1976 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1976 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. Democratic nominee J. Joseph Garrahy defeated Republican nominee James L. Taft Jr. with 54.82% of the vote.
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November 2, 1976
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Garrahy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Taft: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Primary elections
Primary elections were held on September 14, 1976.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- J. Joseph Garrahy, incumbent lieutenant governor
- Giovanni Folcarelli, former lieutenant governor
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. Joseph Garrahy | 113,625 | 82.37 | |
| Democratic | Giovanni Folcarelli | 24,314 | 17.63 | |
| Total votes | 137,939 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
Major party candidates
- J. Joseph Garrahy, Democratic
- James L. Taft Jr., Republican
Other candidates
- John C. Swift, Independent
- Stewart L. Engel, Libertarian
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | J. Joseph Garrahy | 218,561 | 54.82% | ||
| Republican | James L. Taft Jr. | 178,254 | 44.71% | ||
| Independent | John C. Swift | 1,267 | 0.32% | ||
| Libertarian | Stewart L. Engel | 601 | 0.15% | ||
| Majority | 40,307 | ||||
| Turnout | 398,683 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
By county
| Joseph Garrahy Democratic |
James Taft Republican |
All Others Independent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Bristol | 10,532 | 50.5% | 10,233 | 49.1% | 96 | 0.4% |
| Kent | 33,250 | 48.1% | 35,556 | 51.4% | 308 | 0.4% |
| Newport | 16,802 | 53.9% | 14,193 | 45.5% | 195 | 0.6% |
| Providence | 142,024 | 58.5% | 99,522 | 41.0% | 1,093 | 0.4% |
| Washington | 15,953 | 45.7% | 18,750 | 53.8% | 176 | 0.5% |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican