1976 United States presidential election in Idaho

1976 United States presidential election in Idaho

← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →

Nominee Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter Party Republican Democratic Home state Michigan Georgia Running mate Bob Dole Walter Mondale Electoral vote 4 0 Popular vote 204,151 126,549 Percentage 59.88% 37.12%

County Results Ford   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80% Carter   40–50%   50–60%

President before election Gerald Ford Republican Elected President Jimmy Carter Democratic

Elections in Idaho
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1890 1895 1897 1901 1902 1903 1907 1909 1913 1913 sp 1914 1918 1918 sp 1920 1924 1926 1928 sp 1930 1932 1936 1938 1940 sp 1942 1944 1946 sp 1948 1950 1950 sp 1954 1956 1960 1962 sp 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government General elections 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2022 Senate elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 *2024
Ballot measures Ballot measures 1994 Proposition 1 2006 Amendment 2 Proposition 2 2018 Proposition 1 Proposition 2
Boise Mayoral elections 2015 2019 2023
Meridian Mayoral elections 2015 2019 2023
v t e

The 1976 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 2, 1976, as part of the 1976 United States presidential election. State voters chose four representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Idaho was won by incumbent President Gerald Ford (R–Michigan), with 59.9 percent of the popular vote, against Jimmy Carter (D–Georgia), with 37.1 percent of the popular vote. Two third party candidates accumulated a portion of the vote greater than one percent: Lester Maddox (AIA–Georgia) and Roger MacBride (L–Vermont). Despite losing in Idaho, Carter went on to win the national election and became the 39th president of the United States. Idaho had previously voted Republican ten times, Democrat ten times, and Populist once.

With 59.88 percent of the popular vote, Idaho would prove to be Ford's second strongest state in the 1976 election after neighboring Utah.^[1] Carter became the first ever Democrat to win the White House without carrying Blaine, Boundary, or Butte Counties, as well as the first to do so without carrying Elmore, Idaho, Kootenai, or Shoshone Counties since Grover Cleveland in 1892, and the first to do so without carrying Bannock or Bonner Counties since Woodrow Wilson in 1912.

Despite this, this would prove to be the high water mark for Democrats since Lyndon Johnson last carried the state in 1964: as of 2024, no Democrats have met Carter's 37.12%, the closest being Barack Obama's 36.09% in 2008.