1976 United States presidential election in Illinois
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Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The 1976 United States presidential election in Illinois was held on November 2, 1976. All 50 states and The District of Columbia, were part of the 1976 United States presidential election. State voters chose 26 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Background
In 1972 Illinois had, like the rest of the nation outside Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, voted strongly for Richard Nixon who carried every county except college-dominated Jackson, although Democrat George McGovern ran 3% above his national vote percentage. In the following Democratic primaries, the divided party would give a plurality in Illinois to favorite son Adlai Stevenson III, with Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter second.[1]
By the second week of September polls were showing Carter ahead of incumbent President Gerald Ford by 14%, but running much weaker in the emerging “Rust Belt” industrial states[2] – his lead in Illinois would be estimated at four percentage points.[3] A few days later another poll had Ford already ahead in the “Land of Lincoln”,[4] but another poll had the incumbent President narrowly behind.[5]
Defeated Republican primary candidate and future President Ronald Reagan helped Ford in his fall campaign in Illinois,[6] although Carter preceded him in visiting the state – doing so for the first time on September 24.[7] Ford’s running mate Bob Dole followed Carter to the state and said that Carter had “3 positions on every issue” during a tour through Rock Island, Quincy and Decatur. At this time it was also thought that Ford was helped by the strong GOP gubernatorial campaign of James R. Thompson.[8]
At the beginning of October, Illinois was viewed as “too close to call”,[9] before Carter paid a second visit to the state – with the support of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley viewed essential to his chances of carrying the state’s electoral votes due to the coolness of the northern and central parts of the state toward a Southern Evangelical Democrat.[10] Carter would subsequently move ahead, but the state remained very close as election day neared, with South Side black voters considered a critical aspect of Carter’s hopes.[11]
Vote
Gerald Ford won Illinois with 50.10 percent of the vote,[12] but lost the general election to Jimmy Carter of Georgia. Ford’s win was due to his large majorities in the traditionally Republican collar counties, chiefly DuPage, which he won by a margin ten thousand votes greater than his statewide total margin. Carter did well in Cook County and Dixie Southern Illinois, but his majorities there were much smaller than New Deal era Democrats had won. This is the last election where a Democrat won the White House without carrying Illinois, and also the most recent presidential election when Illinois would vote more Republican than the nation.
