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County Results
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The1976 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 2, 1976, and was part of the1976 United States presidential election. Voters chose 27 representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Pennsylvania voted for theDemocratic nominee, former GeorgiaGovernorJimmy Carter, over theRepublican nominee,PresidentGerald Ford. Carter won Pennsylvania by a margin of 2.67%, which made Pennsylvania roughly 0.6% more Democratic than the nation at large.
While Ford won more counties by running up victories in the central region of the state and thePhiladelphia suburbs, Carter swept Southwestern Pennsylvania wherePittsburgh is located,Erie County (Erie),Lackawanna County (Scranton), and Philadelphia.
As of the2020 presidential election[update], this is the last presidential election where the Democratic candidate won Pennsylvania without carrying any of Philadelphia's suburban counties. This is also the final occasion of only four where Pennsylvania andMichigan voted for different presidential candidates ever since the Democrats and Republicans became the two major parties in U.S. politics.[1][a]
The first presidential debate for the general election was held in Philadelphia at theWalnut Street Theatre on September 23 with President Ford and Jimmy Carter attending the debate. The debate was moderated byEdwin Newman ofNBC News and sponsored by theLeague of Women Voters with 69.7 million people watching[2]
| 1976 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania[3] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Jimmy Carter | 2,328,677 | 50.40% | 27 | |
| Republican | Gerald Ford (incumbent) | 2,205,604 | 47.73% | 0 | |
| McCarthy '76 | Eugene McCarthy | 50,584 | 1.09% | 0 | |
| Constitutional | Lester Maddox | 25,344 | 0.55% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | Peter Camejo | 3,009[b] | 0.07% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 2,934[b] | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Labor | Lyndon LaRouche | 2,744[b] | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Communist | Gus Hall | 1,891[b] | 0.04% | 0 | |
| Totals | 4,620,787 | 100.00% | 27 | ||
| County[4] | Jimmy Carter Democratic | Gerald Ford Republican | Eugene McCarthy McCarthy ‘76 | Lester Maddox Constitutional | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 8,771 | 41.14% | 12,133 | 56.90% | 276 | 1.29% | 73 | 0.34% | 69 | 0.32% | -3,362 | -15.76% | 21,322 |
