1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries

From January 27 to June 8, 1976, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1976 United States presidential election. Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1976 Democratic National Convention held from July 12 to July 15, 1976, in New York City.

See also: 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries
1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries
January 27 to June 8, 1976
3,010 delegates to the 1976 Democratic National Convention
1,506 (majority) votes needed to win
  Jimmy Carter official portrait as Governor
Candidate Jimmy Carter Jerry Brown George Wallace
Home state Georgia California Alabama
Delegate count 2,239 301 57
Contests won 30 3 3
Popular vote 6,235,609 2,449,374 1,955,388
Percentage 39.2% 15.4% 12.3%
 
Candidate Mo Udall Henry M. Jackson Frank Church
Home state Arizona Washington Idaho
Delegate count 330 10 19
Contests won 3 4 5
Popular vote 1,611,754 1,134,375 830,818
Percentage 10.1% 7.1% 5.2%
First place finishes by convention roll call
Previous Democratic nominee

George McGovern

 Democratic nominee

Jimmy Carter

Background

1972 election

In 1972, Senator George McGovern seized the Democratic nomination through an early campaign and superior organization, aided by his inside knowledge of the reforms under a commission he chaired. McGovern, widely seen as an extremely liberal candidate, lost the general election in an historic landslide to incumbent Richard Nixon, carrying only the state of Massachusetts.

Watergate scandal

During the 1972 campaign, several men were arrested for a break-in at the Watergate complex, home of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. As the investigation continued, it became clear that the break-in was one of several tactics utilized by the Nixon campaign against their political opponents. The scandal and the subsequent attempt to cover it up eventually forced President Nixon to resign from office under political pressure and the threat of impeachment. Nixon was succeeded by Gerald Ford, whom he had appointed to the Vice Presidency after Spiro Agnew himself resigned under investigation for bribery.

As a result of the Watergate scandal and other scandals, the American withdrawal from Vietnam, and an ongoing economic recession, the Democratic Party won a major landslide in the 1974 midterm elections. The post-Watergate political environment also led to a tightening of campaign finance regulations, the creation of the Church Committee to investigate abuses by federal intelligence agencies, and a general opposition to Washington and establishment politicians.

Pre-campaign maneuvering

Much of the speculation for the 1976 nomination surrounded Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, formerly Vice President of the United States and the party's nominee in 1968. Humphrey had won the largest number of votes in the 1972 primaries but lost in a bitter fight with McGovern. Though Humphrey ultimately declined to seek the nomination again, many early votes went to uncommitted delegates who supporters hoped would commit to Humphrey by the time of the convention.

Senator Scoop Jackson raised his national profile by speaking out on Soviet Union–United States relations and Middle East policy regularly, and was considered a front-runner for the nomination when he announced the start of his campaign in February 1975. Jackson received substantial financial support from Jewish-Americans who admired his pro-Israel views, but Jackson's support of the Vietnam War resulted in hostility from the left wing of the Democratic Party.

Jackson chose to run on social issues, emphasizing law and order and his opposition to busing. Jackson was also hoping for support from labor, but the possibility that Hubert Humphrey might enter the race caused unions to offer only lukewarm support.[1][2][3][4]

The 1976 campaign was the first presidential campaign in which the primary system was dominant. However, most of the Democratic candidates failed to realize the significance of the increased number of primaries, or the importance of creating momentum by winning the early contests. Jimmy Carter, who was virtually unknown at the national level, leveraged his obscurity to run as an "outsider" to Washington. Carter's plan was to run in all of the primaries and caucuses, beginning with the Iowa caucuses, and build up momentum by winning "somewhere" each time primary elections were held.