Full results
Presidential Candidate | Running Mate | Party | Electoral Vote (EV) | Popular Vote (PV) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerald Ford | Robert Dole | Republican | 26 | 2,364,269 | 50.10% |
Jimmy Carter | Walter Mondale | Democratic | 0 | 2,271,295 | 48.13% |
Eugene McCarthy | John Clay | Independent | 0 | 55,939 | 1.19% |
Gus Hall | Jarvis Tyner | Communist | 0 | 9,250 | 0.20% |
Roger MacBride | David Bergland | Libertarian | 0 | 8,057 | 0.17% |
Peter Camejo | Willie Mae Reid | Socialist Workers | 0 | 3,615 | 0.08% |
Julius Levin | Constance Blomen | Socialist Labor | 0 | 2,422 | 0.05% |
Lyndon LaRouche | R. Wayne Evans | U.S. Labor | 0 | 2,018 | 0.04% |
Write-ins | — | — | 0 | 1,968 | 0.04% |
Results by county
County | Gerald Rudolph Ford Republican |
James Earl Carter Democratic |
Eugene Joseph McCarthy[13] Independent |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 18,189 | 59.67% | 11,926 | 39.12% | 274 | 0.90% | 96 | 0.31% | 6,263 | 20.54% | 30,485 |
Alexander | 2,349 | 41.52% | 3,246 | 57.37% | 22 | 0.39% | 41 | 0.72% | -897 | -15.85% | 5,658 |
Bond | 3,716 | 49.69% | 3,682 | 49.24% | 63 | 0.84% | 17 | 0.23% | 34 | 0.45% | 7,478 |
Boone | 6,470 | 58.38% | 4,458 | 40.23% | 127 | 1.15% | 27 | 0.24% | 2,012 | 18.16% | 11,082 |
Brown | 1,519 | 48.95% | 1,533 | 49.40% | 13 | 0.42% | 38 | 1.22% | -14 | -0.45% | 3,103 |
Bureau | 10,854 | 58.20% | 7,566 | 40.57% | 170 | 0.91% | 58 | 0.31% | 3,288 | 17.63% | 18,648 |
Calhoun | 1,364 | 46.35% | 1,549 | 52.63% | 28 | 0.95% | 2 | 0.07% | -185 | -6.29% | 2,943 |
Carroll | 5,059 | 59.34% | 3,372 | 39.55% | 73 | 0.86% | 22 | 0.26% | 1,687 | 19.79% | 8,526 |
Cass | 3,524 | 49.33% | 3,589 | 50.24% | 25 | 0.35% | 6 | 0.08% | -65 | -0.91% | 7,144 |
Champaign | 34,546 | 54.74% | 26,858 | 42.56% | 1,425 | 2.26% | 278 | 0.44% | 7,688 | 12.18% | 63,107 |
Christian | 7,445 | 43.90% | 9,306 | 54.87% | 166 | 0.98% | 43 | 0.25% | -1,861 | -10.97% | 16,960 |
Clark | 4,506 | 52.26% | 4,071 | 47.22% | 37 | 0.43% | 8 | 0.09% | 435 | 5.05% | 8,622 |
Clay | 3,860 | 49.94% | 3,837 | 49.64% | 23 | 0.30% | 9 | 0.12% | 23 | 0.30% | 7,729 |
Clinton | 7,245 | 53.00% | 6,275 | 45.90% | 139 | 1.02% | 12 | 0.09% | 970 | 7.10% | 13,671 |
Coles | 11,021 | 54.66% | 8,639 | 42.85% | 434 | 2.15% | 68 | 0.34% | 2,382 | 11.81% | 20,162 |
Cook | 987,498 | 44.69% | 1,180,814 | 53.44% | 27,706 | 1.25% | 13,730 | 0.62% | -193,316 | -8.75% | 2,209,748 |
Crawford | 5,522 | 51.99% | 5,007 | 47.14% | 73 | 0.69% | 20 | 0.19% | 515 | 4.85% | 10,622 |
Cumberland | 2,518 | 47.12% | 2,752 | 51.50% | 32 | 0.60% | 42 | 0.79% | -234 | -4.38% | 5,344 |
DeKalb | 18,193 | 59.21% | 11,535 | 37.54% | 740 | 2.41% | 260 | 0.85% | 6,658 | 21.67% | 30,728 |
DeWitt | 4,137 | 53.97% | 3,477 | 45.36% | 30 | 0.39% | 22 | 0.29% | 660 | 8.61% | 7,666 |
Douglas | 4,635 | 54.39% | 3,826 | 44.90% | 44 | 0.52% | 17 | 0.20% | 809 | 9.49% | 8,522 |
DuPage | 175,055 | 68.77% | 72,137 | 28.34% | 4,058 | 1.59% | 3,297 | 1.30% | 102,918 | 40.43% | 254,547 |
