Nazi Space Spy
Banned
This timeline was inspired by @Drew's Fear & Loathing timeline as well as it's successor, Rumsfeldia, and has been authorized by the original author. I am grateful to Drew for allowing me to proceed with this project, which I've been working on again/off again for years.
It was just past four in the morning when Governor Reagan emerged with his wife and family before a cheering, jubilant crowd that had waited all night to hear the former California Governor address the nation. Though Hawaii was still too close to call, the numbers looked good. With the surprise victory of the DC Statehood ticket in Washington, the Wallace/Katzenbach ticket was mathematically short of the necessary 270 electoral votes required to capture the White House. Flanked by his running mate Charles Percy, the Senator from Reagan's home state of Illinois, the Republican nominee was greeted by thunderous applause as he took to the podium to give his final remarks of the '76 campaign. It had been a whirlwind from the beginning, with moments of triumph and terror; though he had bested President Gavin and a number of other potential challengers along the way, Reagan couldn't help but grimly recall the assassination attempt against him that left his campaign manager John Sears dead. Now, with the conventions, campaigns, debates, and stump speeches all behind him, Reagan plastered a smile on his face and stepped into the limelight, ready and willing to play the role of a lifetime.
"REAGAN! REAGAN! REAGAN!" chanted the crowd joyously, their moment of triumph not yet in their hands, but their sense of excitement none the less palpable. Though the prospect of a Wallace victory in Hawaii (and thus, another contingency election) still lingered, the sunny optimism that defined Reagan's rhetoric had intoxicated his supporters into believing that victory was imminent. Governor Wallace had yet to speak, sending out his campaign spokesman Joe Shuster to face the throngs of his most fervent supporters in Alabama to tell the crowd to go home and get some rest, that the Governor would speak in the morning when a result was more likely to be known. It was not out of bitterness or cowardice on the part of the Alabama Governor, but rather, shear exhaustion. His body still in constant pain from an assassination attempt that left him paralyzed four years earlier, Wallace simply couldn’t muster the energy needed on election night – instead, he chose to conserve his energy, already eying the next round as the election ended and a new period of uncertainty began.
And so, it was Reagan and Reagan alone who spoke to the nation that night. The Governor stepped to the podium as his devoted wife Nancy looked on in unrestrained adoration, and began his address to a battered nation.
“Let me just say first of all: this has been…there's never been a more humbling moment in my life, not only humbled by the extent of what has happened tonight, but of the trust put into me as we approach the future. But just to have had the support of the people of this country, this beautiful and free land, and your trust, is an honor and a privilege. I consider the trust you have placed in me sacred and I give you my sacred oath that I will do my utmost to justify your faith. I have yet to speak with Governor Wallace, but I congradulate him on a hard fought and spirited campaign, and the I hope to earn the trust of the millions of Americans that he inspired through his outspoken advocacy for many causes. I wish him and his family as well as they pursue their future endeavors.
And now, all across America, there are some people that I owe a great debt of thanks to. There they are, they are meeting tonight in our national headquarters just across town here in Los Angeles, the national committee people, the dedicated professionals who made the campaign run and in every state, in the counties, in the cities, in the precincts, to all of them who worked so tirelessly, literally hundreds of thousands of volunteers, and I've seen them at work throughout the country on this campaign, I just owe them an immeasurable debt of thanks. To Charles and Loraine Percy, our running mates, no one has worked harder than they have. We only crossed paths a few times on this campaign and had to go out of our way to do it because their schedule was so heavy. And I can tell you, despite our differences on many issues, we're going to have a true partnership and a true friendship in the White House. And now, as I said before, my family: I'm so grateful to them, for the love, for the support and for the hard work, because some of them were out on the campaign trail easily as much as Nancy and I were. And speaking of Nancy, she's going to have a new title in a couple of months. And it isn't really new because she's been the first lady in my life for a long time. Now, we'll share that a little bit in the future.
You know, Abe Lincoln, the day after his election to the presidency, gathered in his office the newsmen who had been covering his campaign and he said to them, "Well boys, you're troubles are over now, mine have just begun."
I think I know what he meant. Lincoln may have been concerned in the troubled times in which he became president, but I don't think he was afraid. He was ready to confront the problems and the troubles of a still youthful country, determined to seize the historic opportunity to change things. I am not frightened by what lies ahead and I don't believe the American people are frightened by what lies ahead. Together, we're going to do what has to be done. We're going to make America into America again. I aim to try and tap that great American spirit that opened up this completely undeveloped continent from coast to coast and made it a great nation, survived several wars, survived a Great Depression, and we'll survive the problems and troubles we face right now. When I accepted your nomination for president...I asked for your prayers at that moment. I won't ask for them in this particular moment but I will just say I would be very happy to have them in the days ahead.
All I can say to all of you is thank you and thank you for more than just placing your trust in Senator Percy and myself, thank you for standing for the values you saw were represented by this campaign and our grand old Republican party. Thank you for standing with me, and for this beautiful nation, this shining city on a hill. You made this possible!
I have one message that I have to give before I leave. I've been upstairs on the phone, trying to get a hold of two celebrations, two parties that are going on, one in Tampico, Illinois, where I was born, and one in Dixon, Illinois, where I grew up. I've got two hometowns. And finally, we managed to get the radio station in that area and they told us that they would broadcast my message to the two parties that are going on, so to all of them, thank you too, back there in the home town. And to everyone, from the shores of the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico to the Chesapeake, and everywhere in between who cast their vote for me today, you have my eternal gratitude.
Thank you all, thanks very much. God Bless You and this beautiful nation."
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (R-CA)/Senator Charles Percy (R-IL): 267 Electoral Votes, 46.5% of the popular vote.
Governor George Wallace (D-AL)/Former Ambassador Nicholas Katzenbach (D-NY): 264 Electoral Votes, 46.5% of the popular vote.
Mayor Walter Washington (I-DC)/Activist John Lewis (I-GA): 3 Electoral Votes, 0.1% of the popular vote.
Comedian George Carlin (I-CA)/Comedian Dick Gregory (I-NY): 2.5% of the popular vote.
Other (Libertarian, American Independence, Peace, Socialist Workers, African-American Freedom): 4.4% of the popular vote.
Undetermined: 4 Electoral Votes (Hawaii).
1976 Arizona Senate Election
(R) John Conlan: 39.9%
(D) Dennis DeConcini: 38.8%
(L) Allan Norwitz: 16.5%
(I) Bob Field: 4.7%
(Republican hold)
In a close race, Congressman John Conlan holds off a strong challenge from Democrat Dennis DeConcini, a Pima County attorney and businessman with strong connections and deep pockets. The Libertarian Party garners 16% of the vote as Americans cast their votes in unprecedented numbers for alternate or fringe parties such as the rapidly growing Libertarian and Socialist Workers parties, having successfully targeted disenchanted Republicans who supported the more conservative Congressman Sam Steiger over Conlan in the Republican primary. Conlan will replace the retiring Paul Fannin, who briefly served as Republican National Committee chairman under Agnew and was one of the few Senators to vote against the 38th President's removal from office.
1976 California Senate Election
(D) Jerry Brown: 46.3%
(R) Samuel Hayakawa: 45.7%
(SWP) Fred Halstead: 5.8%
(P&F) David Wald: 1.2%
(AIP) Jack McCoy: 1.0%
(Democratic hold)
The Democratic Party manages to hold Reagan's home state of California, electing former Secretary of State & radio host Jerry Brown by a narrow margin two years he narrowly lost the gubernatorial election to Barry Goldwater Jr. by just seven votes. Brown defeats Professor Samuel Hayakawa, who bested former Nixon aide Robert Finch and Congressman Alphonso Bell in a hotly contested primary. Bar-bouncer and longtime Trotskyite activist Fred Halstead runs a spirited third party bid for the Socialist Workers Party in California, which nearly costs Brown the election.
1976 Connecticut Senate Election
(D) Gloria Schaffer: 48.7%
(R) Lowell Weicker: 47.9%
(AIP) Bob Barnabei: 3.4%
(Democratic gain)
The Democrats win their first major pickup in the Senate when they unseat moderate Republican Lowell Weicker, having successfully hung Weicker's pivotal vote for Agnew in the 1973 Vice Presidential contingency election against him. Weicker is not helped by the presence of the American Independence Party supported Bob Barnabei, who runs as a pro-Wallace alternative to the liberal Gloria Schaffer but ironically siphons more support from the Republican incumbent in the process.
1976 Delaware Senate Election
(R) William Roth: 51.6%
(D) Thomas Maloney: 48.4%
(Republican hold)
Senator William Roth is reelected over Wilmington Mayor Thomas Maloney in a spirited campaign that goes down to the wire; Roth's bipartisan appeal is enough to carry him over the finish line even though the Wallace/Katzenbach ticket carried the state thanks to outsized support in the city of Wilmington.
1976 Florida Senate Election
(R) John Grady: 50.2%
(D) Lawton Chiles: 49.8%
(Republican gain)
Florida's Senate election is another paradoxical result; Mayor John Grady, the Republican nominee, campaigned as a Wallace style populist against incumbent Lawton Chiles, who ran a rather lackluster and directionless campaign in comparison to his previous Senate bid in 1976. By portraying Lawton Chiles as an out of touch Washington insider, Grady, the Mayor of rural Belle Glade, managed to appeal to conservatives who voted for Wallace or Reagan, whereas moderate voters were more inclined to give their votes to the Democratic incumbent.
1976 Hawaii Senate Election
(R) William Quinn: 47.6%
(D) Patsy Mink: 44.8%
(I) Anthony Hodges: 6.6%
(L) Rockne Johnson: 1.0%
(Republican hold)
The Republicans are lucky in Hawaii, where Wallace's unpopular candidacy amongst local Democrats depresses turnout. Republican nominee William Quinn, who served as the first Republican Governor of Hawaii (as well as the last territorial Governor) beats out liberal Congresswoman Patsy Mink to hold Hiram Fong's Senate seat.
1976 Indiana Senate Election
(R) Richard Lugar: 66.5%
(D) Vance Hartke: 33.3%
(LAB) David Hoagland: 0.2%
(Republican gain)
Indiana's liberal incumbent Vance Hartke is easily dispatched by Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar in a landslide, with Reagan's coattails carrying him to victory with ease over Hartke. Hartke's landslide defeat is considered surprising, as his reputation had rebounded following 38th Infantry friendly-fire incident that left over 200 Indiana National Guardsmen died. The defeated Senators advocacy against the war, which was once highly unpopular in Indiana, had briefly resulted in him becoming one of the most popular Senators in the aftermath of the subsequent inquiry. Lugar, who ran as a youthful conservative alternative to the aging liberal Hartke, is hailed as one of the rising stars of the Republican Party as a result of his victory.
1976 Maine Senate Election
(D) Edmund Muskie: 51.5%
(R) Robert Monks: 48.5%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Ed Muskie narrowly pulls off a closer than expected victory over challenger Robert Monks, a financial industry figure who ran on a libertarian leaning platform.
1976 Maryland Senate Election
(D) Paul Sarbanes: 60.3%
(R) John Glenn Beall: 33.6%
(I) Bruce Bradley: 6.1%
(Democratic hold)
Congressman Paul Sarbanes wins an easy victory over incumbent John Glenn Beall, a one time Agnew ally who went on to support his impeachment. The Democratic landslide in Maryland is seen in particular as a strong rejection of Agnew by Marylanders.
1976 Massachusetts Senate Election
(D) Edward Kennedy: 52.2%
(R) Michael Robertson: 46.7%
(SWP) Carol Evans: 0.9%
(LAB) Graham Lowry: 0.2%
(Democratic hold)
The once solid safe seat in Massachusetts was briefly vulnerable in the waning days of the 1976 campaign, as depressed Democratic turnout in liberal states in combination with Robertson's surprisingly well organized candidacy threatened to create a perfect storm for Ted Kennedy. But the legacy of Camelot and the state's solid left leanings meant that any chance of victory was fleeting, and Kennedy ultimately is returned to office on a much reduced margin.
1976 Michigan Senate Election
(R) Marvin Esch: 52.8%
(D) Donald Riegle: 42.0%
(SWP) Paula Reimers: 4.5%
(L) Bette Irwin: 0.7%
(Republican gain)
The one time Republican turned Democrat Congressman Donald Riegle is bested by ten points by Congressman Marvin Esch in a devastating blow to the Democratic Party in Michigan, giving the GOP another major pickup. Esch will go on to replace the ailing Senator Philip Hart, who retired in the face of ill health.
1976 Minnesota Senate Election
(D) Hubert Humphrey: 54.5%
(R) Gerald Brekke: 31.9%
(AIP) Paul Helm: 10.2%
(SWP) Bill Peterson: 3.4%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Humphrey once again fends off a Republican challenge with ease, with the popular former Vice President and three time presidential candidate defeating his scattered opposition by over a twenty point margin.
1976 Mississippi Senate Election
(I) William Winters: 50.1%
(D) John Stennis: 49.9%
(Independent gain)
Former Governor William Winters runs as an "anti-Washington Conservative" with the endorsement of Governor Reagan, who carried Mississippi narrowly over George Wallace. Winter's upset victory over the aging Senator Stennis is one of the closest results of the 1976 Senate races.
1976 Missouri Senate Election
(D) Jerry Litton: 49.4%
(R) John Danforth: 49.0%
(AIP) Lawrence Petty: 1.6%
(Democratic gain)
Congressman Jerry Litton beats incumbent John Danforth to win the Missouri Senate race to fill Secretary of Defense Symington's Senate seat for a full term. Litton is noted by many in the press as a rising star within the Democratic Party.
1976 Montana Senate Election
(R) Stanley Burger: 38.6%
(D) Jack Melcher: 38.5%
(L) Larry Dodge: 22.9%
(Republican gain)
The surge of the Libertarian Party in the western states is no more evident than in Montana, where LP organizer Larry Dodge runs a strong campaign for the Senate seat held by outgoing Majority Leader Mike Mansfield. He costs both parties a considerable degree of support in the process, and allows for Montana Farm Bureau Executive Stanley Burger to take the seat by the narrowest of margins.
1976 Montana Senate Special Election
(D) Theodore Schwinden: 39.6%
(R) Robert G. Shoup: 31.9%
(L) Ronald Galtieri: 28.5%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Ted Schwinden is reelected to the remainder of the late Lee Metcalfe's Senate term, replacing the slain Senator who was the victim of the serial assassin known only as the "Democrat Killer."
1976 Nebraska Senate Election
(R) John McCollister: 52.4%
(D) Edward Zorinsky: 47.6%
(Republican hold)
The GOP held off a strong challenge from Omaha Mayor Edward Zorinsky to hold Roman Hruska's Senate seat.
1976 Nevada Senate Election
(D) Howard Cannon: 51.2%
(L) Dan Becan: 28.4%
(R) David Towell: 19.1%
(AIP) Byron Young: 1.3%
(Democratic hold)
Howard Cannon is reelected, joining his colleague Senator Harry Reid to celebrate his victory in Las Vegas over a badly divided opposition. The Libertarian Party views Nevada as one of the biggest breeding grounds for cultivating support, and the second place finish here over the Republicans is a major coup for the growing party.