| Allegheny | 328,343 | 50.68% | 303,127 | 46.79% | 8,625 | 1.33% | 5,205 | 0.80% | 2,557 | 0.39% | 25,216 | 3.89% | 647,857 |
| Armstrong | 15,179 | 52.25% | 13,378 | 46.05% | 290 | 1.00% | 190 | 0.65% | 13 | 0.04% | 1,801 | 6.20% | 29,050 |
| Beaver | 46,117 | 56.83% | 33,593 | 41.40% | 925 | 1.14% | 291 | 0.36% | 224 | 0.28% | 12,524 | 15.43% | 81,150 |
| Bedford | 6,652 | 41.22% | 9,355 | 57.97% | 78 | 0.48% | 42 | 0.26% | 11 | 0.07% | -2,703 | -16.75% | 16,138 |
| Berks | 50,994 | 47.41% | 54,452 | 50.63% | 1,176 | 1.09% | 771 | 0.72% | 160 | 0.15% | -3,458 | -3.22% | 107,553 |
| Blair | 18,397 | 38.84% | 28,290 | 59.73% | 395 | 0.83% | 154 | 0.33% | 130 | 0.27% | -9,893 | -20.89% | 47,366 |
| Bradford | 7,913 | 37.62% | 12,851 | 61.10% | 186 | 0.88% | 71 | 0.34% | 13 | 0.06% | -4,938 | -23.48% | 21,034 |
| Bucks | 79,838 | 47.26% | 85,628 | 50.69% | 2,125 | 1.26% | 1,091 | 0.65% | 241 | 0.14% | -5,790 | -3.43% | 168,923 |
| Butler | 22,611 | 45.04% | 26,366 | 52.52% | 666 | 1.33% | 421 | 0.84% | 134 | 0.27% | -3,755 | -7.48% | 50,198 |
| Cambria | 38,797 | 53.79% | 32,469 | 45.02% | 624 | 0.87% | 133 | 0.18% | 105 | 0.15% | 6,328 | 8.77% | 72,128 |
| Cameron | 1,319 | 44.31% | 1,616 | 54.28% | 25 | 0.84% | 5 | 0.17% | 12 | 0.40% | -297 | -9.97% | 2,977 |
| Carbon | 10,791 | 54.03% | 8,883 | 44.48% | 160 | 0.80% | 108 | 0.54% | 31 | 0.16% | 1,908 | 9.55% | 19,973 |
| Centre | 17,867 | 44.18% | 21,177 | 52.37% | 1,158 | 2.86% | 137 | 0.34% | 98 | 0.24% | -3,310 | -8.19% | 40,437 |
| Chester | 42,712 | 38.13% | 67,686 | 60.42% | 1,166 | 1.04% | 317 | 0.28% | 145 | 0.13% | -24,974 | -22.29% | 112,026 |
| Clarion | 6,585 | 43.29% | 8,360 | 54.96% | 177 | 1.16% | 53 | 0.35% | 35 | 0.23% | -1,775 | -11.67% | 15,210 |
| Clearfield | 13,714 | 49.54% | 13,626 | 49.22% | 190 | 0.69% | 109 | 0.39% | 46 | 0.17% | 88 | 0.32% | 27,685 |
| Clinton | 6,532 | 51.99% | 5,858 | 46.63% | 87 | 0.69% | 69 | 0.55% | 18 | 0.14% | 674 | 5.36% | 12,564 |
| Columbia | 12,051 | 50.37% | 11,508 | 48.10% | 196 | 0.82% | 112 | 0.47% | 58 | 0.24% | 543 | 2.27% | 23,925 |
| Crawford | 14,712 | 48.06% | 15,301 | 49.99% | 305 | 1.00% | 232 | 0.76% | 60 | 0.20% | -589 | -1.93% | 30,610 |
| Cumberland | 23,008 | 35.80% | 39,950 | 62.16% | 793 | 1.23% | 460 | 0.72% | 59 | 0.09% | -16,942 | -26.36% | 64,270 |
| Dauphin | 34,342 | 41.32% | 46,819 | 56.33% | 1,074 | 1.29% | 785 | 0.94% | 102 | 0.12% | -12,477 | -15.01% | 83,122 |
| Delaware | 117,252 | 43.28% | 148,679 | 54.88% | 2,995 | 1.11% | 1,581 | 0.58% | 387 | 0.14% | -31,427 | -11.60% | 270,894 |
