1976 Delaware gubernatorial election

The 1976 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. Republican nominee Pete du Pont defeated incumbent Democratic Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt with 56.86% of the vote. This is the last time that the incumbent lost reelection.

1976 Delaware gubernatorial election

November 2, 1976

Nominee Pete du Pont Sherman W. Tribbitt Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 130,531 97,480 Percentage 56.86% 42.46%

County results duPont:      50–60%      60–70% Tribbitt:      50–60%

Governor before election Sherman W. Tribbitt Democratic Elected Governor Pete du Pont Republican

Nominations

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

Candidates

• Sherman W. Tribbitt, Democratic, incumbent Governor
• Pete du Pont, Republican, U.S. Representative for Delaware's at-large congressional district
• George W. Cripps, American, former Delaware Auditor of Accounts[3]
• Harry Conner, Prohibition

Results

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	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

1. America Votes 12, p. 82.
2. Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 104.
3. "Politics: Reports" (PDF). Ripon Forum. IX (16). Washington, D.C. September 1973. p. 16. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
4. "DE Governor, 1976". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 24 April 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

• 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.