Schedule and results
Date Total pledged

delegates

 Contest Delegates won and popular vote
Carter Wallace Udall Jackson Brown Church Uncommitted
January 19 0 Iowa
(caucus)
10,764 (27.57%)		 –
2,340 (5.99%)
429 (1.10%)		 – –
14,508 (37.18%)
January 24 0 Mississippi (caucus)[5][lower-alpha 1]
203.96 (13.76%)
661.36 (44.62%)		 – – – –
400.17 (27.00%)
February 7 0 Oklahoma
(county caucus)[6][lower-alpha 2]
1,304 (18.50%)
(10.40%)		 – – – –
2,808 (40.00%)
February 14 0 Mississippi (county conventions)[7][lower-alpha 3]
11.30%
49.00%		 – – – –
28.00%
February 21 19 Mississippi (district caucuses)[8][lower-alpha 4] 4 9 – – – – 3
February 24 17 New Hampshire[9] 15
23,373 (28.37%)
1,061 (1.29%)		 2
18,710 (22.71%)
1,857 (2.25%)		 – – –
March 2 104 Massachusetts[10] 16
101,948 (13.86%)		 21
123,112 (16.73%)		 20
130,440 (17.73%)		 30
164,393 (22.34%)		 – –

(1.33%)

0 Vermont[10][lower-alpha 5] 16,352 (45.84%) – – – – – –
0 Washington (caucus)[11][lower-alpha 6] – – – unknown – – –
March 9 81 Florida[12] 34
439,870 (34.34%)		 26
392,105 (30.61%)
26,257 (2.05%)		 21
306,120 (23.90%)		 –
5,456 (0.43%)
37,348 (2.92%)
March 16 169 Illinois[13][14][lower-alpha 7] 53
630,915 (48.09%)		 3
361,798 (28.18%)		 – – – – 113[lower-alpha 8]
March 20 28[lower-alpha 9] Oklahoma (district caucuses)[15][lower-alpha 10] 8 – – – – – 20[lower-alpha 11]
March 23 61 North Carolina[16] 36
324,437 (53.64%)		 25
210,166 (34.75%)
14,032 (2.32%)
25,749 (4.26%)		 – –
22,850 (3.78%)
March 31 31 South Carolina (state convention)[17][lower-alpha 12] 9 8 – – – 1 13
April 3 0 Kansas (caucus)[18][lower-alpha 13]
232 (38.16%)
3 (0.49%)
29 (4.77%)
43 (7.07%)		 –
2 (0.33%)
286 (47.03%)
9 Oklahoma (state convention)[19][lower-alpha 14] 4 – – – – – 5[lower-alpha 15]
0 Virginia (county caucuses)[20][lower-alpha 16]
655 (30.30%)
69 (3.19%)
88 (4.07%)		 – – –
1,341 (62.03%)
April 6 274 New York[21][22][23][lower-alpha 17] 35 – 72 102 – – 65
68 Wisconsin[24] 25
271,220 (36.63%)
92,460 (12.49%)		 26
263,771 (35.62%)
47,605 (6.43%)		 – –
7,154 (0.97%)
April 10 40 Iowa (district caucuses)[25][lower-alpha 18] 17 – 10 – – – 11
April 21 0 Missouri (county caucuses)[26][lower-alpha 19]
111 (13.23%)		 –
43 (5.13%)
18 (2.15%)		 – –
547 (65.20%)
April 26 25 Arizona (caucus)[27] 4
2,520 (13.23%)		 1
1,691 (6.97%)		 20
17,318 (71.39%)
1,335 (5.50%)		 –
388 (1.60%)
716 (2.95%)
April 27 178 Pennsylvania[28][lower-alpha 20] 64
511,905 (36.95%)		 3
155,902 (11.25%)		 22
259,166 (18.07%)		 19
340,340 (24.57%)		 – – 53
