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1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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Main article: 1976 United States presidential election

The 1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin took place on November 2, 1976, as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Jimmy Carter won the state of Wisconsin with 49.50 percent of the vote[1] giving him 11 electoral votes.

1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →
 
Nominee Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Georgia Michigan
Running mate Walter Mondale Bob Dole
Electoral vote 11 0
Popular vote 1,040,232 1,004,987
Percentage 49.50% 47.83%
County Results
President before election

Gerald Ford
Republican

Elected President

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

In September, President Ford announced he would devote $20,000 to campaigning in Wisconsin. The state was one of ten he considered critical to defeating Carter, but Ford devoted less money to it than any of the others.[2] During his campaign, Ford focused chiefly on the Catholic working-class electorate in South Milwaukee, whose hierarchy had been disappointed Carter was not committed – following Roe v. Wade – to a constitutional amendment banning abortion.[3]

Carter himself responded by visiting white ethnic communities in the state during September.[4] His campaign amongst the Polish-Americans and Greek-Americans in the southeast of the state was strongly aimed at Ford's policy towards the totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe and their human rights violations.[5]

In early October, polls showed Wisconsin as a tossup.[6] Aided by a return of traditionally Democratic Catholic voters and a gain amongst nonpartisans, Carter established a lead in mid-October polls.[7] The Georgia Governor would retain this lead to election day, and carry Wisconsin by 1.68 points. This result nonetheless made Wisconsin 0.43% more Republican than the nation at large. Wisconsin was the tipping-point state of the election.[citation needed]

Ronald Reagan would flip Wisconsin back into the Republican column in 1980 and 1984, but Carter's victory was a sign of things to come for the state, as it would transition into a Democratic-leaning swing state in 1988, and would vote Republican only twice since then. This is the third most recent election in which Wisconsin voted for a different candidate than neighboring Iowa, a phenomenon that has only been repeated twice since, in 2004, and 2020.

Primaries

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Democratic primaries

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Despite the fact that at the time of this election Wisconsin had been dominated for a decade by very liberal Democrats like Senators Gaylord Nelson and William Proxmire, and had been the fifth-best state for George McGovern in his landslide 1972 presidential defeat, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won the state on a "nonideological" campaign in the April primaries,[8] despite claiming that price floors for dairy farmers in the nation's leading dairy state would need to be lowered.[9]

Republican primaries

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Gerald Ford won the GOP primary against the insurgent conservative challenge of Ronald Reagan, saying that his win was largely due to the endorsement of Henry Kissinger.[10]

Results

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1976 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[1]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Jimmy Carter 1,040,232 49.50% 11
Republican Gerald Ford (incumbent) 1,004,987 47.83% 0
Independent Eugene McCarthy 34,943 1.66% 0
American Lester Maddox 8,552 0.41% 0
Independent Frank Zeidler 4,298 0.20% 0
Independent Roger L. MacBride 3,814 0.18% 0
Independent Peter Camejo 1,691 0.08% 0
Independent Margaret Wright 943 0.04% 0
Independent Gus Hall 749 0.04% 0
Independent Lyndon H. LaRouche 738 0.04% 0
Independent Julius Levin 389 0.02% 0
Totals 2,101,336 100.0% 11