1976 New Jersey Senate Election
(R) David Norcross: 47.1%
(D) Harrison Williams: 46.2%
(SWP) George Breitman: 6.6%
(LAB) Leif Johnson: 0.1%
(Republican gain)
Law Enforcement Commission Director David Norcross runs as an anti-corruption, law-and-order candidate, besting incumbent Harrison Williams in a close fought race.
1976 New Mexico Senate Election
(R) Harrison Schmidt: 49.2%
(D) Joseph Montoya: 42.7%
(LRU) Ernesto B. Borunda: 4.1%
(AIP) Matt Dillon: 4.0%
(Republican gain)
Former Astronaut Harrison Schmidt makes good on his promise to send Senator Montoya to space.
1976 New York Senate Election
(R) James Buckley: 47.5%
(D) Daniel P. Moynihan: 47.3%
(SWP) Marcia Gallo: 3.3%
(L) Martin Nixon: 1.7%
(LAB) Elijah Boyd: 0.2%
(Republican gain)
Senator James Buckley is returned to office with Reagan's help on the Republican ballot line this time, besting former Nixon adviser Daniel Patrick Moynihan in one of the tightest elections of the night.
1976 North Dakota Senate Election
(R) Robert Stroup: 34.1%
(L) Clarence Haggard: 33.0%
(D) Quentin Burdick: 32.9%
(Republican gain)
In a true three way race, State Senator Robert Stroup bests Senator Quentin Burdick and libertarian leaning populist Clarence Haggard. Like Montana and Nevada, the Libertarian Party has made effective use of grassroots organizing to build the North Dakota Libertarian Party into a rising force that can capitalize on unprecedented popular discontent with the two major parties.
1976 Ohio Senate Election
(R) Robert Taft: 47.8%
(D) Howard Metzenbaum: 44.6%
(L) Kay Harroff: 4.0%
(SWP) Melissa Singler: 3.6%
(Republican hold)
Despite his relative unpopularity, Robert Taft manages to cling on to reelection over State Senator Howard Metzenbaum by a narrow margin thanks in part to vote splitting and coattails from the Reagan campaign. Metzenbaum, a Jewish liberal who clashed with Wallace and refused to campaign with him, is ultimately a weaker candidate than former Astronaut John Glenn, who was carried into office in the 1974 Democratic wave.
1976 Pennsylvania Senate Election
(D) William Green III: 47.5%
(R) John Heinz III: 45.0%
(SWP) Norman Kopplewitz: 7.1%
(LAB) Bernard Salera: 0.4%
(Democratic gain)
Philadelphia area Congressman William Green III bests businessman John Heinz of the famed Ketchup producing family to pick off Republican leader Hugh Scott's Senate seat.
1976 Rhode Island Senate Election
(R) John Chafee: 50.2%
(D) Philip Noel: 49.8%
(Republican gain)
John Chafee, a former Governor and Secretary of the Navy, defeats former Governor Philip Noel in a closely watched race by the thinnest of margins.
1976 Tennessee Senate Election
(R) William Brock: 51.0%
(D) Jim Sasser: 49.0%
(Republican hold)
Senator Bill Brock clinches a narrow reelection victory over attorney Jim Sasser, yet another victory for the conservative wing of the Republican Party.
1976 Texas Senate Election
(D) Lloyd Bentsen: 48.8%
(R) Alan Steelman: 40.1%
(L) Gordon McLendon: 10.1%
(SWP) Pedro Vasquez: 1.0%
(Democratic hold)
Former presidential candidate and incumbent Senator Lloyd Bentsen is reelected by a closer than expected margin, despite a divided opposition.
1976 Utah Senate Election
(R) Orrin Hatch: 61.2%
(D) Frank Moss: 34.8%
(L) Steve Trotter: 4.0%
(Republican gain)
1976 Vermont Senate Election
(D) Thomas Salmon: 49.2%
(R) Robert Stafford: 48.5%
(LU) Nancy Kaufmann: 2.3%
(Democratic gain)
Governor Robert Stafford unseats Senator Stafford in a close race, giving traditionally Republican Vermont two Democratic Senators for the first time in memory. Joining Patrick Leahy in Washington, Senator-elect Salmon's victory is hailed as another major breakthrough for Democrats in the state.
1976 Virginia Senate Election
(I) Harry Byrd Jr: 57.0%
(D) Elmo Zumwalt: 43.0%
(Independent hold)
The Byrd machine in Virginia once again proves it cannot be overcome, even with a credible challenger in the form of retired Admiral Elmo Zumwalt.
1976 Washington Senate Election
(D) Henry Jackson: 52.3%
(R) George Brown: 40.1%
(L) Richard Kenney: 4.5%
(SWP) Karl Berman: 3.1%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Scoop Jackson holds off a stronger than expected challenge from Republican George Brown, who managed to narrow the gap as turnout dropped on the Democratic side due to Jackson's outspoken support for the wars in Vietnam and Syria.
1976 West Virginia Senate Election
(D) Robert Byrd: 55.0%
(R) Marvin Horan: 45.0%
(Democratic hold)
Congressman and fundamentalist pastor Marvin Horan fails to unseat Robert Byrd in a widely watched race, defeated by a ten point margin by the Democratic incumbent.
1976 Wisconsin Senate Election
(D) William Proxmire: 55.3%
(R) Stanley York: 37.2%
(SWP) Robert Schwarz: 7.5%
(Democratic hold)
Incumbent William Proxmire is reelected, boosted by Wallace's victory in Wisconsin and a weak and largely unknown Republican opponent.
1976 Wyoming Senate Election
(R) Malcolm Wallop: 58.5%
(D) Gale McGee: 41.5%
(Republican gain)
Former gubernatorial candidate Malcom Wallop beats Gale McGee in another critical contest.
Democratic: 51 (-9)
Republican: 47 (+9)
Independent: 2 (+1)*
Conservative: 0 (-1)*
*James Buckley won re-election as a Republican.
1976 Arkansas Gubernatorial Election
(D) Bob C. Riley: 84.3%
(R) Leon Griffith: 15.7%
(Democratic hold)
Lt. Governor Bob C. Riley, who lost an eye in WWII, manages to upset incumbent Governor David Pryor in the primary for Governor after their political relationship deteriorated over the course of 1975. Riley goes on to defeat token Republican opposition.
1976 Delaware Gubernatorial Election
(D) Thomas Carper: 50.8%
(R) Robert Riddagh: 45.3%
(AIP) George Cripps: 3.9%
(Democratic hold)
David Pryor is not the only Governor to go down in his primary; Thomas Carper runs to the left of incumbent Sherman Tribbett in the Democratic primary and defeats him with the help of Wilmington councilman Joe Biden, who after a failed 1972 Senate bid has been elected to the House of Representatives. While much of Delaware's focus turns to now Congressman-elect Biden, who is eying a rematch with incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs in 1978, Carper sets off to work in Dover to build his own career and emerge from Biden's shadow.
1976 Illinois Gubernatorial Election
(D) Michael Howlett: 50.7%
(R) Donald Rumsfeld: 49.2%
(COM) Ishmael Flory: 0.1%
(Democratic hold)
Agnew's former Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld is delivered a narrow defeat by the Illinois electorate, selecting Secretary of State Michael Howlett over the archconservative Rumsfeld. The defeated Rumsfeld, having previously made a brief 1974 Senate bid that did not survive to the Republican primary (ultimately won by George Burditt, who was defeated handily by Adlai Stevenson III), now looks towards the Reagan-orbit for employment....