May 1 98 Texas[29] 92
736,161 (47.65%)		 270,798 (17.53%) – – – –
129,478 (8.38%)
May 4 27 Alabama[30][lower-alpha 21] – 12 – – – – –
50 Georgia[31] 50
419,272 (83.44%)		 57,594 (11.46%) 9,755 (1.94%) 3,358 (0.67%) – 2,477 (0.49%) –
75 Indiana[31] 66
(67.95%)		 9
(15.16%)		 –
(11.73%)		 – – –
13 Washington, D.C.[32][33] 4
10,521 (31.60%)		 – 4
6,999 (21.02%)		 – – – 5[lower-alpha 22]
15,310 (45.99%)
May 8 10 Wyoming (state convention)[34] 1
28.5 (14.39%)		 – 1
16 (8.08%)		 – 1
16.5 (8.33%)		 – 7
124 (62.62%)
May 11 0 Connecticut[35]
35,415 (33.16%)		 –
32,959 (30.86%)
18,962 (17.75%)		 – –
13,774 (12.90%)
0 Missouri (county caucuses)[36][lower-alpha 23]
47 (30.13%)		 – – – – – [lower-alpha 24]
101 (64.74%)
23 Nebraska[37] 8
65,833 (37.62%)
5,567 (3.18%)
4,688 (2.68%)
2,642 (1.51%)		 – 15
67,297 (38.45%)		 –
33 West Virginia –
40,938 (10.99%)		 – – – – 33[lower-alpha 25] 331,639 (89.01%)
May 18 53 Maryland[lower-alpha 26] 32
217,166 (37.08%)
23,690 (4.09%)		 7
31,372 (5.54%)		 10
13,565 (2.36%)
284,271 (48.45%)		 – 4
133 Michigan 69
306,301 (43.40%)		 2
49,260 (6.94%)		 58
304,297 (43.06%)
10,613 (1.46%)		 – – 4
15,529 (2.24%)
May 22 12 Vermont (state convention)[38][lower-alpha 27] 3 – 3 – 2 – 4
May 25 26 Arkansas[39] 17
314,277 (62.23%)		 5
83,005 (16.54%)		 1
37,783 (7.53%)
9,554 (1.90%)		 – – 3
57,145 (11.39%)
16 Idaho[39] 2
8,818 (11.85%)
1,115 (1.50%)
981 (1.32%)
485 (0.65%)
1,453 (1.95%)		 14
58,570 (78.72%)
964 (1.30%)
46 Kentucky[39] 37
181,690 (59.38%)		 7
51,540 (16.84%)		 2
33,262 (10.87%)
8,186 (2.68%)		 – –
11,962 (3.91%)
54 Missouri (district conventions)[40][lower-alpha 28] 28 – 3 1 – – 21
11 Nevada[39] 3
17,567 (23.35%)
2,490 (3.31%)
2,237 (2.97%)
1,896 (2.52%)		 6
39,671 (52.73%)		 1
6,778 (9.01%)		 1
4,603 (6.12%)
34 Oregon[39] 12
115,310 (26.65%)
5,797 (1.34%)
11,747 (2.72%)
5,298 (1.23%)		 7
105,812 (24.69%)		 15
145,394 (33.61%)		 –
46 Tennessee[39] 36
259,243 (77.60%)		 1
36,495 (10.92%)
12,420 (3.72%)
5,672 (1.70%)
1,556 (0.47%)
8,026 (2.40%)		 9
6,148 (1.84%)
May 29 7 Iowa (state convention)[41][lower-alpha 29] 3 – 2 – – – 2
May 30 17 Hawaii (state convention)[41][lower-alpha 30] – – 1 1 – – 15
June 1 17 Montana[42] 4
26,329 (24.64%)
3,680 (3.44%)
6,708 (6.28%)
2,856 (2.67%)		 – 11
63,448 (59.39%)		 2

3,820 (3.58%)

22 Rhode Island[42] 7
18,237 (30.22%)
507 (0.84%)
2,543 (4.21%)
756 (1.25%)		 –[lower-alpha 31] 6

16,423 (27.21%)

 9[lower-alpha 32]
63,448 (59.39%)
17 South Dakota[42] 9
24,186 (41.22%)		 7
19,510 (33.25%)
558 (0.95%)		 – – 1

