# 1976 United States gubernatorial elections

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 1976, in 14 states and one territory. Democrats achieved a net gain of one in these elections. This coincided with the House, Senate elections, and the presidential election.
This was the last year in which Illinois held a gubernatorial election on the same year as the presidential election. The state of Illinois moved its gubernatorial election date to midterm congressional election years. As a result, the governor elected this year, served a term of only two years.

## Election results

| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Result | Candidates |
| Arkansas | David Pryor | Democratic | 1974 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y David Pryor (Democratic) 83.24% Leon Griffith (Republican) 16.74% |
| Delaware | Sherman W. Tribbitt | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Pete du Pont (Republican) 56.86% Sherman W. Tribbitt (Democratic) 42.46% George Cripps (American) 0.55% Harry Connor (Prohibition) 0.13% |
| Illinois | Dan Walker | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent lost re-nomination. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y James R. Thompson (Republican) 64.68% Michael Howlett (Democratic) 34.71% Ishmael Flory (Communist) 0.22% |
| Indiana | Otis Bowen | Republican | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Otis Bowen (Republican) 56.85% Larry Conrad (Democratic) 42.63% Daniel P. Talbot (American) 0.45% Samuel L. Washington (U.S. Labor) 0.08% |
| Missouri | Kit Bond | Republican | 1972 | Incumbent lost re-election. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Joseph P. Teasdale (Democratic) 50.23% Kit Bond (Republican) 49.55% Leon Striler (Nonpartisan) 0.22% |
| Montana | Thomas Lee Judge | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Thomas Lee Judge (Democratic) 61.7% Robert Woodahl (Republican) 36.58% Charley Mahoney (Independent) 1.72% |
| New Hampshire | Meldrim Thomson Jr. | Republican | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Meldrim Thomson Jr. (Republican) 57.66% Harry Spanos (Democratic) 42.32% |
| North Carolina | James Holshouser | Republican | 1972 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Jim Hunt (Democratic) 64.99% David Flaherty (Republican) 33.9% Herbert F. "Chub" Seawell Jr. (American) 0.82% Arlan Andrews (Libertarian) 0.29% |
| North Dakota | Arthur A. Link | Democratic-NPL | 1972 | Incumbent re-elected. | Y Arthur A. Link (Democratic-NPL) 51.58% Richard Elkin (Republican) 46.53% Martin Vaaler (American) 1.89% |
| Rhode Island | Philip Noel | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y J. Joseph Garrahy (Democratic) 54.82% James Taft (Republican) 44.71% John C. Swift (Independent) 0.32% |
| Utah | Cal Rampton | Democratic | 1964 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic hold. | Y Scott M. Matheson (Democratic) 52.02% Vernon B. Romney (Republican) 45.96% L. S. Brown (American) 1.33% Betty Bates (Concerned Citizens) 0.69% |
| Vermont | Thomas P. Salmon | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Republican gain. | Y Richard A. Snelling (Republican) 53.39% Stella Hackel (Democratic) 40.48% Bernie Sanders (Liberty Union) 6.09% |
| Washington | Daniel J. Evans | Republican | 1964 | Incumbent retired. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Dixy Lee Ray (Democratic) 53.14% John Spellman (Republican) 44.43% Art Manning (American) 0.8% Red Kelly (OWL Party) 0.8% Henry Killman (Socialist Labor) 0.27% |
| West Virginia | Arch A. Moore Jr. | Republican | 1968 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic gain. | Y Jay Rockefeller (Democratic) 66.15% Cecil H. Underwood (Republican) 33.82% |

## Close states

States where the margin of victory was under 1%:
* Missouri, 0.68%
States where the margin of victory was under 10%:
* North Dakota, 5.05%
* Utah, 6.06%
* Washington, 8.71%