1976 Indiana Gubernatorial Election
(D) Andrew Jacobs: 50.2%
(R) Otis Bowen: 46.9%
(LAB) Samuel Washington: 2.9%
(Democratic gain)
Congressman Andrew Jacobs, running on an anti-war platform that castigated Governor Bowen for his response to a friendly fire incident and subsequent mutiny led by Lt. Dan Quayle of the Indiana National Guard, defeats incumbent Otis Bowen in one of the most negative campaigns of the 1976 election cycle.
1976 Missouri Gubernatorial Election
(D) James Symington: 53.9%
(R) Kit Bond: 44.1%
(I) Leon Striller: 2.0%
(Democratic gain)
Instead of facing Congressman Litton in a heated Senate primary that included a former Governor, James Symington, son of Secretary of Defense Stuart Symington, decides to run for Governor instead. He beats unpopular Governor Kit Bond in one of the more expensive gubernatorial campaigns in 1976.
1976 Montana Gubernatorial Election
(R) Robert Woodhal: 47.0%
(I) Charles Mahoney: 27.9%
(D) Thomas Lee Judge: 25.1%
(Republican gain)
In a three way race, Attorney General Robert Woodhal is elected Governor of Montana over incumbent Thomas Lee Judge.
1976 New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election
(R) Mel Thomson: 50.5%
(D) Harry Spanos: 49.5%
(Republican hold)
Controversial New Hampshire Governor Mel Thomson is reelected by the thinnest of margins over former State Senator Harry Spanos.
1976 North Carolina Gubernatorial Election
(D) Rufus Edminstin: 43.9%
(R) David Flaherty: 38.6%
(CV) Coy Privette: 10.0%
(L) Arlan Andrew: 7.5%
(Democratic hold)
Attorney General Rufus Edminstin beats State Senator David Flaherty and Christian Values candidate Coy Privette in a widely watched race; Privette and Andrew's respective performances is indicative that the rise of third parties is not limited to the west and the inner-cities.
1976 North Dakota Gubernatorial Election
(L) Ed Crane: 35.7%
(R) Richard Elkin: 34.1%
(D) Arthur Link: 30.2%
(Libertarian gain)
In a stunning upset, activist Ed Crane is elected the first Libertarian Governor, just five years after the party was founded. Crane sets off to work effecting radical changes to the governance of the "Roughrider State," becoming the most widely discussed Governor-elect to emerge from the 1976 election cycle.
1976 Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election
(R) James Taft: 48.0%
(D) John Garrahy: 47.6%
(L) Stewart Engel: 3.3%
(I) John Swift: 1.1%
(Republican gain)
Republican nominee James Taft defeats John Garrahy in a close race, likely pushed over the top by Reagan's coattails in the state. Rhode Island, like most of New England spare for Massachusetts, broke for Reagan's brand of libertarian conservatism over Wallace's rough edged populist rhetoric.
1976 Utah Gubernatorial Election
(R) Vernon Romney: 47.1%
(D) Scott Matheson: 38.9%
(L) Alex Joseph: 14.0%
(Republican gain)
Vernon Romney, a relative of George Romney, the former Michigan Governor and 1968 presidential candidate, is elected Governor of Utah over Scott Matheson in a hotly contested race. The decision of the Libertarian candidate to drop out of the race weeks before the election boosted Romney's candidacy against Matheson. The popular three term incumbent Calvin Rampton had retired to seek the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, and was thus off the ballot.
1976 Vermont Gubernatorial Election
(R) Richard Snelling: 40.0%
(LU) Bernie Sanders: 39.9%
(D) Stella Hackel: 20.1%
(Republican hold)
Republican Richard Snelling only narrowly holds off a strong challenge from activist Bernie Sanders, who is associated with the Liberty Union Party. Sander's strong progressive grassroots campaign makes him a national sensation amongst leftists, who look towards the Vermont socialist as a potential rising star in the making. A true child of the flower power generation, Sanders sets his sights upon running for Mayor of Burlington in the near future.
1976 Washington Gubernatorial Election
(D) Dixie Lee Ray: 48.2%
(R) John Spellman: 38.6%
(SWP) Megan Cornish: 13.2%
(Democratic gain)
Scientist and political novice Dixie Lee Ray wins a major victory in 1976, upsetting King County Executive John Spellman in a close race that also saw a strong SWP candidacy.
1976 West Virginia Gubernatorial Election
(R) Cecil Underwood: 46.4%
(D) Jay Rockefeller: 44.6%
(I) Ken Hechler: 9.0%
(Republican hold)
Congressman Ken Hechler runs as a progressive independent against Rockefeller and former Governor Underwood, splitting the vote and allowing for Underwood to return to office two decades after first being elected.
HONOLULU, HI: (AP): The result of the 1976 presidential election remains undetermined at this hour, with Reagan leading Governor Wallace in Hawaii, the last outstanding state to fully report returns, in a hard fought race that will determine the occupant of the White House. A Reagan victory in Hawaii would place him exactly at 270 electoral votes, the amount needed to win the Presidency. Should Governor Wallace carry Hawaii, the election would once again be decided by the congress, an outcome almost universally unwanted by voters of all parties and of none. At this hour, Governor Reagan leads Wallace by roughly 1,200 votes out of hundreds of thousands cast. Close races in other states, including Mississippi, Kansas, and Indiana may go to recounts sources close to the Wallace campaign state. Though neither candidate has formally crossed the 270 mark, the Reagan campaign is declaring victory, with the Governor addressing supporters earlier this morning, delivering a victory speech as his campaign manager William Casey hailed him as the "President-elect" in a statement. Wallace spokesperson Joe Shuster was quick to point out that the Republicans were counting their chickens before they hatched, though the Republican National Committee continues to contend that Wallace cannot make up the vote deficit in Hawaii to win the state. Unlike 1972, third parties, despite performing at unprecedented levels in a number of races up and down the ballot, failed to win any states aside from the Statehood Democratic ticket in Washington, D.C., which ran Mayor Stanley Tucker as a protest candidate.
Reagan's victory was attributed to his ability to unite the Republican Party, selecting Senator Charles Percy as his running mate while the Democratic convention duked it out between Birch Bayh, the 1972 Vice Presidential nominee, and George Wallace, who ultimately prevailed. Wallace struggled to gain the trust of core elements of the Democratic Party coalition, particularly black voters, who stayed home in record numbers despite Wallace's pleas and demonstrations of racial redemption. Turnout in the 1976 election was considerably lower than in 1972, a factor that benefitted the Republicans across the ballot. Reagan, who ran on a libertarian conservative platform promising reform, deregulation, and a tougher approach to the more assertive role of the Soviet Union, managed to outfox Wallace's bread and butter brand of populism in the end, despite a series of unenforced errors and gaffes along the way.
Downballot, Republicans faired well, gaining a number of Senate seats but failing to erode the Democratic majority in either chamber of Congress. The gubernatorial races saw many notable victories and defeats as well, with the Libertarian activist Ed Crane successfully leading his new party to a historic victory in North Dakota. In the Senate race in California, Jerry Brown was elected over academic S.I. Hayakawa, returning to public life after losing the 1974 gubernatorial race by merely seven votes. Florida saw once popular Senator Lawton Chiles bested by a small town Mayor named John Grady who ran with both Wallace and Reagan's tacit support, while in the House of Representatives, the Democrats saw their total majority drop down to just 222 seats - nine more than the Republican minority. In San Francisco and Chicago, incumbents Philip Burton and Ralph Metcalfe were nearly felled by the Socialist Workers Party, while Libertarians almost picked up seats in Montana and North Dakota in the House.
Third parties boomed nationwide; Libertarians performed well in the west in addition to winning the North Dakota race, while the Liberty Union Party, a small coalition of socialists in Vermont, nearly elected Bernie Sanders. The Socialist Workers Party benefitted in the cities, asserting themselves as the most well organized force on the left. The American Independence Party regrouped, while the Christian Values Party ran a number of candidates in local races across the country with varying degrees of impact.