Results by county

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County Jimmy Carter
Democratic 		Gerald Ford
Republican 		Eugene McCarthy
Independent 		Lester Maddox
American 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast[11]
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Adams 3,089 55.28% 2,377 42.54% 77 1.38% 22 0.39% 23 0.41% 712 12.74% 5,588
Ashland 4,688 58.89% 3,045 38.25% 131 1.65% 43 0.54% 54 0.68% 1,643 20.64% 7,961
Barron 8,678 52.97% 7,393 45.13% 205 1.25% 62 0.38% 44 0.27% 1,285 7.84% 16,382
Bayfield 3,885 58.05% 2,624 39.21% 136 2.03% 18 0.27% 30 0.45% 1,261 18.84% 6,693
Brown 33,572 46.47% 36,571 50.62% 1,480 2.05% 344 0.48% 276 0.38% -2,999 -4.15% 72,243
Buffalo 3,448 53.65% 2,844 44.25% 83 1.29% 33 0.51% 19 0.30% 604 9.40% 6,427
Burnett 3,720 57.74% 2,573 39.93% 89 1.38% 31 0.48% 30 0.47% 1,147 17.81% 6,443
Calumet 6,241 47.53% 6,589 50.18% 221 1.68% 42 0.32% 39 0.30% -348 -2.65% 13,132
Chippewa 11,538 57.42% 8,137 40.50% 270 1.34% 93 0.46% 55 0.27% 3,401 16.92% 20,093
Clark 7,238 52.67% 6,095 44.35% 204 1.48% 172 1.25% 33 0.24% 1,143 8.32% 13,742
Columbia 9,457 47.52% 10,075 50.63% 235 1.18% 67 0.34% 66 0.33% -618 -3.11% 19,900
Crawford 3,629 50.39% 3,393 47.11% 128 1.78% 32 0.44% 20 0.28% 236 3.28% 7,202
Dane 82,321 53.96% 63,466 41.60% 4,629 3.03% 369 0.24% 1,767 1.16% 18,855 12.36% 152,552
Dodge 13,643 43.12% 17,335 54.79% 464 1.47% 104 0.33% 95 0.30% -3,692 -11.67% 31,641
Door 4,553 39.88% 6,557 57.43% 198 1.73% 46 0.40% 63 0.55% -2,004 -17.55% 11,417
Douglas 13,478 64.32% 6,999 33.40% 326 1.56% 24 0.11% 129 0.62% 6,479 30.92% 20,956
Dunn 7,882 52.53% 6,751 44.99% 234 1.56% 95 0.63% 42 0.28% 1,131 7.54% 15,004
Eau Claire 18,263 51.66% 16,388 46.36% 491 1.39% 73 0.21% 138 0.39% 1,875 5.30% 35,353
Florence 965 50.23% 922 48.00% 28 1.46% 2 0.10% 4 0.21% 43 2.23% 1,921
Fond du Lac 16,571 41.59% 22,226 55.79% 676 1.70% 224 0.56% 144 0.36% -5,655 -14.20% 39,841
Forest 2,574 60.72% 1,604 37.84% 43 1.01% 12 0.28% 6 0.14% 970 22.88% 4,239
Grant 9,639 43.41% 12,016 54.11% 416 1.87% 57 0.26% 79 0.36% -2,377 -10.70% 22,207
Green 5,632 43.17% 7,085 54.31% 169 1.30% 112 0.86% 48 0.37% -1,453 -11.14% 13,046
Green Lake 3,411 39.69% 5,020 58.41% 111 1.29% 33 0.38% 20 0.23% -1,609 -18.72% 8,595
Iowa 4,252 49.00% 4,195 48.34% 139 1.60% 62 0.71% 30 0.35% 57 0.66% 8,678
Iron 2,399 63.13% 1,340 35.26% 43 1.13% 4 0.11% 14 0.37% 1,059 27.87% 3,800
Jackson 3,735 51.42% 3,406 46.89% 73 1.00% 22 0.30% 28 0.39% 329 4.53% 7,264
Jefferson 12,577 43.65% 15,528 53.89% 454 1.58% 131 0.45% 122 0.42% -2,951 -10.24% 28,812
Juneau 4,512 49.71% 4,242 46.73% 96 1.06% 201 2.21% 26 0.29% 270 2.98% 9,077
Kenosha 27,585 53.82% 22,349 43.61% 832 1.62% 248 0.48% 236 0.46% 5,236 10.21% 51,250
Kewaunee 4,607 49.65% 4,447 47.93% 135 1.45% 64 0.69% 26 0.28% 160 1.72% 9,279
La Crosse 16,674 40.02% 24,188 58.06% 564 1.35% 101 0.24% 132 0.32% -7,514 -18.04% 41,659
Lafayette 3,839 46.91% 4,131 50.48% 121 1.48% 62 0.76% 30 0.37% -292 -3.57% 8,183
Langlade 4,134 46.29% 4,630 51.85% 122 1.37% 25 0.28% 19 0.21% -496 -5.56% 8,930
Lincoln 5,800 49.48% 5,672 48.38% 176 1.50% 42 0.36% 33 0.28% 128 1.10% 11,723
Manitowoc 19,819 53.90% 16,039 43.62% 504 1.37% 293 0.80% 116 0.32% 3,780 10.28% 36,771
Marathon 24,934 51.94% 21,898 45.62% 811 1.69% 218 0.45% 140 0.29% 3,036 6.32% 48,001
Marinette 8,482 48.68% 8,591 49.30% 236 1.35% 70 0.40% 46 0.26% -109 -0.62% 17,425
Marquette 2,516 48.30% 2,607 50.05% 50 0.96% 19 0.36% 17 0.33% -91 -1.75% 5,209
Menominee 766 68.27% 324 28.88% 24 2.14% 1 0.09% 7 0.62% 442 39.39% 1,122
Milwaukee 249,739 54.75% 192,008 42.09% 7,508 1.65% 1,760 0.39% 5,145 1.13% 57,731 12.66% 456,160
Monroe 6,465 46.28% 7,242 51.85% 177 1.27% 38 0.27% 46 0.33% -777 -5.57% 13,968
Oconto 6,541 50.21% 6,232 47.84% 140 1.07% 75 0.58% 39 0.30% 309 2.37% 13,027
Oneida 7,216 48.31% 7,347 49.19% 285 1.91% 40 0.27% 48 0.32% -131 -0.88% 14,936
Outagamie 23,079 43.95% 28,363 54.02% 770 1.47% 155 0.30% 140 0.27% -5,284 -10.07% 52,507
Ozaukee 11,271 35.36% 19,817 62.17% 488 1.53% 133 0.42% 168 0.53% -8,546 -26.81% 31,877
Pepin 1,955 58.64% 1,312 39.35% 44 1.32% 19 0.57% 4 0.12% 643 19.29% 3,334
Pierce 8,039 57.16% 5,676 40.36% 267 1.90% 41 0.29% 41 0.29% 2,363 16.80% 14,064
Polk 8,485 56.85% 6,159 41.27% 222 1.49% 23 0.15% 35 0.23% 2,326 15.58% 14,924
Portage 15,912 60.65% 9,520 36.28% 607 2.31% 43 0.16% 155 0.59% 6,392 24.37% 26,237
Price 4,028 54.44% 3,204 43.30% 103 1.39% 20 0.27% 44 0.59% 824 11.14% 7,399
Racine 36,740 48.54% 37,088 49.00% 1,222 1.61% 328 0.43% 308 0.41% -348 -0.46% 75,686
Richland 3,634 44.05% 4,466 54.14% 96 1.16% 32 0.39% 21 0.25% -832 -10.09% 8,249
Rock 28,048 48.56% 28,325 49.04% 933 1.62% 246 0.43% 210 0.36% -277 -0.48% 57,762
Rusk 4,050 58.21% 2,724 39.15% 110 1.58% 32 0.46% 41 0.59% 1,326 19.06% 6,957
Sauk 9,204 47.88% 9,577 49.82% 305 1.59% 92 0.48% 45 0.23% -373 -1.94% 19,223
Sawyer 3,055 50.04% 2,720 44.55% 261 4.28% 18 0.29% 51 0.84% 335 5.49% 6,105
Shawano 6,751 43.63% 8,505 54.97% 91 0.59% 100 0.65% 25 0.16% -1,754 -11.34% 15,472
Sheboygan 24,226 51.65% 22,332 47.62% 168 0.36% 110 0.23% 65 0.14% 1,894 4.03% 46,901
St. Croix 10,601 55.74% 7,685 40.41% 557 2.93% 37 0.19% 137 0.72% 2,916 15.33% 19,017
Taylor 4,101 51.90% 3,591 45.45% 136 1.72% 39 0.49% 34 0.43% 510 6.45% 7,901
Trempealeau 6,218 53.05% 5,341 45.56% 117 1.00% 25 0.21% 21 0.18% 877 7.49% 11,722
Vernon 5,534 46.54% 6,132 51.56% 156 1.31% 60 0.50% 10 0.08% -598 -5.02% 11,892
Vilas 3,209 38.61% 4,929 59.30% 108 1.30% 36 0.43% 30 0.36% -1,720 -20.69% 8,312
Walworth 12,418 39.67% 18,091 57.79% 540 1.72% 125 0.40% 133 0.42% -5,673 -18.12% 31,307
Washburn 3,503 54.30% 2,787 43.20% 114 1.77% 28 0.43% 19 0.29% 716 11.10% 6,451
Washington 14,422 42.33% 18,798 55.17% 509 1.49% 168 0.49% 173 0.51% -4,376 -12.84% 34,070
Waukesha 47,487 39.26% 70,418 58.22% 1,815 1.50% 528 0.44% 705 0.58% -22,931 -18.96% 120,953
Waupaca 6,857 38.00% 10,849 60.13% 202 1.12% 68 0.38% 67 0.37% -3,992 -22.13% 18,043
Waushara 3,485 43.04% 4,449 54.94% 96 1.19% 30 0.37% 38 0.47% -964 -11.90% 8,098
Winnebago 24,485 42.16% 32,149 55.35% 954 1.64% 221 0.38% 273 0.47% -7,664 -13.19% 58,082
Wood 14,728 47.58% 15,479 50.00% 438 1.41% 209 0.68% 103 0.33% -751 -2.42% 30,957
Totals 1,040,232 49.50% 1,004,987 47.83% 34,943 1.66% 8,552 0.41% 12,622 0.60% 35,245 1.67% 2,101,336

