Carter did not win a majority of the popular vote in 1976, I'm pretty sure. I think Johnson in 1964 was the last Dem to do it. May be wrong, though.
"Carter did not win a majority of the popular vote in 1976, I'm pretty sure. I think Johnson in 1964 was the last Dem to do it. May be wrong, though."
I actually checked to make certain before I made the post. In 1976 Jimmy Carter received 50.1% of the total vote, which is a "popular majority," but only just so.
Presidential Vote in 1976
| Presidential Candidate | Electoral Vote | Popular Vote | Pct | Party |
Running Mate (Electoral Votes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. of Georgia (W) | 297 | 40,825,839 | 50.1% | Democrat | Walter Frederick Mondale of Minnesota (297) |
| Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. of Michigan | 240 | 39,147,770 | 48.0% | Republican | Robert Joseph Dole of Kansas (241) |
| Ronald Wilson Reagan of California | 1 | (not running) | - | Republican | (1) |
| Eugene J. McCarthy of Minnesota | 0 | 756,691 | 0.9% | (Independent) | |
| Roger MacBride of Vermont | 0 | 173,011 | 0.2% | Libertarian | David Bergland |
| Lester Maddox of Georgia | 0 | 170,531 | 0.2% | American Independent | William D. Dyke |
| Thomas J Anderson | 0 | 160,773 | 0.2% | American | |
| Other | 0 | 321,274 | 0.4% | ||
| Total | 538 | 81,555,889 | 100.0% | ||
You can "pop up" the following web page to find this information at:
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/U.S.-presidential-election,-1976