Edgar | 5,842 | 53.01% | 5,058 | 45.89% | 84 | 0.76% | 37 | 0.34% | 784 | 7.11% | 11,021 |
Edwards | 2,379 | 58.51% | 1,648 | 40.53% | 24 | 0.59% | 15 | 0.37% | 731 | 17.98% | 4,066 |
Effingham | 7,194 | 53.72% | 5,952 | 44.45% | 113 | 0.84% | 132 | 0.99% | 1,242 | 9.27% | 13,391 |
Fayette | 5,059 | 49.33% | 5,128 | 50.00% | 59 | 0.58% | 9 | 0.09% | -69 | -0.67% | 10,255 |
Ford | 4,801 | 63.56% | 2,690 | 35.61% | 42 | 0.56% | 20 | 0.26% | 2,111 | 27.95% | 7,553 |
Franklin | 7,420 | 36.51% | 12,818 | 63.07% | 40 | 0.20% | 46 | 0.23% | -5,398 | -26.56% | 20,324 |
Fulton | 9,588 | 50.23% | 9,314 | 48.79% | 130 | 0.68% | 58 | 0.30% | 274 | 1.44% | 19,090 |
Gallatin | 1,499 | 36.36% | 2,611 | 63.33% | 9 | 0.22% | 4 | 0.10% | -1,112 | -26.97% | 4,123 |
Greene | 3,706 | 47.35% | 4,057 | 51.83% | 45 | 0.57% | 19 | 0.24% | -351 | -4.48% | 7,827 |
Grundy | 7,581 | 57.43% | 5,534 | 41.92% | 59 | 0.45% | 27 | 0.20% | 2,047 | 15.51% | 13,201 |
Hamilton | 2,433 | 44.25% | 3,036 | 55.22% | 23 | 0.42% | 6 | 0.11% | -603 | -10.97% | 5,498 |
Hancock | 6,043 | 55.54% | 4,730 | 43.47% | 82 | 0.75% | 26 | 0.24% | 1,313 | 12.07% | 10,881 |
Hardin | 1,393 | 46.17% | 1,602 | 53.10% | 12 | 0.40% | 10 | 0.33% | -209 | -6.93% | 3,017 |
Henderson | 2,210 | 50.15% | 2,152 | 48.83% | 33 | 0.75% | 12 | 0.27% | 58 | 1.32% | 4,407 |
Henry | 12,849 | 56.03% | 9,822 | 42.83% | 199 | 0.87% | 64 | 0.28% | 3,027 | 13.20% | 22,934 |
Iroquois | 10,129 | 65.43% | 5,167 | 33.38% | 86 | 0.56% | 99 | 0.64% | 4,962 | 32.05% | 15,481 |
Jackson | 10,152 | 42.09% | 12,940 | 53.64% | 905 | 3.75% | 125 | 0.52% | -2,788 | -11.56% | 24,122 |
Jasper | 2,794 | 49.45% | 2,772 | 49.06% | 78 | 1.38% | 6 | 0.11% | 22 | 0.39% | 5,650 |
Jefferson | 7,422 | 44.93% | 8,989 | 54.41% | 66 | 0.40% | 43 | 0.26% | -1,567 | -9.49% | 16,520 |
Jersey | 4,273 | 47.57% | 4,625 | 51.49% | 75 | 0.83% | 10 | 0.11% | -352 | -3.92% | 8,983 |
Jo Daviess | 5,478 | 56.90% | 3,979 | 41.33% | 130 | 1.35% | 41 | 0.43% | 1,499 | 15.57% | 9,628 |
Johnson | 2,417 | 52.23% | 2,182 | 47.15% | 24 | 0.52% | 5 | 0.11% | 235 | 5.08% | 4,628 |
Kane | 59,275 | 62.15% | 34,057 | 35.71% | 1,283 | 1.35% | 759 | 0.80% | 25,218 | 26.44% | 95,374 |
Kankakee | 23,003 | 54.63% | 18,394 | 43.68% | 344 | 0.82% | 367 | 0.87% | 4,609 | 10.95% | 42,108 |
Kendall | 9,011 | 67.50% | 4,202 | 31.48% | 110 | 0.82% | 26 | 0.19% | 4,809 | 36.03% | 13,349 |
Knox | 14,123 | 54.39% | 11,525 | 44.38% | 245 | 0.94% | 74 | 0.28% | 2,598 | 10.01% | 25,967 |
Lake | 92,231 | 60.32% | 57,741 | 37.77% | 2,388 | 1.56% | 534 | 0.35% | 34,490 | 22.56% | 152,894 |
LaSalle | 25,114 | 51.39% | 23,105 | 47.28% | 503 | 1.03% | 143 | 0.29% | 2,009 | 4.11% | 48,865 |
Lawrence | 4,345 | 51.47% | 4,044 | 47.90% | 42 | 0.50% | 11 | 0.13% | 301 | 3.57% | 8,442 |
Lee | 8,674 | 57.54% | 6,076 | 40.30% | 208 | 1.38% | 118 | 0.78% | 2,598 | 17.23% | 15,076 |
Livingston | 10,097 | 64.56% | 5,174 | 33.08% | 303 | 1.94% | 66 | 0.42% | 4,923 | 31.48% | 15,640 |
Logan | 8,623 | 59.94% | 5,686 | 39.52% | 63 | 0.44% | 14 | 0.10% | 2,937 | 20.42% | 14,386 |
