1976 United States presidential election in Texas

1976 United States presidential election in Texas
Turnout	64.83% (of registered voters) ; 46.14% (of voting age population)
Carter 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%	Ford 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%
President before election; Gerald Ford; Republican	Elected President ; Jimmy Carter; Democratic

The 1976 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 2, 1976, as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. Texas was won by former governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia with 51.14% of the vote,^[2] giving him 26 electoral votes. This result made Texas about 1% more Democratic than the nation-at-large. He also beat the incumbent President Gerald Ford in the general election. To date, this remains the last time that a Democratic presidential candidate won Texas, and the last time Texas voted more Democratic than the nation-at-large.

Carter's southern roots as a former governor of Georgia struck a chord with many voters in Texas, along with strong anti-Republican sentiment following Watergate. Still, this was a relatively weak performance for a victorious Democratic candidate in Texas, and two factors can be identified. One was Carter's underwhelming performance in the more rural counties, and the second being President Ford's strong performances in Dallas and Harris counties, and some of their surrounding suburbs. The rise of the Republican Party in these areas would result in Ronald Reagan's win in the state four years later.

Carter carried 191 of the state's 254 counties, including seventy-four which have never voted Democratic since, namely Martin, Grayson, Chambers, Motley, Gaines, Live Oak, Mason, Sherman, Colorado, Stephens, Lamb, Oldham, Floyd, Real, Fayette, Terry, Donley, Parmer, Dallam, Moore, Hale, Wheeler, Bailey, Armstrong, Hamilton, Goliad, Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Wilbarger, Wilson, Castro, Eastland, Gonzales, Parker, Hood, Johnson, Anderson, Brazoria, Matagorda, Kinney, Medina, Wharton, Lavaca, Archer, Bosque, Aransas, Bell, Borden, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Cochran, Coryell, Walker, Shackelford, King, Jeff Davis, Wichita, McLennan, Llano, Hockley, Garza, Hunt, Young, Wood, Jackson, Lynn, Howard, Ellis, and Lampasas Counties.^[3]

53% of white voters supported Ford while 46% supported Carter.^[4]^[5]

^ "Turnout and Voter Registration Figures (1970-current)".
^ "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Texas". Retrieved April 8, 2016.
^ ‘Counties Voting for the Same Party Since 1980'; in Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

[1] "Turnout and Voter Registration Figures (1970-current)".

[2] "1976 Presidential General Election Results – Texas". Retrieved April 8, 2016.

[3] ‘Counties Voting for the Same Party Since 1980'; in Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992295-4] Black & Black 1992, p. 295.

[FOOTNOTEBlackBlack1992335-5] Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

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