7,871 (13.42%)

June 6 16 Minnesota (state convention)[43]

[lower-alpha 33]

 – – – – – – 16[lower-alpha 34]
June 8 300 California[44] 67
697,092 (20.44%)
102,292 (3.00%)		 2
171,501 (5.03%)
38,634 (1.13%)		 204
2,013,210 (59.04%)		 7
250,581 (7.35%)
78,595 (2.31%)
0 New Jersey (preferential)[44][lower-alpha 35]
210,655 (58.38%)
31,183 (8.64%)		 –
31,820 (8.82%)		 –
49,034 (13.59%)		 –
108 New Jersey 25
129,455 (27.97%)
28,944 (6.25%)
59,365 (12.83%)		 – –
30,722 (6.68%)		 83
194,673 (42.06%)
152 Ohio[44] 126
593,130 (52.29%)
63,953 (5.64%)		 20
240,342 (21.19%)
35,404 (3.12%)		 –
157,884 (13.92%)		 6[lower-alpha 36]

43,661 (3.85%)

Estimated pledged delegates 1,012 132 282 184 217 70 501

Candidates

Nominee
Candidate Born Most recent position Home state Campaign Popular vote Contests won Running mate Ref.

Jimmy Carter		 October 1, 1924
(Age 52)
Plains, Georgia		 Former Governor of Georgia
(1971–1975)
Georgia
Declared: December 12, 1974
Nominated at convention:
July 15, 1976		 6,235,609
(39.19%)		 30

ME, NH, VT, CT, RI

NJ, DE, PA, VA, NC

FL, GA, TN, KY, OH

MI, IL, IN, WI, IA

LA, AR, MO, TX, OK

KS, CO, NM, SD, DC

 Walter Mondale [45]

Eliminated at convention
Candidate Most recent position Home state Campaign Popular vote Contests won Ref.
Jerry Brown Governor of California
(1975–1983)		 California
California
Declared: March 16, 1976		 2,449,374
(15.4%)		 3
CA, MD, NV		 [45]
George Wallace Governor of Alabama
(1963–1967; 1971–1979)		 Alabama
Alabama
Declared: November 1, 1975		 1,955,388
(13.76%)		 3
AL, MS, SC		 [45]
Mo Udall U.S. Representative
for Arizona's 2nd congressional district
(1961–1991)
Arizona
Declared: November 23, 1974		 1,611,754
(10.13%)		 3
AZ, HI, WY		 [45]
Ellen McCormack Chair of the New York Right to Life Party
(1970–1976)		 New York (state)
New York		 238,027
(1.50%)		 None [45]

Withdrew before convention
Candidate Most recent position Home state Campaign Popular vote Contests won Ref.
Frank Church U.S. Senator from Idaho

(1957–1981)

 Idaho
Idaho
Announced campaign: March 18, 1976
Withdrew: June 14, 1976 (endorsed Carter)		 830,818
(5.22%)		 5
ID, MT, NE, OR, UT		 [45]
Henry M. Jackson U.S. Senator from Washington
(1953–1983)		 Washington (state)
Washington		 Declared: February 1, 1975
Withdrew: May 1, 1976		 1,134,375
(7.13%)		 4
AK, MA, NY, WA		 [45]
Sargent Shriver Democratic nominee
for Vice President of the United States in 1972		 Maryland
Maryland
Declared: September 20, 1975
Withdrew: March 16, 1976		 304,399
(1.91%)		 None [45]
Fred Harris Former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma
(1964–1973)
Oklahoma
Declared: January 11, 1975
Withdrew: April 2, 1976		 234,568
(1.47%)		 None [45]
Milton Shapp Governor of Pennsylvania
(1971–1979)		 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Declared: September 25, 1975
Withdrew: April 27, 1976		 88,254
(0.56%)		 None [45]
Birch Bayh U.S. Senator from Indiana
(1963–1981)		 Indiana
Indiana		 Declared: October 21, 1975
Withdrew: March 4, 1976		 86,438
(0.54%)		 None [45]
Lloyd Bentsen U.S. Senator from Texas

