Gerald Ford carried California R+1.8.

Jimmy Carter (D) vs Gerald Ford (R) in California, 1976. The state ran 3.8 points more Republican than the nation (D+2.1 nationally). A US Senate contest shared the 1976 ballot here.

Nominees: Jimmy Carter (D) · Gerald Ford (R)

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California result

7,867,117 votes counted

Carter (D)

3,742,284

47.6%

Ford (R)

3,882,244

49.3%

All others

242,589

3.1%

Margin

R+1.8

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1976 presidential election

California, 1976

FordR+1.8

How it voted

Share of the 1976 vote

Gerald Ford ✓Republican	49.3%	3,882,244
Jimmy CarterDemocratic	47.6%	3,742,284
OtherAll other candidates	3.1%	242,589

D+60

R+60

58 counties, each filled by 1976 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.

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California's presidential margins

1876–2024, the 1976 contest in context

California's presidential margins

Year	Margin (D minus R)
1876	−1.8%
1880	+0.1%
1884	−6.7%
1888	−2.8%
1892	+1.2%
1896	−0.6%
1900	−13.1%
1904	−34.9%
1908	−22.5%
1912	+41.8%
1916	+0.4%
1920	−41.9%
1924	−49.0%
1928	−30.5%
1932	+21.0%
1936	+35.3%
1940	+16.1%
1944	+13.5%
1948	+0.4%
1952	−13.6%
1956	−11.1%
1960	−0.5%
1964	+18.3%
1968	−3.1%
1972	−13.5%
1976	−1.8%
1980	−16.8%
1984	−16.2%
1988	−3.6%
1992	+13.4%
1996	+12.9%
2000	+11.8%
2004	+9.9%
2008	+24.0%
2012	+23.1%
2016	+30.0%
2020	+29.1%
2024	+20.1%

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County results — 1976

58 counties; every row links to the county's full page.

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County	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
Alameda County	D	+19.8%	235,988	155,280	407,681
Alpine County	R	−8.1%	189	225	447
Amador County	D	+4.2%	4,037	3,699	8,018
Butte County	R	−7.7%	24,203	28,400	54,854
Calaveras County	R	−1.2%	3,607	3,695	7,528
Colusa County	R	−7.6%	2,340	2,733	5,182
Contra Costa County	R	−1.1%	123,742	126,598	256,534
Del Norte County	D	+5.6%	2,789	2,481	5,478
El Dorado County	D	+1.1%	12,763	12,472	26,154
Fresno County	D	+1.6%	74,958	72,533	150,805
Glenn County	R	−7.6%	3,501	4,094	7,773
Humboldt County	D	+12.6%	23,500	18,034	43,372
Imperial County	R	−1.8%	10,244	10,618	21,262
Inyo County	R	−18.9%	2,635	3,905	6,706
Kern County	R	−6.7%	50,567	58,023	110,961
Kings County	R	−1.2%	8,061	8,263	16,642
Lake County	D	+7.4%	6,374	5,462	12,285
Lassen County	D	+11.3%	3,801	3,007	6,998
Los Angeles County	D	+1.9%	1,221,893	1,174,926	2,459,077
Madera County	D	+5.2%	7,625	6,844	14,892
Marin County	R	−9.7%	43,590	53,425	101,715
Mariposa County	D	+1.9%	2,093	2,012	4,317
Mendocino County	D	+4.0%	10,653	9,784	21,509
Merced County	D	+5.6%	16,637	14,842	32,208
Modoc County	R	−4.9%	1,733	1,917	3,744
Mono County	R	−21.1%	1,025	1,600	2,721
Monterey County	R	−5.0%	36,849	40,896	80,153
Napa County	R	−6.9%	18,048	20,839	40,205
Nevada County	R	−1.4%	7,926	8,170	16,881
Orange County	R	−26.8%	232,246	408,632	657,433
Placer County	D	+7.1%	21,026	18,154	40,311
Plumas County	D	+8.3%	3,429	2,884	6,563
Riverside County	R	−0.8%	96,228	97,774	198,558
Sacramento County	D	+7.6%	144,203	123,110	275,876
San Benito County	R	−4.1%	3,122	3,398	6,680
San Bernardino County	R	−1.6%	109,636	113,265	228,885
San Diego County	R	−14.1%	263,654	353,302	633,795
San Francisco County	D	+11.7%	133,733	103,561	256,888
San Joaquin County	R	−1.5%	48,733	50,277	101,361
San Luis Obispo County	R	−5.3%	24,926	27,785	54,298
San Mateo County	R	−6.2%	102,896	117,338	231,741
Santa Barbara County	R	−4.9%	55,018	60,922	119,844
Santa Clara County	R	−2.5%	208,023	219,188	443,138
Santa Cruz County	D	+8.0%	37,772	31,872	73,969
Shasta County	D	+5.1%	19,200	17,273	37,854
Sierra County	D	+10.2%	841	680	1,576
Siskiyou County	R	−0.1%	7,060	7,070	14,615
Solano County	D	+12.2%	33,682	26,136	61,644
Sonoma County	R	−0.2%	50,353	50,555	105,952
Stanislaus County	D	+7.5%	38,448	32,937	73,465
Sutter County	R	−11.0%	6,966	8,745	16,131
Tehama County	D	+6.5%	6,990	6,110	13,635
Trinity County	D	+4.2%	2,172	1,989	4,356
Tulare County	R	−10.8%	25,551	31,864	58,442
Tuolumne County	D	+3.0%	6,492	6,104	13,003
Ventura County	R	−9.1%	68,529	82,670	155,400
Yolo County	D	+11.9%	23,533	18,376	43,317
Yuba County	D	+7.8%	6,451	5,496	12,285