Macon | 24,893 | 46.44% | 28,243 | 52.69% | 366 | 0.68% | 97 | 0.18% | -3,350 | -6.25% | 53,599 |
Macoupin | 10,242 | 45.55% | 11,910 | 52.97% | 223 | 0.99% | 111 | 0.49% | -1,668 | -7.42% | 22,486 |
Madison | 44,183 | 43.32% | 56,457 | 55.35% | 1,085 | 1.06% | 273 | 0.27% | -12,274 | -12.03% | 101,998 |
Marion | 8,729 | 46.63% | 9,834 | 52.53% | 124 | 0.66% | 33 | 0.18% | -1,105 | -5.90% | 18,720 |
Marshall | 4,017 | 60.30% | 2,570 | 38.58% | 59 | 0.89% | 16 | 0.24% | 1,447 | 21.72% | 6,662 |
Mason | 3,847 | 49.01% | 3,947 | 50.29% | 38 | 0.48% | 17 | 0.22% | -100 | -1.27% | 7,849 |
Massac | 3,226 | 46.50% | 3,666 | 52.85% | 33 | 0.48% | 12 | 0.17% | -440 | -6.34% | 6,937 |
McDonough | 9,683 | 62.33% | 5,464 | 35.17% | 272 | 1.75% | 115 | 0.74% | 4,219 | 27.16% | 15,534 |
McHenry | 37,115 | 67.50% | 16,799 | 30.55% | 871 | 1.58% | 204 | 0.37% | 20,316 | 36.95% | 54,989 |
McLean | 28,493 | 62.10% | 16,601 | 36.18% | 592 | 1.29% | 193 | 0.42% | 11,892 | 25.92% | 45,879 |
Menard | 3,137 | 57.25% | 2,301 | 42.00% | 35 | 0.64% | 6 | 0.11% | 836 | 15.26% | 5,479 |
Mercer | 4,816 | 53.62% | 4,090 | 45.54% | 63 | 0.70% | 13 | 0.14% | 726 | 8.08% | 8,982 |
Monroe | 5,602 | 57.66% | 3,984 | 41.00% | 110 | 1.13% | 20 | 0.21% | 1,618 | 16.65% | 9,716 |
Montgomery | 7,379 | 46.56% | 8,322 | 52.51% | 127 | 0.80% | 20 | 0.13% | -943 | -5.95% | 15,848 |
Morgan | 8,885 | 53.88% | 7,403 | 44.90% | 155 | 0.94% | 46 | 0.28% | 1,482 | 8.99% | 16,489 |
Moultrie | 2,803 | 45.44% | 3,332 | 54.01% | 27 | 0.44% | 7 | 0.11% | -529 | -8.58% | 6,169 |
Ogle | 11,073 | 62.22% | 6,463 | 36.32% | 203 | 1.14% | 58 | 0.33% | 4,610 | 25.90% | 17,797 |
Peoria | 46,526 | 56.65% | 34,606 | 42.14% | 744 | 0.91% | 247 | 0.30% | 11,920 | 14.51% | 82,123 |
Perry | 5,286 | 46.39% | 5,976 | 52.44% | 76 | 0.67% | 57 | 0.50% | -690 | -6.06% | 11,395 |
Piatt | 4,442 | 55.39% | 3,509 | 43.75% | 44 | 0.55% | 25 | 0.31% | 933 | 11.63% | 8,020 |
Pike | 4,975 | 49.21% | 5,006 | 49.52% | 37 | 0.37% | 92 | 0.91% | -31 | -0.31% | 10,110 |
Pope | 1,187 | 52.18% | 1,070 | 47.03% | 14 | 0.62% | 4 | 0.18% | 117 | 5.14% | 2,275 |
Pulaski | 1,836 | 42.26% | 2,489 | 57.28% | 12 | 0.28% | 8 | 0.18% | -653 | -15.03% | 4,345 |
Putnam | 1,572 | 53.13% | 1,344 | 45.42% | 27 | 0.91% | 16 | 0.54% | 228 | 7.71% | 2,959 |
Randolph | 8,190 | 48.07% | 8,693 | 51.02% | 134 | 0.79% | 21 | 0.12% | -503 | -2.95% | 17,038 |
Richland | 4,434 | 55.03% | 3,485 | 43.25% | 72 | 0.89% | 66 | 0.82% | 949 | 11.78% | 8,057 |
Rock Island | 34,007 | 47.72% | 35,994 | 50.51% | 751 | 1.05% | 509 | 0.71% | -1,987 | -2.79% | 71,261 |
Saline | 5,970 | 44.25% | 7,472 | 55.38% | 33 | 0.24% | 18 | 0.13% | -1,502 | -11.13% | 13,493 |
Sangamon | 43,309 | 52.24% | 38,017 | 45.85% | 920 | 1.11% | 664 | 0.80% | 5,292 | 6.38% | 82,910 |
Schuyler | 2,635 | 56.44% | 2,014 | 43.14% | 16 | 0.34% | 4 | 0.09% | 621 | 13.30% | 4,669 |
Scott | 1,789 | 55.35% | 1,424 | 44.06% | 14 | 0.43% | 5 | 0.15% | 365 | 11.29% | 3,232 |
Shelby | 5,234 | 45.54% | 6,172 | 53.70% | 65 | 0.57% | 22 | 0.19% | -938 | -8.16% | 11,493 |