(1971–1993)

 Texas
Texas
Declared: February 17, 1975
Withdrew: May 1, 1976		 4,046
(0.03%)		 None [45]
Terry Sanford Former Governor of North Carolina
(1961–1965)		 North Carolina
North Carolina		 Declared: June 1, 1975
Withdrew: January 25, 1976		 404
(0.00%)		 None [45]

Favorite son candidates

The following candidates ran only in their home state or district's delegate elections for the purpose of controlling those delegates at the national convention:

Declined to run

At multiple times during the primaries, Humphrey hinted at a campaign for the nomination and expressed his willingness to be drafted, but ultimately declined to actively seek the nomination on April 29, after Carter's victory in Pennsylvania. Several unsuccessful draft movements were formed and many uncommitted delegates expressed their preference for Humphrey.

Polling

Before August 1974
Poll source Publication Sample size
Birch Bayh
Scoop Jackson
Ted Kennedy
George McGovern
Edmund Muskie
Adlai Stevenson III
George Wallace
Other
Undecided
Gallup[47] July 14, 1973 659 A – 4% 40% 8% 9% 3% 16% 16%[lower-alpha 37] 9%
Gallup Nov. 2–5, 1973 627 3% 6% 41% 6% 9% 4% 15% 6%[lower-alpha 38] 10%
5% 9% – 16% 17% 7% 20% 12%[lower-alpha 39] 14%
Gallup Feb. 22–March 4, 1974 677 2% 8% 44% 7% 7% 2% 17% 5%[lower-alpha 40] 6%
3% 11% 49% 8% 10% 5% – 7%[lower-alpha 41] 7%
3% 13% – 20% 13% 7% 26% 8%[lower-alpha 42] 10%
  1. There is only one detailed breakdown of the results given, and it is only with 50% of the precincts reporting. 'Votes' are also actually delegates elected for a latter round of county conventions.
  2. While earlier reports on the Caucus gave results for each candidate, they last did so with the count at 70% of precincts reporting; lacking the votes for Bentsen, Wallace and Others, it isn't possible to determine the exact results. Votes' are also actually delegates elected for a latter round of county conventions.
  3. Only general percentages were given.
  4. Only general percentages were given.
  5. Delegates were picked at later caucuses and conventions held in April and May.
  6. Only report available is an unofficial one from the Jackson campaign, and no real information is given other than he won.
  7. Delegates were elected separately.
  8. Uncommitted here represents a number of different camps. The largest with 85 delegates was controlled Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who had used Senator Adlai Stevenson III as a stand-in. 18 truly uncommitted delegates were divided into two camps, one led by congressman Paul Simon and the other by state treasurer Alan Dixon, both inclined to supporting Hubert Humphrey's potential entrance into the race; another 6 delegates were actually pledged to Humphrey. The final 4 were pledged to Governor Daniel Walker, who had been engaged in a number of power struggles with Richard Daley.
  9. Oklahoma elected five delegates pledged to Fred Harris.
  10. Vote results not available.
  11. 5 delegates were pledged to Fred Harris.
  12. Only the apportionment of delegates was given.
  13. Only partial delegate results available.
  14. Only 608 of the 664 delegates elected are accounted for here.
  15. 2 delegates were pledged to Fred Harris.
  16. Only article with any accounting of the elected delegates only has 2,162 of 3,040 accounted for.
  17. The situation in New York is complicated in that the rather than voting for the candidates themselves, voters were instead voting for the individual delegates; it wasn't uncommon for the allegiance of some of these delegates to be ill-defined. These results only list the votes of the winning delegates, some of which were altered slightly later, and not even all the delegates are on it.
  18. Only Delegate results are reported
  19. The vote shown is of delegates elected to participate in the future District Caucuses. Also the breakdown only accounts for 719 of 839 delegates.
  20. Only 44 of Pennsylvania's 178 delegates were effected by the Presidential Primary; 134 delegates were elected in a separate series of primaries held concurrently.
  21. There was no presidential preference primary; delegate primaries were held instead. As majorities were required, run-offs were held later in those primaries that only resulted in a plurality. No vote totals were given.
  22. There were two Unpledged slates running in the primary. One, led by Reverend Walter Fauntroy, received 10,419 votes and won the three delegates. The other, led of Mayor Walter Washington, received 5,161 votes.
  23. These counties did not participate in the earlier county caucuses. Also, votes are actually delegates elected to the District Caucuses; they aren't all accounted for.
  24. Votes were cast for favorite son Robert Byrd. By state law, all delegates are Unpledged.
  25. Votes were cast for favorite son Robert Byrd. By state law, all delegates are Unpledged.
  26. Delegates were elected in a separate series of primaries, independent of the Presidential preference primary.
  27. No vote count is given for the delegate selection.
  28. No vote count is given for the delegate selection.
  29. No vote count is given for the delegate selection.
  30. No vote count is given for the delegate selection.
  31. The uncommitted slate was publicly endorsed and supported by Jerry Brown.
  32. The uncommitted slate was publicly endorsed and supported by Jerry Brown.
  33. No vote count is given for the delegate selection.
  34. 13 of the 16 delegates were pledged to Hubert Humphrey.
  35. New Jersey held separate primaries for the Presidential candidates and the state delegates.
  36. The unpledged slate was headed by State Treasurer Gertrude Donahey. The 6 elected delegates listed here are technically pledged to favorite son candidate Carl Stokes, a former mayor of Cleveland.
  37. Hubert Humphrey with 8%, John Lindsay with 2%, Sargent Shriver with 2%, and Reubin Askew, Walter Mondale, William Proxmire, and John Tunney with 1% each
  38. Walter Mondale and William Proxmire with 2% each, and Robert Byrd and John Tunney with 1% each
  39. William Proxmire with 4%, Walter Mondale and John Tunney with 3% each, and Robert Byrd with 2%
  40. Walter Mondale with 2% and William Proxmire, John Tunney, and Robert Byrd with 1% each
  41. Walter Mondale with 2%, William Proxmire with 2%, John Tunney with 2%, and Robert Byrd with 1%
  42. Walter Mondale with 3%, John Tunney and William Proxmire with 2% each, and Robert Byrd with 1%