The Wallace campaign has scheduled an afternoon press conference; it is unknown at this time if the Alabama Governor will concede the presidency or announce a series of legal challenges to the apparent Reagan victory.
And we're off; this update covers the 1976 elections. The next will cover the recounts and transition.
Reagan.
Wednesday, November 3rd, 1976.
Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, CA.
4:15 A.M.
Wednesday, November 3rd, 1976.
Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, CA.
4:15 A.M.
"REAGAN! REAGAN! REAGAN!" chanted the crowd joyously, their moment of triumph not yet in their hands, but their sense of excitement none the less palpable. Though the prospect of a Wallace victory in Hawaii (and thus, another contingency election) still lingered, the sunny optimism that defined Reagan's rhetoric had intoxicated his supporters into believing that victory was imminent. Governor Wallace had yet to speak, sending out his campaign spokesman Joe Shuster to face the throngs of his most fervent supporters in Alabama to tell the crowd to go home and get some rest, that the Governor would speak in the morning when a result was more likely to be known. It was not out of bitterness or cowardice on the part of the Alabama Governor, but rather, shear exhaustion. His body still in constant pain from an assassination attempt that left him paralyzed four years earlier, Wallace simply couldn’t muster the energy needed on election night – instead, he chose to conserve his energy, already eying the next round as the election ended and a new period of uncertainty began.
And so, it was Reagan and Reagan alone who spoke to the nation that night. The Governor stepped to the podium as his devoted wife Nancy looked on in unrestrained adoration, and began his address to a battered nation.
“Let me just say first of all: this has been…there's never been a more humbling moment in my life, not only humbled by the extent of what has happened tonight, but of the trust put into me as we approach the future. But just to have had the support of the people of this country, this beautiful and free land, and your trust, is an honor and a privilege. I consider the trust you have placed in me sacred and I give you my sacred oath that I will do my utmost to justify your faith. I have yet to speak with Governor Wallace, but I congradulate him on a hard fought and spirited campaign, and the I hope to earn the trust of the millions of Americans that he inspired through his outspoken advocacy for many causes. I wish him and his family as well as they pursue their future endeavors.
And now, all across America, there are some people that I owe a great debt of thanks to. There they are, they are meeting tonight in our national headquarters just across town here in Los Angeles, the national committee people, the dedicated professionals who made the campaign run and in every state, in the counties, in the cities, in the precincts, to all of them who worked so tirelessly, literally hundreds of thousands of volunteers, and I've seen them at work throughout the country on this campaign, I just owe them an immeasurable debt of thanks. To Charles and Loraine Percy, our running mates, no one has worked harder than they have. We only crossed paths a few times on this campaign and had to go out of our way to do it because their schedule was so heavy. And I can tell you, despite our differences on many issues, we're going to have a true partnership and a true friendship in the White House. And now, as I said before, my family: I'm so grateful to them, for the love, for the support and for the hard work, because some of them were out on the campaign trail easily as much as Nancy and I were. And speaking of Nancy, she's going to have a new title in a couple of months. And it isn't really new because she's been the first lady in my life for a long time. Now, we'll share that a little bit in the future.
You know, Abe Lincoln, the day after his election to the presidency, gathered in his office the newsmen who had been covering his campaign and he said to them, "Well boys, you're troubles are over now, mine have just begun."
I think I know what he meant. Lincoln may have been concerned in the troubled times in which he became president, but I don't think he was afraid. He was ready to confront the problems and the troubles of a still youthful country, determined to seize the historic opportunity to change things. I am not frightened by what lies ahead and I don't believe the American people are frightened by what lies ahead. Together, we're going to do what has to be done. We're going to make America into America again. I aim to try and tap that great American spirit that opened up this completely undeveloped continent from coast to coast and made it a great nation, survived several wars, survived a Great Depression, and we'll survive the problems and troubles we face right now. When I accepted your nomination for president...I asked for your prayers at that moment. I won't ask for them in this particular moment but I will just say I would be very happy to have them in the days ahead.
All I can say to all of you is thank you and thank you for more than just placing your trust in Senator Percy and myself, thank you for standing for the values you saw were represented by this campaign and our grand old Republican party. Thank you for standing with me, and for this beautiful nation, this shining city on a hill. You made this possible!
I have one message that I have to give before I leave. I've been upstairs on the phone, trying to get a hold of two celebrations, two parties that are going on, one in Tampico, Illinois, where I was born, and one in Dixon, Illinois, where I grew up. I've got two hometowns. And finally, we managed to get the radio station in that area and they told us that they would broadcast my message to the two parties that are going on, so to all of them, thank you too, back there in the home town. And to everyone, from the shores of the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico to the Chesapeake, and everywhere in between who cast their vote for me today, you have my eternal gratitude.
Thank you all, thanks very much. God Bless You and this beautiful nation."
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (R-CA)/Senator Charles Percy (R-IL): 267 Electoral Votes, 46.5% of the popular vote.
Governor George Wallace (D-AL)/Former Ambassador Nicholas Katzenbach (D-NY): 264 Electoral Votes, 46.5% of the popular vote.
Mayor Walter Washington (I-DC)/Activist John Lewis (I-GA): 3 Electoral Votes, 0.1% of the popular vote.
Comedian George Carlin (I-CA)/Comedian Dick Gregory (I-NY): 2.5% of the popular vote.
Other (Libertarian, American Independence, Peace, Socialist Workers, African-American Freedom): 4.4% of the popular vote.
Undetermined: 4 Electoral Votes (Hawaii).
1976 Senate Elections.
1976 Arizona Senate Election
(R) John Conlan: 39.9%
(D) Dennis DeConcini: 38.8%
(L) Allan Norwitz: 16.5%
(I) Bob Field: 4.7%
(Republican hold)
In a close race, Congressman John Conlan holds off a strong challenge from Democrat Dennis DeConcini, a Pima County attorney and businessman with strong connections and deep pockets. The Libertarian Party garners 16% of the vote as Americans cast their votes in unprecedented numbers for alternate or fringe parties such as the rapidly growing Libertarian and Socialist Workers parties, having successfully targeted disenchanted Republicans who supported the more conservative Congressman Sam Steiger over Conlan in the Republican primary. Conlan will replace the retiring Paul Fannin, who briefly served as Republican National Committee chairman under Agnew and was one of the few Senators to vote against the 38th President's removal from office.
1976 California Senate Election
(D) Jerry Brown: 46.3%
(R) Samuel Hayakawa: 45.7%
(SWP) Fred Halstead: 5.8%
(P&F) David Wald: 1.2%
(AIP) Jack McCoy: 1.0%
(Democratic hold)
The Democratic Party manages to hold Reagan's home state of California, electing former Secretary of State & radio host Jerry Brown by a narrow margin two years he narrowly lost the gubernatorial election to Barry Goldwater Jr. by just seven votes. Brown defeats Professor Samuel Hayakawa, who bested former Nixon aide Robert Finch and Congressman Alphonso Bell in a hotly contested primary. Bar-bouncer and longtime Trotskyite activist Fred Halstead runs a spirited third party bid for the Socialist Workers Party in California, which nearly costs Brown the election.
1976 Connecticut Senate Election
(D) Gloria Schaffer: 48.7%
(R) Lowell Weicker: 47.9%
(AIP) Bob Barnabei: 3.4%
(Democratic gain)
The Democrats win their first major pickup in the Senate when they unseat moderate Republican Lowell Weicker, having successfully hung Weicker's pivotal vote for Agnew in the 1973 Vice Presidential contingency election against him. Weicker is not helped by the presence of the American Independence Party supported Bob Barnabei, who runs as a pro-Wallace alternative to the liberal Gloria Schaffer but ironically siphons more support from the Republican incumbent in the process.