| Elk | 6,713 | 51.21% | 6,159 | 46.98% | 178 | 1.36% | 49 | 0.37% | 10 | 0.08% | 554 | 4.23% | 13,109 |
| Erie | 55,385 | 51.55% | 49,641 | 46.20% | 1,303 | 1.21% | 943 | 0.88% | 167 | 0.16% | 5,744 | 5.35% | 107,439 |
| Fayette | 32,232 | 60.54% | 20,021 | 37.60% | 410 | 0.77% | 523 | 0.98% | 58 | 0.11% | 12,211 | 22.94% | 53,244 |
| Forest | 1,017 | 46.50% | 1,135 | 51.90% | 27 | 1.23% | 5 | 0.23% | 3 | 0.14% | -118 | -5.40% | 2,187 |
| Franklin | 14,643 | 41.38% | 20,009 | 56.54% | 311 | 0.88% | 406 | 1.15% | 20 | 0.06% | -5,366 | -15.16% | 35,389 |
| Fulton | 1,737 | 42.87% | 2,219 | 54.76% | 32 | 0.79% | 36 | 0.89% | 28 | 0.69% | -482 | -11.89% | 4,052 |
| Greene | 8,769 | 61.67% | 5,293 | 37.22% | 118 | 0.83% | 30 | 0.21% | 9 | 0.06% | 3,476 | 24.45% | 14,219 |
| Huntingdon | 5,410 | 40.19% | 7,843 | 58.26% | 129 | 0.96% | 70 | 0.52% | 10 | 0.07% | -2,433 | -18.07% | 13,462 |
| Indiana | 14,650 | 47.34% | 15,786 | 51.01% | 345 | 1.11% | 74 | 0.24% | 94 | 0.30% | -1,136 | -3.67% | 30,949 |
| Jefferson | 7,456 | 43.53% | 9,437 | 55.09% | 165 | 0.96% | 56 | 0.33% | 16 | 0.09% | -1,981 | -11.56% | 17,130 |
| Juniata | 3,105 | 43.09% | 3,991 | 55.38% | 55 | 0.76% | 27 | 0.37% | 28 | 0.39% | -886 | -12.29% | 7,206 |
| Lackawanna | 57,685 | 56.12% | 43,354 | 42.17% | 821 | 0.80% | 861 | 0.84% | 76 | 0.07% | 14,331 | 13.95% | 102,797 |
| Lancaster | 35,533 | 32.40% | 72,106 | 65.74% | 1,055 | 0.96% | 642 | 0.59% | 340 | 0.31% | -36,573 | -33.34% | 109,676 |
| Lawrence | 23,337 | 54.73% | 18,546 | 43.49% | 453 | 1.06% | 172 | 0.40% | 132 | 0.31% | 4,791 | 11.24% | 42,640 |
| Lebanon | 11,785 | 35.36% | 20,880 | 62.65% | 359 | 1.08% | 237 | 0.71% | 69 | 0.21% | -9,095 | -27.29% | 33,330 |
| Lehigh | 46,620 | 48.92% | 46,895 | 49.20% | 1,066 | 1.12% | 581 | 0.61% | 146 | 0.15% | -275 | -0.28% | 95,308 |
| Luzerne | 74,655 | 54.89% | 60,058 | 44.16% | 907 | 0.67% | 251 | 0.18% | 138 | 0.10% | 14,597 | 10.73% | 136,009 |
| Lycoming | 18,635 | 44.28% | 22,648 | 53.82% | 358 | 0.85% | 351 | 0.83% | 90 | 0.21% | -4,013 | -9.54% | 42,082 |
| McKean | 6,424 | 37.95% | 10,305 | 60.88% | 110 | 0.65% | 72 | 0.43% | 15 | 0.09% | -3,881 | -22.93% | 16,926 |
| Mercer | 25,041 | 51.91% | 22,469 | 46.58% | 413 | 0.86% | 252 | 0.52% | 60 | 0.12% | 2,572 | 5.33% | 48,235 |
| Mifflin | 6,210 | 44.01% | 7,698 | 54.56% | 102 | 0.72% | 75 | 0.53% | 24 | 0.17% | -1,488 | -10.55% | 14,109 |
| Monroe | 9,544 | 47.33% | 10,228 | 50.72% | 221 | 1.10% | 141 | 0.70% | 31 | 0.15% | -684 | -3.39% | 20,165 |
| Montgomery | 112,644 | 41.24% | 155,480 | 56.92% | 3,358 | 1.23% | 1,233 | 0.45% | 454 | 0.17% | -42,836 | -15.68% | 273,169 |