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Wisconsin". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  2. ^ Naughton, James M. (September 23, 1976). "Ford to Aim at New York, Jersey And 8 Other Key Industrial States: Ford Will Aim His Election Effort at 10 Major States". p. 85.
  3. ^ "Ford Banks on Catholic". The Irish Times. September 10, 1976. p. 6.
  4. ^ Naughton, James M. (October 10, 1976). "Remark by Ford Is Aid to Carter At Rally in Ohio: Carter, in Midwest, reaps an Ethnic Gain". The New York Times. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Carter hits Ford about East Europe". The Irish Times. October 12, 1976. p. 7.
  6. ^ "Poll Shows Carter Is Ahead in States Needed for Victory: But His Lead for Electoral Votes Is Found Small and Slipping Close Election Foreseen Poll Shows Carter Ahead in States With Majority in Electoral College". ]The New York Times. October 3, 1976. p. 1.
  7. ^ Apple, R.W. (October 15, 1976). "Carter, Focusing on Ford Record, Gains Among Independents in Poll". The New York Times. p. 1.
  8. ^ Apple, R. W. (April 2, 1976). "Carter Gains Among Wisconsin Liberals and Unions". The New York Times. p. 9. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  9. ^ King, Seth S. (April 5, 1976). "Carter and Udall Vie in Wisconsin". The New York Times. p. 25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. ^ Naughton, James N. (April 8, 1976). "Ford Sees Wisconsin Vote As Kissinger Endorsement". The New York Times. p. 32. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  11. ^ "WI US President Race, November 02, 1976". Our Campaigns.
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