1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries

The **1976 Democratic presidential primaries** were how voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1976 U.S. presidential election.

Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the 1976 Democratic National Convention held from July 12 to July 15, 1976, in New York City.

### Nominee

|Candidate|Born|Most recent position|Home state|data-sort-type="date"|Campaign|Popular vote|Contests won|Running mate||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|October 1, 1924 (Age 52) Plains, Georgia|**Former Governor of Georgia** **(1971–1975)**|Georgia|data-sort-value="0"|**<small>Nominated at convention:</small>** **<small>July 15, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="6,235,609"|**6,235,609** <small>(39.19%)</small>|data-sort-value="30"|**30** ME, NH, VT, CT, RI NJ, DE, PA, VA, NC FL, GA, TN, KY, OH MI, IL, IN, WI, IA LA, AR, MO, TX, OK KS, CO, NM, SD, DC|Walter Mondale|

### Eliminated at convention

|colspan="3"|Candidate|class="unsortable"|Most recent position|Home state|data-sort-type="date"|Campaign|Popular vote|Contests won|||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
||style="background:#e56cbf;"||**Governor of California** **(1975–_1983_)**|California|data-sort-value="03-16-1976"|<small>**Announced campaign:** **March 16, 1976**</small>|data-sort-value="2,449,374"|2,449,374 <small>(15.4%)</small>|data-sort-value="3"|**3**|
||style="background:#008000;"||**Governor of Alabama** **(1963–1967; 1971–_1979)**_|Alabama|data-sort-value="05-04-2016"|<small>**Announced campaign:** </small> **<small>November 1, 1975</small>**|data-sort-value="1,955,388"|1,955,388 <small>(13.76%)</small>|data-sort-value="3"|**3** AL, MS, SC|
||style="background:#e4df4a"||**U.S. Representative** **for Arizona's 2nd congressional district** **(1961–_1991_)**|Arizona|data-sort-value="03-04-2016"|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>November 23, 1974</small>**|data-sort-value="1,611,754"|1,611,754 <small>(10.13%)</small>|data-sort-value="3"|**3** AZ, HI, WY|
||style=||**Chair of the New York Right to Life Party** **(1970–1976)**|New York|data-sort-value="0"||data-sort-value="238,027"|238,027 <small>(1.50%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None|

### Withdrew before convention

|colspan="3"|Candidate|class="unsortable"|Most recent position|Home state|data-sort-type="date"|Campaign|Popular vote|Contests won|||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
||style="background:#5d73e5"||**U.S. Senator from Idaho** **(1957–_1981_)**|Idaho|data-sort-value="04-02-1976"|**<small>Announced campaign: </small>** **<small>Withdrew: </small>** <small>(Endorsed Carter)</small>|data-sort-value="830,818"|830,818 <small>(5.22%)</small>|data-sort-value="5"|**5**|
||style="background:#423121"||**U.S. Senator from Washington** **(1953–_1983_)**|Washington|data-sort-value="05-01-1976"|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>February 1, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: May 1, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="1,134,375"|1,134,375 <small>(7.13%)</small>|data-sort-value="4"|**4** AK, MA, NY, WA|
||style=||**Democratic nominee** **for Vice President of the United States in 1972**|Maryland|data-sort-value="03-16-1976"|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>September 20, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: March 16, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="304,399"|304,399 <small>(1.91%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None|
||style=||**Former** **U.S. Senator from Oklahoma** **(1964–1973)**|Oklahoma|data-sort-value="05-04-2016"|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>January 11, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: April 2, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="234,568"|234,568 <small>(1.47%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None|
||style=||**Governor of Pennsylvania** **(1970–_1978_)**|Pennsylvania|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>September 25, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: April 27, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="88,254"|88,254 <small>(0.56%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None||
||style=||**U.S. Senator from Indiana** **(1969–_1981_)**|Indiana|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>October 21, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: March 4, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="86,438"|86,438 <small>(0.54%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None||
|||**U.S. Senator from Texas** **(1971–_1993_)**|Texas|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>February 17, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: May 1, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="4,046"|4,046 <small>(0.03%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None|||
|||**Former Governor of North Carolina** **(1961–1965)**|North Carolina|**<small>Announced campaign:</small>** **<small>June 1, 1975</small>** **<small>Withdrew: January 25, 1976</small>**|data-sort-value="404"|404 <small>(0.00%)</small>|data-sort-value="None"|None|||

## Infobox (election)

- **election name**: 1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- **country**: United States
- **type**: primary
- **ongoing**: no
- **previous election**: 1972 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- **previous year**: 1972
- **election date**: January 27 to June 8, 1976
- **next election**: 1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- **next year**: 1980
- **image1**:
- **colour1**: E35e5e
- **candidate1**: **Jimmy Carter**
- **home state1**: Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia
- **states carried1**: **30**
- **popular vote1**: **6,235,609**
- **percentage1**: **39.2%**
- **image2**:
- **candidate2**: Jerry Brown
- **colour2**: e56cbf
- **home state2**: California
- **states carried2**: 3
- **popular vote2**: 2,449,374
- **percentage2**: 15.4%
- **image3**:
- **candidate3**: George Wallace
- **colour3**: 008000
- **home state3**: Alabama
- **states carried3**: 3
- **popular vote3**: 1,955,388
- **percentage3**: 12.3%
- **image4**:
- **candidate4**: Mo Udall
- **colour4**: e4df4a
- **home state4**: Arizona
- **states carried4**: 3
- **popular vote4**: 1,611,754
- **percentage4**: 10.1%
- **image5**:
- **candidate5**: Henry M. Jackson
- **colour5**: 423121
- **home state5**: Washington (state), Washington
- **states carried5**: 4
- **popular vote5**: 1,134,375
- **percentage5**: 7.1%
- **image6**:
- **candidate6**: Frank Church
- **colour6**: 5d73e5
- **home state6**: Idaho
- **states carried6**: 5
- **popular vote6**: 830,818
- **percentage6**: 5.2%
- **map image**: Democratic Party presidential primaries results, 1976.svg
- **map size**: 450px
- **map caption**: **First place finishes by convention roll call**
- **title**: Democratic nominee
- **before election**: George McGovern
- **after election**: Jimmy Carter