August 1974–January 1976
Poll source Publication Sample size
Birch Bayh
Jimmy Carter
Hubert Humphrey
Scoop Jackson
Ted Kennedy
George McGovern
Edmund Muskie
Sargent Shriver
George Wallace
Other
Undecided
Gallup[48] Sept. 27, 1974 ? – – – 9% 46% 6% 8% – 16% 8%[lower-alpha 1] 7%
– – – 14% – 17% 17% – 28% 14%[lower-alpha 2] 11%
Gallup[49] Dec. 5, 1974 ? 2% – 11% 10% – 6% 6% 1% 19% 30%[lower-alpha 3] 15%
Gallup[50] March 31, 1975 ? – – 16% 13% – 10% 9% – 22% 21%[lower-alpha 4] 9%
Gallup[51] May 2–5, 1975 675 – – 9% 6% 36% 2% 4% – 15% 28%[lower-alpha 4]
Gallup[52] Aug. 7, 1975 ? – – 9% 6% 42% 5% 6% – 15% 17%[lower-alpha 4]
– – 20% 10% – 11% 10% 2% 23% 12%[lower-alpha 4] 12%
Gallup[53][54] Oct. 26, 1975 ? – – 13% 11% 35% 4% 5% 4% 14% 9%[lower-alpha 4] 8%
– – 23% 11% – 9% 9% 8% 20% 9%[lower-alpha 4] 9%
Gallup[55] Nov. 21–24, 1975 622 4% 2% 21% 6% 29% 8% 4% – 15% 11%[lower-alpha 4]
5% – 30% 10% – 10% 7% 4% 20% 14%[lower-alpha 4]
Gallup[56] Jan. 2–5, 1976 ? – 4% 20% 6% 32% 5% 4% – 15% 9%[lower-alpha 4]
5% – 29% 9% – 10% 6% 5% 20% 16%[lower-alpha 4]
  1. William Proxmire with 3%, Eugene McCarthy with 3%, and Walter Mondale with 2%
  2. Eugene McCarthy with 7%, William Proxmire with 5%, and Walter Mondale with 2%
  3. John Lindsay with 3%, Julian Bond with 3%, Adlai Stevenson III with 3%, Ralph Nader with 2%, Walter Mondale with 2%, Lloyd Bentsen with 2%, Jerry Brown with 2%, John Glenn with 2%; Reubin Askew, John Tunney, William Proxmire, Dale Bumpers, Robert Byrd, Hugh Carey, Thomas Eagleton, Eugene McCarthy, Gary Hart, Ella Grasso, and Milton Shapp with 1% each; and Brendan Byrne, Terry Sanford, Frank Church, Mo Udall, and Kevin White with <1% each
  4. Gallup did not break down results for other candidates individually.

