	DeKalb		2,432		59.09%		1,637		39.77%		15		0.36%		12		0.29%		20		0.49%		795		19.32%		4,116
	Decatur		3,222		68.52%		1,443		30.69%		9		0.19%		14		0.30%		14		0.30%		1,779		37.83%		4,702
	Dickson		6,551		73.43%		2,285		25.61%		32		0.36%		15		0.17%		39		0.44%		4,266		47.82%		8,922
	Dyer		5,937		56.66%		4,391		41.91%		56		0.53%		15		0.14%		79		0.75%		1,546		14.75%		10,478
	Fayette		3,853		63.79%		2,133		35.31%		19		0.31%		11		0.18%		24		0.40%		1,720		28.48%		6,040
	Fentress		1,953		51.97%		1,767		47.02%		11		0.29%		12		0.32%		15		0.40%		186		4.95%		3,758
	Franklin		6,788		71.27%		2,619		27.50%		27		0.28%		37		0.39%		53		0.56%		4,169		43.77%		9,524
	Gibson		10,356		64.60%		5,563		34.70%		42		0.26%		30		0.19%		40		0.25%		4,793		29.90%		16,031
	Giles		5,225		72.09%		1,952		26.93%		22		0.30%		25		0.34%		24		0.33%		3,273		45.16%		7,248
	Grainger		2,018		41.50%		2,805		57.68%		12		0.25%		10		0.21%		18		0.37%		-787		-16.18%		4,863
	Greene		7,070		44.52%		8,664		54.56%		53		0.33%		50		0.31%		43		0.27%		-1,594		-10.04%		15,880
	Grundy		2,850		76.59%		850		22.84%		12		0.32%		2		0.05%		7		0.19%		2,000		53.75%		3,721
	Hamblen		7,504		51.30%		6,989		47.78%		49		0.33%		35		0.24%		51		0.35%		515		3.52%		14,628
	Hamilton		45,348		48.03%		47,969		50.80%		306		0.32%		304		0.32%		494		0.52%		-2,621		-2.77%		94,421
	Hancock		764		36.56%		1,309		62.63%		7		0.33%		1		0.05%		9		0.43%		-545		-26.07%		2,090
	Hardeman		3,934		62.74%		2,254		35.95%		25		0.40%		13		0.21%		44		0.70%		1,680		26.79%		6,270
	Hardin		3,438		50.18%		3,362		49.07%		9		0.13%		13		0.19%		30		0.44%		76		1.11%		6,852
	Hawkins		5,931		47.78%		6,407		51.62%		24		0.19%		15		0.12%		35		0.28%		-476		-3.84%		12,412
	Haywood		3,681		65.02%		1,952		34.48%		13		0.23%		5		0.09%		10		0.18%		1,729		30.54%		5,661
	Henderson		3,366		44.37%		4,152		54.73%		20		0.26%		13		0.17%		35		0.46%		-786		-10.36%		7,586
	Henry		7,162		72.48%		2,585		26.16%		87		0.88%		17		0.17%		30		0.30%		4,577		46.32%		9,881
	Hickman		3,590		74.99%		1,154		24.11%		28		0.58%		8		0.17%		7		0.15%		2,436		50.88%		4,787
	Houston		1,990		81.99%		407		16.77%		10		0.41%		8		0.33%		12		0.49%		1,583		65.22%		2,427
	Humphreys		4,021		74.28%		1,338		24.72%		25		0.46%		16		0.30%		13		0.24%		2,683		49.56%		5,413
	Jackson		2,959		82.91%		591		16.56%		4		0.11%		9		0.25%		6		0.17%		2,368		66.35%		3,569
	Jefferson		3,995		41.89%		5,459		57.23%		26		0.27%		26		0.27%		32		0.34%		-1,464		-15.34%		9,538
	Johnson		1,464		32.69%		2,986		66.68%		11		0.25%		6		0.13%		11		0.25%		-1,522		-33.99%		4,478
	Knox		53,034		48.03%		56,013		50.73%		367		0.33%		600		0.54%		395		0.36%		-2,979		-2.70%		110,409
	Lake		1,933		75.83%		591		23.19%		6		0.24%		4		0.16%		15		0.59%		1,342		52.64%		2,549
	Lauderdale		4,747		69.03%		2,105		30.61%		15		0.22%		4		0.06%		6		0.09%		2,642		38.42%		6,877
	Lawrence		7,140		58.57%		4,967		40.75%		33		0.27%		24		0.20%		26		0.21%		2,173		17.82%		12,190
	Lewis		2,391		78.75%		617		20.32%		11		0.36%		8		0.26%		9		0.30%		1,774		58.43%		3,036
	Lincoln		5,732		76.24%		1,724		22.93%		31		0.41%		14		0.19%		17		0.23%		4,008		53.31%		7,518
	Loudon		4,683		50.72%		4,458		48.28%		36		0.39%		16		0.17%		40		0.43%		225		2.44%		9,233
	Macon		1,951		48.16%		2,063		50.93%		21		0.52%		9		0.22%		7		0.17%		-112		-2.77%		4,051
	Madison		12,989		52.67%		11,364		46.08%		119		0.48%		64		0.26%		123		0.50%		1,625		6.59%		24,659
	Marion		4,615		60.39%		2,965		38.80%		16		0.21%		8		0.10%		38		0.50%		1,650		21.59%		7,642
	Marshall		4,457		71.78%		1,674		26.96%		53		0.85%		9		0.14%		16		0.26%		2,783		44.82%		6,209
	Maury		8,747		61.32%		5,327		37.34%		91		0.64%		41		0.29%		59		0.41%		3,420		23.98%		14,265
	McMinn		7,020		51.12%		6,638		48.34%		17		0.12%		21		0.15%		36		0.26%		382		2.78%		13,732
	McNairy		4,293		55.49%		3,388		43.80%		17		0.22%		6		0.08%		32		0.41%		905		11.69%		7,736
	Meigs		1,254		55.93%		975		43.49%		1		0.04%		6		0.27%		6		0.27%		279		12.44%		2,242
