1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries facts for kids
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First place finishes by convention roll call
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The 1976 Democratic presidential primaries were a series of elections and meetings where voters of the Democratic Party chose their favorite person to run for President of the United States in the 1976 U.S. presidential election.
These events helped decide who would represent the Democratic Party. In the end, Jimmy Carter, who used to be the Governor of Georgia, was chosen as the nominee. This happened at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, a big meeting held in New York City from July 12 to July 15, 1976.
Contents
Who Ran for President?
Many people wanted to become the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1976. They traveled across the country, giving speeches and trying to win votes in different states. This process is called the "primaries" and "caucuses."
The Winner: Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter was a former Governor of Georgia. He was born on October 1, 1924. He started his campaign early and worked very hard to meet voters.
Carter won the most votes and the most states during the primaries. He won 30 states, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and DC. His hard work paid off, and he became the party's choice.
After winning the nomination, Jimmy Carter chose Walter Mondale as his running mate for Vice President.
Other Main Candidates
Several other important politicians also ran for the Democratic nomination. They each had their own ideas and supporters.
Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown was the Governor of California. He announced his campaign in March 1976. He won three states: California, Maryland, and Nevada. He received the second-highest number of votes after Jimmy Carter.
George Wallace
George Wallace was the Governor of Alabama. He had run for president before. He won three states: Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
Mo Udall
Mo Udall was a U.S. Representative from Arizona. He started his campaign very early, in November 1974. He won three states: Arizona, Hawaii, and Wyoming.
Henry M. Jackson
Henry M. Jackson was a U.S. Senator from Washington. He won four states: Alaska, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington. He stopped his campaign in May 1976.
Frank Church
Frank Church was a U.S. Senator from Idaho. He won five states: Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, and Utah. He ended his campaign in June 1976 and supported Jimmy Carter.
Other Candidates Who Ran
Many other people also ran for president, but they did not win as many votes or states. Some of them stopped their campaigns before the main convention.
- Ellen McCormack was the Chair of the New York Right to Life Party.
- Sargent Shriver had been the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1972.
- Fred Harris was a former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma.
- Milton Shapp was the Governor of Pennsylvania.
- Birch Bayh was a U.S. Senator from Indiana.
- Lloyd Bentsen was a U.S. Senator from Texas.
- Terry Sanford was a former Governor of North Carolina.
The Democratic National Convention
After all the primaries and caucuses were finished, the Democratic Party held its big meeting, the 1976 Democratic National Convention, in New York City. At this convention, delegates (representatives from each state) officially voted for their preferred candidate.
Jimmy Carter received the most votes from the delegates and was officially chosen as the Democratic Party's candidate for President. He then went on to run against the Republican candidate in the general election.
Images for kids
-
Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota
-
Senator Edmund S. Muskie of Maine
-
Senator John Glenn of Ohio
-
Senator Adlai Stevenson III of Illinois
-
Congressman Peter W. Rodino of New Jersey
-
Congressman Ron Dellums of California
-
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan of Texas
.jpg)