St. Clair | 40,333 | 39.91% | 59,177 | 58.55% | 984 | 0.97% | 571 | 0.56% | -18,844 | -18.65% | 101,065 |
Stark | 2,191 | 63.34% | 1,146 | 33.13% | 29 | 0.84% | 93 | 2.69% | 1,045 | 30.21% | 3,459 |
Stephenson | 11,678 | 61.02% | 7,192 | 37.58% | 213 | 1.11% | 54 | 0.28% | 4,486 | 23.44% | 19,137 |
Tazewell | 28,951 | 55.14% | 22,821 | 43.47% | 402 | 0.77% | 329 | 0.63% | 6,130 | 11.68% | 52,503 |
Union | 3,531 | 41.16% | 5,003 | 58.32% | 36 | 0.42% | 8 | 0.09% | -1,472 | -17.16% | 8,578 |
Vermilion | 19,751 | 51.24% | 18,438 | 47.83% | 253 | 0.66% | 104 | 0.27% | 1,313 | 3.41% | 38,546 |
Wabash | 3,388 | 54.41% | 2,781 | 44.66% | 31 | 0.50% | 27 | 0.43% | 607 | 9.75% | 6,227 |
Warren | 5,822 | 59.25% | 3,808 | 38.75% | 78 | 0.79% | 118 | 1.20% | 2,014 | 20.50% | 9,826 |
Washington | 4,485 | 57.18% | 3,222 | 41.08% | 68 | 0.87% | 69 | 0.88% | 1,263 | 16.10% | 7,844 |
Wayne | 5,211 | 54.39% | 4,303 | 44.91% | 40 | 0.42% | 27 | 0.28% | 908 | 9.48% | 9,581 |
White | 4,600 | 46.31% | 5,306 | 53.42% | 16 | 0.16% | 11 | 0.11% | -706 | -7.11% | 9,933 |
Whiteside | 14,308 | 55.34% | 11,255 | 43.53% | 221 | 0.85% | 70 | 0.27% | 3,053 | 11.81% | 25,854 |
Will | 61,784 | 53.85% | 51,103 | 44.54% | 1,358 | 1.18% | 482 | 0.42% | 10,681 | 9.31% | 114,727 |
Williamson | 10,703 | 43.59% | 13,600 | 55.39% | 210 | 0.86% | 40 | 0.16% | -2,897 | -11.80% | 24,553 |
Winnebago | 52,736 | 54.15% | 42,399 | 43.54% | 1,044 | 1.07% | 1,208 | 1.24% | 10,337 | 10.61% | 97,387 |
Woodford | 8,899 | 64.00% | 4,819 | 34.66% | 105 | 0.76% | 81 | 0.58% | 4,080 | 29.34% | 13,904 |
Totals | 2,364,269 | 50.10% | 2,271,295 | 48.13% | 55,939 | 1.19% | 27,330 | 0.58% | 92,974 | 1.97% | 4,718,833 |
References
- ↑ Kraft, Joseph; ‘Can Carter Unify the Democrats’; Boston Globe, June 11, 1976, p. 15
- ↑ Harris, Louis. ‘Carter leads Ford, 53—39: Harris Survey’; Boston Globe, September 9, 1976, p. 23
- ↑ Broder, David; ‘Carter still for firing FBI chief’; Boston Globe, September 10, 1976, p. 13
- ↑ ‘Ford buoyed by new polls in Michigan, Kansas’; Boston Globe, September 13, 1976, p. 8
- ↑ Cannon, Lou; ‘Ford's Campaign Strategy: Stress Consistency, Record’; The Washington Post, September 15, 1976, p. A4
- ↑ ‘Lydon, Christopher; Reagan Is Too Busy to Aid Ford in 5 States’; New York Times, September 20, 1976, p. 22
- ↑ Wicker, Tom; ‘Carter in Illinois’; New York Times, September 24, 1976, p. 25
- ↑ Kneeland, Douglas E.; ‘Dole Is Stepping Up Attacks on Carter: Kansas Senator, Stumping in Ohio and Illinois, Says Democrat Has 3 Positions on Every Issue’; New York Times, September 29, 1976, p. 22
- ↑ Apple, R.W.; ‘Poll Shows Carter Is Ahead in States Needed for Victory’; New York Times, October 3, 1976, p. 1
- ↑ Evans, Rowland and Novak, Robert; ‘Carter’s Illinois Strategy’; The Washington Post, October 8, 1976, p. A25
- ↑ Kaiser, Robert; ‘Black Vote Could Carry Carter to Victory’; Boston Globe, October 28, 1976, p. 2
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Our Campaigns; IL US President 1976