| Montour | 2,727 | 44.89% | 3,259 | 53.65% | 59 | 0.97% | 26 | 0.43% | 4 | 0.07% | -532 | -8.76% | 6,075 |
| Northampton | 42,514 | 55.24% | 32,926 | 42.78% | 751 | 0.98% | 669 | 0.87% | 101 | 0.13% | 9,588 | 12.46% | 76,961 |
| Northumberland | 18,939 | 48.72% | 19,283 | 49.60% | 306 | 0.79% | 297 | 0.76% | 51 | 0.13% | -344 | -0.88% | 38,876 |
| Perry | 4,605 | 37.38% | 7,454 | 60.50% | 156 | 1.27% | 90 | 0.73% | 15 | 0.12% | -2,849 | -23.12% | 12,320 |
| Philadelphia | 494,579 | 66.28% | 239,000 | 32.03% | 7,864 | 1.05% | 2,178 | 0.29% | 2,576 | 0.35% | 255,579 | 34.25% | 746,197 |
| Pike | 2,775 | 38.83% | 4,241 | 59.35% | 74 | 1.04% | 48 | 0.67% | 8 | 0.11% | -1,466 | -20.52% | 7,146 |
| Potter | 2,983 | 43.29% | 3,828 | 55.55% | 61 | 0.89% | 11 | 0.16% | 8 | 0.12% | -845 | -12.26% | 6,891 |
| Schuylkill | 33,905 | 50.64% | 31,944 | 47.71% | 678 | 1.01% | 319 | 0.48% | 102 | 0.15% | 1,961 | 2.93% | 66,948 |
| Snyder | 3,097 | 31.19% | 6,557 | 66.04% | 134 | 1.35% | 67 | 0.67% | 74 | 0.75% | -3,460 | -34.85% | 9,929 |
| Somerset | 13,452 | 45.32% | 15,960 | 53.76% | 180 | 0.61% | 68 | 0.23% | 25 | 0.08% | -2,508 | -8.44% | 29,685 |
| Sullivan | 1,347 | 45.65% | 1,584 | 53.68% | 18 | 0.61% | 2 | 0.07% | 0 | 0.00% | -237 | -8.03% | 2,951 |
| Susquehanna | 6,075 | 41.38% | 8,331 | 56.74% | 116 | 0.79% | 127 | 0.87% | 33 | 0.22% | -2,256 | -15.36% | 14,682 |
| Tioga | 5,795 | 40.23% | 8,417 | 58.43% | 142 | 0.99% | 30 | 0.21% | 21 | 0.15% | -2,622 | -18.20% | 14,405 |
| Union | 3,405 | 34.39% | 6,309 | 63.71% | 136 | 1.37% | 41 | 0.41% | 11 | 0.11% | -2,904 | -29.32% | 9,902 |
| Venango | 8,653 | 40.60% | 12,270 | 57.58% | 238 | 1.12% | 76 | 0.36% | 74 | 0.35% | -3,617 | -16.98% | 21,311 |
| Warren | 7,412 | 45.84% | 8,508 | 52.62% | 157 | 0.97% | 82 | 0.51% | 11 | 0.07% | -1,096 | -6.78% | 16,170 |
| Washington | 49,317 | 59.24% | 32,827 | 39.43% | 780 | 0.94% | 235 | 0.28% | 92 | 0.11% | 16,490 | 19.81% | 83,251 |
| Wayne | 4,244 | 34.48% | 7,811 | 63.45% | 121 | 0.98% | 120 | 0.97% | 14 | 0.11% | -3,567 | -28.97% | 12,310 |
| Westmoreland | 74,217 | 54.52% | 59,172 | 43.47% | 1,661 | 1.22% | 743 | 0.55% | 341 | 0.25% | 15,045 | 11.05% | 136,134 |
| Wyoming | 3,628 | 38.37% | 5,705 | 60.34% | 83 | 0.88% | 34 | 0.36% | 5 | 0.05% | -2,077 | -21.97% | 9,455 |
| York | 41,281 | 41.30% | 56,912 | 56.94% | 881 | 0.86% | 665 | 0.65% | 205 | 0.20% | -15,631 | -15.64% | 99,944 |
| Totals | 2,328,677 | 50.40% | 2,205,604 | 47.73% | 50,584 | 1.09% | 25,344 | 0.55% | 10,578 | 0.23% | 123,073 | 2.67% | 4,620,787 |