1976 Delaware Senate Election
(R) William Roth: 51.6%
(D) Thomas Maloney: 48.4%
(Republican hold)
Senator William Roth is reelected over Wilmington Mayor Thomas Maloney in a spirited campaign that goes down to the wire; Roth's bipartisan appeal is enough to carry him over the finish line even though the Wallace/Katzenbach ticket carried the state thanks to outsized support in the city of Wilmington.
1976 Florida Senate Election
(R) John Grady: 50.2%
(D) Lawton Chiles: 49.8%
(Republican gain)
Florida's Senate election is another paradoxical result; Mayor John Grady, the Republican nominee, campaigned as a Wallace style populist against incumbent Lawton Chiles, who ran a rather lackluster and directionless campaign in comparison to his previous Senate bid in 1976. By portraying Lawton Chiles as an out of touch Washington insider, Grady, the Mayor of rural Belle Glade, managed to appeal to conservatives who voted for Wallace or Reagan, whereas moderate voters were more inclined to give their votes to the Democratic incumbent.
1976 Hawaii Senate Election
(R) William Quinn: 47.6%
(D) Patsy Mink: 44.8%
(I) Anthony Hodges: 6.6%
(L) Rockne Johnson: 1.0%
(Republican hold)
The Republicans are lucky in Hawaii, where Wallace's unpopular candidacy amongst local Democrats depresses turnout. Republican nominee William Quinn, who served as the first Republican Governor of Hawaii (as well as the last territorial Governor) beats out liberal Congresswoman Patsy Mink to hold Hiram Fong's Senate seat.
1976 Indiana Senate Election
(R) Richard Lugar: 66.5%
(D) Vance Hartke: 33.3%
(LAB) David Hoagland: 0.2%
(Republican gain)
Indiana's liberal incumbent Vance Hartke is easily dispatched by Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar in a landslide, with Reagan's coattails carrying him to victory with ease over Hartke. Hartke's landslide defeat is considered surprising, as his reputation had rebounded following 38th Infantry friendly-fire incident that left over 200 Indiana National Guardsmen died. The defeated Senators advocacy against the war, which was once highly unpopular in Indiana, had briefly resulted in him becoming one of the most popular Senators in the aftermath of the subsequent inquiry. Lugar, who ran as a youthful conservative alternative to the aging liberal Hartke, is hailed as one of the rising stars of the Republican Party as a result of his victory.
1976 Maine Senate Election
(D) Edmund Muskie: 51.5%
(R) Robert Monks: 48.5%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Ed Muskie narrowly pulls off a closer than expected victory over challenger Robert Monks, a financial industry figure who ran on a libertarian leaning platform.
1976 Maryland Senate Election
(D) Paul Sarbanes: 60.3%
(R) John Glenn Beall: 33.6%
(I) Bruce Bradley: 6.1%
(Democratic hold)
Congressman Paul Sarbanes wins an easy victory over incumbent John Glenn Beall, a one time Agnew ally who went on to support his impeachment. The Democratic landslide in Maryland is seen in particular as a strong rejection of Agnew by Marylanders.
1976 Massachusetts Senate Election
(D) Edward Kennedy: 52.2%
(R) Michael Robertson: 46.7%
(SWP) Carol Evans: 0.9%
(LAB) Graham Lowry: 0.2%
(Democratic hold)
The once solid safe seat in Massachusetts was briefly vulnerable in the waning days of the 1976 campaign, as depressed Democratic turnout in liberal states in combination with Robertson's surprisingly well organized candidacy threatened to create a perfect storm for Ted Kennedy. But the legacy of Camelot and the state's solid left leanings meant that any chance of victory was fleeting, and Kennedy ultimately is returned to office on a much reduced margin.
1976 Michigan Senate Election
(R) Marvin Esch: 52.8%
(D) Donald Riegle: 42.0%
(SWP) Paula Reimers: 4.5%
(L) Bette Irwin: 0.7%
(Republican gain)
The one time Republican turned Democrat Congressman Donald Riegle is bested by ten points by Congressman Marvin Esch in a devastating blow to the Democratic Party in Michigan, giving the GOP another major pickup. Esch will go on to replace the ailing Senator Philip Hart, who retired in the face of ill health.
1976 Minnesota Senate Election
(D) Hubert Humphrey: 54.5%
(R) Gerald Brekke: 31.9%
(AIP) Paul Helm: 10.2%
(SWP) Bill Peterson: 3.4%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Humphrey once again fends off a Republican challenge with ease, with the popular former Vice President and three time presidential candidate defeating his scattered opposition by over a twenty point margin.
1976 Mississippi Senate Election
(I) William Winters: 50.1%
(D) John Stennis: 49.9%
(Independent gain)
Former Governor William Winters runs as an "anti-Washington Conservative" with the endorsement of Governor Reagan, who carried Mississippi narrowly over George Wallace. Winter's upset victory over the aging Senator Stennis is one of the closest results of the 1976 Senate races.
1976 Missouri Senate Election
(D) Jerry Litton: 49.4%
(R) John Danforth: 49.0%
(AIP) Lawrence Petty: 1.6%
(Democratic gain)
Congressman Jerry Litton beats incumbent John Danforth to win the Missouri Senate race to fill Secretary of Defense Symington's Senate seat for a full term. Litton is noted by many in the press as a rising star within the Democratic Party.
1976 Montana Senate Election
(R) Stanley Burger: 38.6%
(D) Jack Melcher: 38.5%
(L) Larry Dodge: 22.9%
(Republican gain)
The surge of the Libertarian Party in the western states is no more evident than in Montana, where LP organizer Larry Dodge runs a strong campaign for the Senate seat held by outgoing Majority Leader Mike Mansfield. He costs both parties a considerable degree of support in the process, and allows for Montana Farm Bureau Executive Stanley Burger to take the seat by the narrowest of margins.
1976 Montana Senate Special Election
(D) Theodore Schwinden: 39.6%
(R) Robert G. Shoup: 31.9%
(L) Ronald Galtieri: 28.5%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Ted Schwinden is reelected to the remainder of the late Lee Metcalfe's Senate term, replacing the slain Senator who was the victim of the serial assassin known only as the "Democrat Killer."
1976 Nebraska Senate Election
(R) John McCollister: 52.4%
(D) Edward Zorinsky: 47.6%
(Republican hold)
The GOP held off a strong challenge from Omaha Mayor Edward Zorinsky to hold Roman Hruska's Senate seat.
1976 Nevada Senate Election
(D) Howard Cannon: 51.2%
(L) Dan Becan: 28.4%
(R) David Towell: 19.1%
(AIP) Byron Young: 1.3%
(Democratic hold)
Howard Cannon is reelected, joining his colleague Senator Harry Reid to celebrate his victory in Las Vegas over a badly divided opposition. The Libertarian Party views Nevada as one of the biggest breeding grounds for cultivating support, and the second place finish here over the Republicans is a major coup for the growing party.
1976 New Jersey Senate Election
(R) David Norcross: 47.1%
(D) Harrison Williams: 46.2%
(SWP) George Breitman: 6.6%
(LAB) Leif Johnson: 0.1%
(Republican gain)
Law Enforcement Commission Director David Norcross runs as an anti-corruption, law-and-order candidate, besting incumbent Harrison Williams in a close fought race.
1976 New Mexico Senate Election
(R) Harrison Schmidt: 49.2%
(D) Joseph Montoya: 42.7%
(LRU) Ernesto B. Borunda: 4.1%
(AIP) Matt Dillon: 4.0%
(Republican gain)
Former Astronaut Harrison Schmidt makes good on his promise to send Senator Montoya to space.