1976
Poll source Publication
Jerry Brown
Jimmy Carter
Frank Church
Hubert Humphrey
Scoop Jackson
Sargent Shriver
George Wallace
Gallup Jan. 1976 – 4% 2% 27% 6% 6% 22%
Gallup Mar. 1976 – 26% – 27% 15% 3% 15%
Gallup Mar. 1976 – 28% – 30% 11% 3% 16%
Gallup Mar. 1976 9% 29% 3% 30% 7% – 13%
Gallup Apr. 1976 6% 28% 2% 31% 8% – 13%
Gallup May 1976 6% 39% 4% 30% 4% – 9%
Gallup May 1976 15% 36% 4% 28% – – 9%
Gallup June 1976 15% 53% 3% 13% – – 7%

Head-to-head polling

Kennedy v. Wallace

Poll source Publication Sample size
Ted Kennedy
George Wallace
Undecided
Gallup[47] July 14, 1973 659 A 71% 22% 7%
Gallup[57] May 2–5, 1975 676 69% 24% 7%

Kennedy v. Muskie

Poll source Publication Sample size
Ted Kennedy
Edmund Muskie
Undecided
Gallup[47] July 14, 1973 659 A 64% 26% 10%
Gallup[57] May 2–5, 1975 676 70% 22% 8%

Kennedy v. Jackson

Poll source Publication Sample size
Ted Kennedy
Scoop Jackson
Undecided
Gallup[57] May 2–5, 1975 676 70% 23% 7%

Primary race
Nominee
Ended campaigns
Iowa caucuses
Massachusetts primary
Pennsylvania primary
Convention 1976

With no clear front-runner for the nomination and a political climate that seemed tilted heavily in their party's favor, a record number of Democrats competed for their party's presidential nomination.

Jimmy Carter startled many political experts by finishing second in the Iowa caucuses, behind only "uncommitted" delegates largely elected on the backs of minor candidates and Humphrey supporters. Arizona Congressman Morris Udall, who had been leading in the polls at one point, came in fifth behind former Oklahoma Senator Fred R. Harris, leading Harris to coin the term "winnowed in", referring to his surprisingly strong showing.[58][59][60][61]

The New Hampshire primary was another victory for Carter, albeit one in which he was the lone moderate or conservative candidate in the field, both Jackson and Wallace choosing to bypass New Hampshire in favor of neighboring Massachusetts. Thus, with the liberal vote split, Carter won. The New Hampshire primary nevertheless had symbolic value for the Carter campaign, showing that a Southerner could appeal in New England in advance of the Massachusetts primary. Among the liberal candidates in New Hampshire, Udall emerged as the leader.

