1976Final results
1976 election for President in Louisiana
President · Louisiana
Jimmy Carter (D) won with 51.8% of the vote, defeating Gerald Ford (R) by 5.8 points.
Jimmy CarterDemocrat · winner
51.8%661,365
Gerald FordRepublican
46.0%587,446
Lester MaddoxAmerican Independent
0.8%10,058
Gus HallCommunist
0.6%7,417
Eugene ""gene"" McCarthyIndependent
0.5%6,490
Roger MacbrideLibertarian
0.2%3,134
Peter CamejoSocialist Workers
0.1%1,473
1,277,383 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1976
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The candidates
Jimmy Carter (D)Gerald Ford (R)
Also on the ballot: Lester Maddox (American Independent), 0.8%; Gus Hall (Communist), 0.6%; Eugene ""gene"" McCarthy (Independent), 0.5%; Roger Macbride (Libertarian), 0.2%; Peter Camejo (Socialist Workers), 0.1%