1976 New York Senate Election
(R) James Buckley: 47.5%
(D) Daniel P. Moynihan: 47.3%
(SWP) Marcia Gallo: 3.3%
(L) Martin Nixon: 1.7%
(LAB) Elijah Boyd: 0.2%
(Republican gain)
Senator James Buckley is returned to office with Reagan's help on the Republican ballot line this time, besting former Nixon adviser Daniel Patrick Moynihan in one of the tightest elections of the night.
1976 North Dakota Senate Election
(R) Robert Stroup: 34.1%
(L) Clarence Haggard: 33.0%
(D) Quentin Burdick: 32.9%
(Republican gain)
In a true three way race, State Senator Robert Stroup bests Senator Quentin Burdick and libertarian leaning populist Clarence Haggard. Like Montana and Nevada, the Libertarian Party has made effective use of grassroots organizing to build the North Dakota Libertarian Party into a rising force that can capitalize on unprecedented popular discontent with the two major parties.
1976 Ohio Senate Election
(R) Robert Taft: 47.8%
(D) Howard Metzenbaum: 44.6%
(L) Kay Harroff: 4.0%
(SWP) Melissa Singler: 3.6%
(Republican hold)
Despite his relative unpopularity, Robert Taft manages to cling on to reelection over State Senator Howard Metzenbaum by a narrow margin thanks in part to vote splitting and coattails from the Reagan campaign. Metzenbaum, a Jewish liberal who clashed with Wallace and refused to campaign with him, is ultimately a weaker candidate than former Astronaut John Glenn, who was carried into office in the 1974 Democratic wave.
1976 Pennsylvania Senate Election
(D) William Green III: 47.5%
(R) John Heinz III: 45.0%
(SWP) Norman Kopplewitz: 7.1%
(LAB) Bernard Salera: 0.4%
(Democratic gain)
Philadelphia area Congressman William Green III bests businessman John Heinz of the famed Ketchup producing family to pick off Republican leader Hugh Scott's Senate seat.
1976 Rhode Island Senate Election
(R) John Chafee: 50.2%
(D) Philip Noel: 49.8%
(Republican gain)
John Chafee, a former Governor and Secretary of the Navy, defeats former Governor Philip Noel in a closely watched race by the thinnest of margins.
1976 Tennessee Senate Election
(R) William Brock: 51.0%
(D) Jim Sasser: 49.0%
(Republican hold)
Senator Bill Brock clinches a narrow reelection victory over attorney Jim Sasser, yet another victory for the conservative wing of the Republican Party.
1976 Texas Senate Election
(D) Lloyd Bentsen: 48.8%
(R) Alan Steelman: 40.1%
(L) Gordon McLendon: 10.1%
(SWP) Pedro Vasquez: 1.0%
(Democratic hold)
Former presidential candidate and incumbent Senator Lloyd Bentsen is reelected by a closer than expected margin, despite a divided opposition.
1976 Utah Senate Election
(R) Orrin Hatch: 61.2%
(D) Frank Moss: 34.8%
(L) Steve Trotter: 4.0%
(Republican gain)
1976 Vermont Senate Election
(D) Thomas Salmon: 49.2%
(R) Robert Stafford: 48.5%
(LU) Nancy Kaufmann: 2.3%
(Democratic gain)
Governor Robert Stafford unseats Senator Stafford in a close race, giving traditionally Republican Vermont two Democratic Senators for the first time in memory. Joining Patrick Leahy in Washington, Senator-elect Salmon's victory is hailed as another major breakthrough for Democrats in the state.
1976 Virginia Senate Election
(I) Harry Byrd Jr: 57.0%
(D) Elmo Zumwalt: 43.0%
(Independent hold)
The Byrd machine in Virginia once again proves it cannot be overcome, even with a credible challenger in the form of retired Admiral Elmo Zumwalt.
1976 Washington Senate Election
(D) Henry Jackson: 52.3%
(R) George Brown: 40.1%
(L) Richard Kenney: 4.5%
(SWP) Karl Berman: 3.1%
(Democratic hold)
Senator Scoop Jackson holds off a stronger than expected challenge from Republican George Brown, who managed to narrow the gap as turnout dropped on the Democratic side due to Jackson's outspoken support for the wars in Vietnam and Syria.
1976 West Virginia Senate Election
(D) Robert Byrd: 55.0%
(R) Marvin Horan: 45.0%
(Democratic hold)
Congressman and fundamentalist pastor Marvin Horan fails to unseat Robert Byrd in a widely watched race, defeated by a ten point margin by the Democratic incumbent.
1976 Wisconsin Senate Election
(D) William Proxmire: 55.3%
(R) Stanley York: 37.2%
(SWP) Robert Schwarz: 7.5%
(Democratic hold)
Incumbent William Proxmire is reelected, boosted by Wallace's victory in Wisconsin and a weak and largely unknown Republican opponent.
1976 Wyoming Senate Election
(R) Malcolm Wallop: 58.5%
(D) Gale McGee: 41.5%
(Republican gain)
Former gubernatorial candidate Malcom Wallop beats Gale McGee in another critical contest.
Democratic: 51 (-9)
Republican: 47 (+9)
Independent: 2 (+1)*
Conservative: 0 (-1)*
*James Buckley won re-election as a Republican.
1976 Gubernatorial Elections.
1976 Arkansas Gubernatorial Election
(D) Bob C. Riley: 84.3%
(R) Leon Griffith: 15.7%
(Democratic hold)
Lt. Governor Bob C. Riley, who lost an eye in WWII, manages to upset incumbent Governor David Pryor in the primary for Governor after their political relationship deteriorated over the course of 1975. Riley goes on to defeat token Republican opposition.
1976 Delaware Gubernatorial Election
(D) Thomas Carper: 50.8%
(R) Robert Riddagh: 45.3%
(AIP) George Cripps: 3.9%
(Democratic hold)
David Pryor is not the only Governor to go down in his primary; Thomas Carper runs to the left of incumbent Sherman Tribbett in the Democratic primary and defeats him with the help of Wilmington councilman Joe Biden, who after a failed 1972 Senate bid has been elected to the House of Representatives. While much of Delaware's focus turns to now Congressman-elect Biden, who is eying a rematch with incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs in 1978, Carper sets off to work in Dover to build his own career and emerge from Biden's shadow.
1976 Illinois Gubernatorial Election
(D) Michael Howlett: 50.7%
(R) Donald Rumsfeld: 49.2%
(COM) Ishmael Flory: 0.1%
(Democratic hold)
Agnew's former Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld is delivered a narrow defeat by the Illinois electorate, selecting Secretary of State Michael Howlett over the archconservative Rumsfeld. The defeated Rumsfeld, having previously made a brief 1974 Senate bid that did not survive to the Republican primary (ultimately won by George Burditt, who was defeated handily by Adlai Stevenson III), now looks towards the Reagan-orbit for employment....
1976 Indiana Gubernatorial Election
(D) Andrew Jacobs: 50.2%
(R) Otis Bowen: 46.9%
(LAB) Samuel Washington: 2.9%
(Democratic gain)
Congressman Andrew Jacobs, running on an anti-war platform that castigated Governor Bowen for his response to a friendly fire incident and subsequent mutiny led by Lt. Dan Quayle of the Indiana National Guard, defeats incumbent Otis Bowen in one of the most negative campaigns of the 1976 election cycle.