One week after the New Hampshire primary, Carter's campaign was dealt a serious blow in Massachusetts. With Jackson and Wallace joining the field to split moderate and conservative voters, Carter finished fourth, behind Jackson, Wallace, and Udall. None of the candidates campaigned heavily in the state, preferring to advertise on television. Jackson won the race by relying on experienced political activists, especially in Boston, and support from organized labor.

The week after Massachusetts, Carter righted the ship by defeating Wallace and Jackson in Florida. The liberal candidates, with the exception of Milton Shapp, were not on the ballot and largely stayed out of the state; Jackson finished third. Jackson sought to capitalize on momentum from his victory in Massachusetts, but set expectations low given his poor polling in the state. The campaign was acrimonious; Carter sought to maintain his status as the frontrunner by accusing Washington insiders of coordinating against him and accused Jackson of exploiting desegregation busing as an issue. Jackson countered with attacks on Carter's civil rights record as Governor. Wallace, who had won Florida in 1972, staked his campaign on the state. Carter ultimately defeated Wallace narrowly with around a third of the vote; in his victory speech, Carter declared that the result represented "not only a New South, but a new America."

Carter then proceeded to slowly but steadily accumulate delegates in primaries around the nation. He also knocked his key rivals out of the race one by one. He won a more dominant victory over Wallace in the North Carolina primary on March 23, winning his first majority in any state and thus neutralizing his main rival in the South.

On April 6, Carter won a narrow come-from-behind victory in Wisconsin over Mo Udall, although Udall won the most delegates. Jackson won a convincing victory over Udall in the New York primaries. Carter defeated Jackson in Pennsylvania on April 27, and Jackson quit the race, citing a lack of funds.[1][2][3][4]

As Carter continued to gain momentum, a "Stop Carter" movement behind the late-starting campaigns of California Governor Jerry Brown and Senator Frank Church of Idaho. Though neither candidate could secure the nomination themselves, they stood in the hopes of deadlocking the convention and denying Carter the nomination. Now facing an organized opposition, Carter dropped several key Western primaries in May and June.

Total popular vote in primaries[62]

Democratic National Convention

The 1976 Democratic National Convention was held in New York City. By the time the convention opened Carter already had more than enough delegates to win the nomination, and so the major emphasis at the convention was to create an appearance of party unity, which had been lacking in the 1968 and 1972 Democratic Conventions. Carter easily won the nomination on the first ballot; he then chose Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota, a liberal and a protege of Hubert Humphrey, as his running mate.

The tally at the convention was:[65]

Vice presidential nomination

By June, Carter had the nomination sufficiently locked up and could take time to interview potential vice-presidential candidates.

The pundits predicted that Frank Church would be tapped to provide balance as an experienced senator with strong liberal credentials. Church promoted himself, persuading friends to intervene with Carter in his behalf. If a quick choice had been required as in past conventions, Carter later recalled, he would probably have chosen Church. But the longer period for deliberation gave Carter time to worry about his compatibility with the publicity-seeking Church, who had a tendency to be long-winded. Instead, Carter invited Senators Edmund Muskie, John Glenn and Walter Mondale, and Congressman Peter W. Rodino to visit his home in Plains, Georgia, for personal interviews, while Church, Henry M. Jackson, and Adlai Stevenson III would be interviewed at the convention in New York. Rodino revealed he had no interest in the position, and of all the other potential candidates, Carter found Mondale the most compatible. As a result, Carter selected Mondale as his running mate.

African American leadership within the Democratic Party had sought to potentially place Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, Congressman Ron Dellums, or Congresswoman Barbara Jordan on the ticket with Carter. However, Jordan took herself out of consideration, and Carter did not have any interest in the other candidates put forward.

The vice presidential tally, in part, was:

See also

References
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