Who won California in the 1976 presidential election?

Ford (Republican) carried California in 1976, winning its 45 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did California have in 1976?

California cast 45 electoral votes in the 1976 presidential election.

Did California vote for the national winner in 1976?

No. California backed Ford, while Jimmy Carter won the presidency nationally.

Cold War RealignmentCA · 45 EV

1976

California: Ford carries 45 EV.

California cast its 45 electoral votes for Ford (Republican). National winner: Jimmy Carter (Democratic) — California voted against the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1976 result in California

California backed Ford (Republican) in the 1976 presidential election, casting 45 electoral votes for the ticket. The presidency went elsewhere: Jimmy Carter (Democratic) won nationally, while California had backed a different ticket.

California stayed in the Republican column for the 3rd straight cycle, extending a run that began in 1968. California did not move alone — neighboring Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona broke the same way in 1976. Over its 44 recorded presidential cycles, California has backed the Republican party more than any other — 22 times in all. The vote fell within the Cold War Realignment — Nixon, Reagan, and the Republican South.

Nationally, Jimmy Carter finished with 297 of the 538 electoral votes to Gerald Ford's 240. Jimmy Carter led the national popular vote with 50.08% of the ballots cast.

The 1976 national map

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