1976 Missouri Gubernatorial Election
(D) James Symington: 53.9%
(R) Kit Bond: 44.1%
(I) Leon Striller: 2.0%
(Democratic gain)
Instead of facing Congressman Litton in a heated Senate primary that included a former Governor, James Symington, son of Secretary of Defense Stuart Symington, decides to run for Governor instead. He beats unpopular Governor Kit Bond in one of the more expensive gubernatorial campaigns in 1976.
1976 Montana Gubernatorial Election
(R) Robert Woodhal: 47.0%
(I) Charles Mahoney: 27.9%
(D) Thomas Lee Judge: 25.1%
(Republican gain)
In a three way race, Attorney General Robert Woodhal is elected Governor of Montana over incumbent Thomas Lee Judge.
1976 New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election
(R) Mel Thomson: 50.5%
(D) Harry Spanos: 49.5%
(Republican hold)
Controversial New Hampshire Governor Mel Thomson is reelected by the thinnest of margins over former State Senator Harry Spanos.
1976 North Carolina Gubernatorial Election
(D) Rufus Edminstin: 43.9%
(R) David Flaherty: 38.6%
(CV) Coy Privette: 10.0%
(L) Arlan Andrew: 7.5%
(Democratic hold)
Attorney General Rufus Edminstin beats State Senator David Flaherty and Christian Values candidate Coy Privette in a widely watched race; Privette and Andrew's respective performances is indicative that the rise of third parties is not limited to the west and the inner-cities.
1976 North Dakota Gubernatorial Election
(L) Ed Crane: 35.7%
(R) Richard Elkin: 34.1%
(D) Arthur Link: 30.2%
(Libertarian gain)
In a stunning upset, activist Ed Crane is elected the first Libertarian Governor, just five years after the party was founded. Crane sets off to work effecting radical changes to the governance of the "Roughrider State," becoming the most widely discussed Governor-elect to emerge from the 1976 election cycle.
1976 Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election
(R) James Taft: 48.0%
(D) John Garrahy: 47.6%
(L) Stewart Engel: 3.3%
(I) John Swift: 1.1%
(Republican gain)
Republican nominee James Taft defeats John Garrahy in a close race, likely pushed over the top by Reagan's coattails in the state. Rhode Island, like most of New England spare for Massachusetts, broke for Reagan's brand of libertarian conservatism over Wallace's rough edged populist rhetoric.
1976 Utah Gubernatorial Election
(R) Vernon Romney: 47.1%
(D) Scott Matheson: 38.9%
(L) Alex Joseph: 14.0%
(Republican gain)
Vernon Romney, a relative of George Romney, the former Michigan Governor and 1968 presidential candidate, is elected Governor of Utah over Scott Matheson in a hotly contested race. The decision of the Libertarian candidate to drop out of the race weeks before the election boosted Romney's candidacy against Matheson. The popular three term incumbent Calvin Rampton had retired to seek the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, and was thus off the ballot.
1976 Vermont Gubernatorial Election
(R) Richard Snelling: 40.0%
(LU) Bernie Sanders: 39.9%
(D) Stella Hackel: 20.1%
(Republican hold)
Republican Richard Snelling only narrowly holds off a strong challenge from activist Bernie Sanders, who is associated with the Liberty Union Party. Sander's strong progressive grassroots campaign makes him a national sensation amongst leftists, who look towards the Vermont socialist as a potential rising star in the making. A true child of the flower power generation, Sanders sets his sights upon running for Mayor of Burlington in the near future.
1976 Washington Gubernatorial Election
(D) Dixie Lee Ray: 48.2%
(R) John Spellman: 38.6%
(SWP) Megan Cornish: 13.2%
(Democratic gain)
Scientist and political novice Dixie Lee Ray wins a major victory in 1976, upsetting King County Executive John Spellman in a close race that also saw a strong SWP candidacy.
1976 West Virginia Gubernatorial Election
(R) Cecil Underwood: 46.4%
(D) Jay Rockefeller: 44.6%
(I) Ken Hechler: 9.0%
(Republican hold)
Congressman Ken Hechler runs as a progressive independent against Rockefeller and former Governor Underwood, splitting the vote and allowing for Underwood to return to office two decades after first being elected.
REAGAN ON THE BRINK; ELECTION RESULT HINGED UPON HAWAII.
HONOLULU, HI: (AP): The result of the 1976 presidential election remains undetermined at this hour, with Reagan leading Governor Wallace in Hawaii, the last outstanding state to fully report returns, in a hard fought race that will determine the occupant of the White House. A Reagan victory in Hawaii would place him exactly at 270 electoral votes, the amount needed to win the Presidency. Should Governor Wallace carry Hawaii, the election would once again be decided by the congress, an outcome almost universally unwanted by voters of all parties and of none. At this hour, Governor Reagan leads Wallace by roughly 1,200 votes out of hundreds of thousands cast. Close races in other states, including Mississippi, Kansas, and Indiana may go to recounts sources close to the Wallace campaign state. Though neither candidate has formally crossed the 270 mark, the Reagan campaign is declaring victory, with the Governor addressing supporters earlier this morning, delivering a victory speech as his campaign manager William Casey hailed him as the "President-elect" in a statement. Wallace spokesperson Joe Shuster was quick to point out that the Republicans were counting their chickens before they hatched, though the Republican National Committee continues to contend that Wallace cannot make up the vote deficit in Hawaii to win the state. Unlike 1972, third parties, despite performing at unprecedented levels in a number of races up and down the ballot, failed to win any states aside from the Statehood Democratic ticket in Washington, D.C., which ran Mayor Stanley Tucker as a protest candidate.
Reagan's victory was attributed to his ability to unite the Republican Party, selecting Senator Charles Percy as his running mate while the Democratic convention duked it out between Birch Bayh, the 1972 Vice Presidential nominee, and George Wallace, who ultimately prevailed. Wallace struggled to gain the trust of core elements of the Democratic Party coalition, particularly black voters, who stayed home in record numbers despite Wallace's pleas and demonstrations of racial redemption. Turnout in the 1976 election was considerably lower than in 1972, a factor that benefitted the Republicans across the ballot. Reagan, who ran on a libertarian conservative platform promising reform, deregulation, and a tougher approach to the more assertive role of the Soviet Union, managed to outfox Wallace's bread and butter brand of populism in the end, despite a series of unenforced errors and gaffes along the way.
Downballot, Republicans faired well, gaining a number of Senate seats but failing to erode the Democratic majority in either chamber of Congress. The gubernatorial races saw many notable victories and defeats as well, with the Libertarian activist Ed Crane successfully leading his new party to a historic victory in North Dakota. In the Senate race in California, Jerry Brown was elected over academic S.I. Hayakawa, returning to public life after losing the 1974 gubernatorial race by merely seven votes. Florida saw once popular Senator Lawton Chiles bested by a small town Mayor named John Grady who ran with both Wallace and Reagan's tacit support, while in the House of Representatives, the Democrats saw their total majority drop down to just 222 seats - nine more than the Republican minority. In San Francisco and Chicago, incumbents Philip Burton and Ralph Metcalfe were nearly felled by the Socialist Workers Party, while Libertarians almost picked up seats in Montana and North Dakota in the House.
Third parties boomed nationwide; Libertarians performed well in the west in addition to winning the North Dakota race, while the Liberty Union Party, a small coalition of socialists in Vermont, nearly elected Bernie Sanders. The Socialist Workers Party benefitted in the cities, asserting themselves as the most well organized force on the left. The American Independence Party regrouped, while the Christian Values Party ran a number of candidates in local races across the country with varying degrees of impact.
The Wallace campaign has scheduled an afternoon press conference; it is unknown at this time if the Alabama Governor will concede the presidency or announce a series of legal challenges to the apparent Reagan victory.
And we're off; this update covers the 1976 elections. The next will cover the recounts and transition.
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