	Monroe		5,368		49.91%		5,335		49.60%		14		0.13%		10		0.09%		29		0.27%		33		0.31%		10,756
	Montgomery		12,310		66.73%		5,923		32.11%		66		0.36%		70		0.38%		79		0.43%		6,387		34.62%		18,448
	Moore		1,101		76.04%		331		22.86%		7		0.48%		2		0.14%		7		0.48%		770		53.18%		1,448
	Morgan		2,953		59.79%		1,949		39.46%		15		0.30%		11		0.22%		11		0.22%		1,004		20.33%		4,939
	Obion		7,204		69.81%		2,986		28.93%		67		0.65%		19		0.18%		44		0.43%		4,218		40.88%		10,320
	Overton		3,897		77.21%		1,115		22.09%		12		0.24%		2		0.04%		21		0.42%		2,782		55.12%		5,047
	Perry		1,660		75.42%		520		23.63%		6		0.27%		6		0.27%		9		0.41%		1,140		51.79%		2,201
	Pickett		948		48.77%		986		50.72%		2		0.10%		3		0.15%		5		0.26%		-38		-1.95%		1,944
	Polk		3,284		63.71%		1,835		35.60%		14		0.27%		9		0.17%		13		0.25%		1,449		28.11%		5,155
	Putnam		8,485		66.77%		4,079		32.10%		34		0.27%		60		0.47%		50		0.39%		4,406		34.67%		12,708
	Rhea		3,735		51.58%		3,449		47.63%		19		0.26%		11		0.15%		27		0.37%		286		3.95%		7,241
	Roane		9,216		55.89%		7,121		43.18%		48		0.29%		51		0.31%		55		0.33%		2,095		12.71%		16,491
	Robertson		7,547		74.62%		2,505		24.77%		36		0.36%		15		0.15%		11		0.11%		5,042		49.85%		10,114
	Rutherford		14,854		64.35%		7,921		34.32%		95		0.41%		107		0.46%		105		0.45%		6,933		30.03%		23,082
	Scott		2,260		47.78%		2,432		51.42%		13		0.27%		14		0.30%		11		0.23%		-172		-3.64%		4,730
	Sequatchie		1,733		60.98%		1,065		37.47%		22		0.77%		7		0.25%		15		0.53%		668		23.51%		2,842
	Sevier		3,993		33.80%		7,608		64.40%		102		0.86%		49		0.41%		62		0.52%		-3,615		-30.60%		11,814
	Shelby		147,893		52.89%		128,646		46.01%		652		0.23%		1,086		0.39%		1,324		0.47%		19,247		6.88%		279,601
	Smith		3,753		73.07%		1,332		25.93%		28		0.55%		7		0.14%		16		0.31%		2,421		47.14%		5,136
	Stewart		2,442		82.17%		510		17.16%		4		0.13%		5		0.17%		11		0.37%		1,932		65.01%		2,972
	Sullivan		23,353		49.94%		22,087		47.23%		1,003		2.14%		164		0.35%		155		0.33%		1,266		2.71%		46,762
	Sumner		13,848		62.91%		7,946		36.10%		102		0.46%		61		0.28%		55		0.25%		5,902		26.81%		22,012
	Tipton		5,667		62.47%		3,329		36.70%		31		0.34%		19		0.21%		26		0.29%		2,338		25.77%		9,072
	Trousdale		1,385		80.24%		332		19.24%		3		0.17%		2		0.12%		4		0.23%		1,053		61.00%		1,726
	Unicoi		2,526		43.69%		3,211		55.53%		15		0.26%		16		0.28%		14		0.24%		-685		-11.84%		5,782
	Union		1,631		47.18%		1,801		52.10%		6		0.17%		10		0.29%		9		0.26%		-170		-4.92%		3,457
	Van Buren		1,085		75.24%		346		23.99%		3		0.21%		2		0.14%		6		0.42%		739		51.25%		1,442
	Warren		6,666		73.13%		2,364		25.94%		27		0.30%		22		0.24%		36		0.39%		4,302		47.19%		9,115
	Washington		13,951		48.05%		14,770		50.87%		84		0.29%		114		0.39%		113		0.39%		-819		-2.82%		29,032
	Wayne		1,891		41.92%		2,597		57.57%		10		0.22%		8		0.18%		5		0.11%		-706		-15.65%		4,511
	Weakley		6,605		68.12%		2,875		29.65%		173		1.78%		23		0.24%		20		0.21%		3,730		38.47%		9,696
	White		3,874		72.90%		1,382		26.01%		31		0.58%		19		0.36%		8		0.15%		2,492		46.89%		5,314
	Williamson		8,183		50.31%		7,880		48.44%		114		0.70%		54		0.33%		35		0.22%		303		1.87%		16,266
	Wilson		10,537		68.59%		4,696		30.57%		52		0.34%		48		0.31%		29		0.19%		5,841		38.02%		15,362
Totals	825,879		55.94%!	633,969	42.94%	5,769	0.39%	5,004	0.34%	5,725	0.39%	191,910	13.00%	1,476,346

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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

Works cited

• Book: Black . Earl . Earl Black (political scientist) . Black . Merle . Merle Black . The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected . . 1992 . 0674941306.
• Book: Moreland . Laurence . Steed . Robert . Baker . Tod . The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics . . 1991 . 0275931455.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1976 Presidential General Election Results - Tennessee. May 10, 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. Our Campaigns; TN US President Race, November 02, 1976