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1976 Delaware gubernatorial election

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1976 Delaware gubernatorial election

← 1972 November 2, 1976 1980 →
 
Nominee Pete du Pont Sherman W. Tribbitt
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 130,531 97,480
Percentage 56.86% 42.46%

du Pont:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Tribbitt:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election

Sherman W. Tribbitt
Democratic

Elected Governor

Pete du Pont
Republican

The 1976 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. Pitting incumbent Democratic Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt Against U.S. Representative Pete du Pont. Largely due to the state's unresolved financial problems, du Pont defeated Governor Tribbitt by a landslide margin of 57%-42%. This is the last time that an incumbent governor of Delaware lost re-election.

Nominations

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From 1972 to 1992 Delaware used a system of “challenge” primaries, in which a candidate for statewide office who received at least 35 percent of the convention vote could challenge the endorsed candidate in a primary. No such primaries were held in 1976.[1][2]

General election

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Candidates

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Results

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1976 Delaware gubernatorial election[4][5][6][7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pierre S. duPont IV 130,531 56.86%
Democratic Sherman W. Tribbitt (incumbent) 97,480 42.46%
American George W. Cripps 1,255 0.55%
Prohibition Harry Conner 297 0.13%
Majority 33,051 14.40%
Turnout 229,563 100.00%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing

References

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  1. ^ America Votes 12, p. 82.
  2. ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 104.
  3. ^ "Politics: Reports" (PDF). Ripon Forum. Vol. IX, no. 16. Washington, D.C. September 1973. p. 16. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. ^ "DE Governor, 1976". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Delaware Official Results 1976, p. 2.
  6. ^ America Votes 12, p. 78.
  7. ^ Glashan 1979, pp. 52–53.
  8. ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 46.

Bibliography

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  • Lewis C. Wrightson, Commissioner of Elections (1977). Official Results of General Election, 1976 (PDF). State of Delaware.
  • Glashan, Roy R. (1979). American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 0-930466-17-9.
  • Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
  • Scammon, Richard M.; McGillivray, Alice V. (1977). America Votes 12: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1976. Washington, D.C.: Elections Research Center.