Carter, an outsider running on trust after Watergate, narrowly beat the unelected incumbent Ford, whose pardon of Nixon and 'no Soviet domination' debate stumble both cost him. The South returned briefly to the Democratic column.
Elected
Jimmy Carter
Democratic
Electoral vote
297 of 538
Popular vote
50.1%
40,831,881 votes
Turnout
54.8%
VAP 55.7%
The result
Jimmy Carter
Democratic · 50.10% of votes
297
electoral votes
Gerald Ford
Republican · 48.00% of votes
240
electoral votes
Ronald Reagan
Republican · 0.00% of votes
1
electoral votes
Eugene McCarthy
Independent · 0.91% of votes
—
electoral votes
Roger MacBride
Libertarian · 0.21% of votes
—
electoral votes
Lester Maddox
American Independent · 0.21% of votes
—
electoral votes
Thomas J. Anderson
American · 0.19% of votes
—
electoral votes
EV share
Jimmy Carter
Democratic
Walter Mondale
297
40,831,881
50.10%
24
Gerald Ford
Republican
Bob Dole
240
39,148,634
48.00%
27
Ronald Reagan
Republican
Bob Dole
1
0
0.00%
—
Eugene McCarthy
Independent
—
—
744,763
0.91%
—
Roger MacBride
Libertarian
David Bergland
—
172,557
0.21%
—
Lester Maddox
American Independent
William Dyke
—
170,373
0.21%
—
Thomas J. Anderson
American
Rufus Shackelford
—
158,724
0.19%
—
81,226,932 votes recorded for the candidates listed.
Results by state
Alabama
Jimmy Carter · 55.7% · runner-up Gerald Ford 42.6%
9
electoral votes
Alaska
Gerald Ford · 57.9% · runner-up Jimmy Carter 35.7%
3
electoral votes
Arizona
Gerald Ford · 56.4% · runner-up Jimmy Carter 39.8%
6
electoral votes
Arkansas
Jimmy Carter · 65.0% · runner-up Gerald Ford 34.9%
6
electoral votes
California
Gerald Ford · 49.3% · runner-up Jimmy Carter 47.6%
45
electoral votes
Colorado
Gerald Ford · 54.0% · runner-up Jimmy Carter 42.6%
7
electoral votes
Connecticut
Gerald Ford · 52.1% · runner-up Jimmy Carter 46.9%
8
electoral votes
Delaware
Jimmy Carter · 52.0% · runner-up Gerald Ford 46.6%
3
electoral votes
District of Columbia
Jimmy Carter · 81.6% · runner-up Gerald Ford 16.5%
3
electoral votes
Florida
Jimmy Carter · 51.9% · runner-up Gerald Ford 46.6%
17
electoral votes
Georgia
Jimmy Carter · 66.7% · runner-up Gerald Ford 33.0%
12
electoral votes
Hawaii
Jimmy Carter · 50.6% · runner-up Gerald Ford 48.1%
4
electoral votes
Alabama
Jimmy Carter
55.7%
9
Gerald Ford · 42.6%
Alaska
Gerald Ford
57.9%
3
Jimmy Carter · 35.7%
Arizona
Gerald Ford
56.4%
6
Jimmy Carter · 39.8%
Arkansas
Jimmy Carter
65.0%
6
Gerald Ford · 34.9%
California
Gerald Ford
49.3%
45
Jimmy Carter · 47.6%
Colorado
Gerald Ford
54.0%
7
Jimmy Carter · 42.6%
Connecticut
Gerald Ford
52.1%
8
Jimmy Carter · 46.9%
Delaware
Jimmy Carter
52.0%
3
Gerald Ford · 46.6%
District of Columbia
Jimmy Carter
81.6%
3
Gerald Ford · 16.5%
Florida
Jimmy Carter
51.9%
17
Gerald Ford · 46.6%
Georgia
Jimmy Carter
66.7%
12
Gerald Ford · 33.0%
Hawaii
Jimmy Carter
50.6%
4
Gerald Ford · 48.1%
Idaho
Gerald Ford
59.3%
4
Jimmy Carter · 36.8%
Illinois
Gerald Ford
50.1%
26
Jimmy Carter · 48.1%
Indiana
Gerald Ford
53.3%
13
Jimmy Carter · 45.7%
Iowa
Gerald Ford
49.5%
8
Jimmy Carter · 48.5%
Kansas
Gerald Ford
52.5%
7
Jimmy Carter · 44.9%
Kentucky
Jimmy Carter
52.8%
9
Gerald Ford · 45.6%
Louisiana
Jimmy Carter
51.7%
10
Gerald Ford · 46.0%
Maine
Gerald Ford
48.9%
4
Jimmy Carter · 48.1%
Maryland
Jimmy Carter
52.8%
10
Gerald Ford · 46.7%
Massachusetts
Jimmy Carter
56.1%
14
Gerald Ford · 40.4%
Michigan
Gerald Ford
51.8%
21
Jimmy Carter · 46.4%
Minnesota
Jimmy Carter
54.9%
10
Gerald Ford · 42.0%
Mississippi
Jimmy Carter
49.6%
7
Gerald Ford · 47.7%
Missouri
Jimmy Carter
51.1%
12
Gerald Ford · 47.5%
Montana
Gerald Ford
52.8%
4
Jimmy Carter · 45.4%
Nebraska
Gerald Ford
59.2%
5
Jimmy Carter · 38.5%
Nevada
Gerald Ford
50.2%
3
Jimmy Carter · 45.8%
New Hampshire
Gerald Ford
54.7%
4
Jimmy Carter · 43.5%
New Jersey
Gerald Ford
50.1%
17
Jimmy Carter · 47.9%
New Mexico
Gerald Ford
50.5%
4
Jimmy Carter · 48.1%
New York
Jimmy Carter
51.9%
41
Gerald Ford · 47.5%
North Carolina
Jimmy Carter
55.2%
13
Gerald Ford · 44.2%
North Dakota
Gerald Ford
51.6%
3
Jimmy Carter · 45.8%
Ohio
Jimmy Carter
48.9%
25
Gerald Ford · 48.7%
Oklahoma
Gerald Ford
50.0%
8
Jimmy Carter · 48.7%
Oregon
Gerald Ford
47.8%
6
Jimmy Carter · 47.6%
Pennsylvania
Jimmy Carter
50.4%
27
Gerald Ford · 47.7%
Rhode Island
Jimmy Carter
55.4%
4
Gerald Ford · 44.1%
South Carolina
Jimmy Carter
56.2%
8
Gerald Ford · 43.1%
South Dakota
Gerald Ford
50.4%
4
Jimmy Carter · 48.9%
Tennessee
Jimmy Carter
55.9%
10
Gerald Ford · 42.9%
Texas
Jimmy Carter
51.1%
26
Gerald Ford · 48.0%
Utah
Gerald Ford
62.4%
4
Jimmy Carter · 33.6%
Vermont
Gerald Ford
54.4%
3
Jimmy Carter · 43.1%
Virginia
Gerald Ford
49.3%
11
Jimmy Carter · 48.0%
Washington
Gerald Ford
50.0%
8
Jimmy Carter · 46.1%
West Virginia
Jimmy Carter
58.0%
6
Gerald Ford · 41.9%
Wisconsin
Jimmy Carter
49.4%
11
Gerald Ford · 47.8%
Wyoming
Gerald Ford
59.3%
3
Jimmy Carter · 39.8%
The state table accounts for 239 of Gerald Ford's 240 official electoral votes. The remainder reflect split delegations, district allocations, faithless electors or votes not counted, as recorded at the electoral count.
The Congress it seated
95th Congress
1977–1979
Unified government
Senate
61–38 +1
Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +1 independent