4 0 50.8% 48.3% | 211,419 201,148 Start date November 2, 1976 | |
 | ||
The 1976 United States presidential election in New Mexico took place on November 2, 1976. All 50 states and The District of Columbia, were part of the 1976 United States presidential election. New Mexico voters chose four electors to represent them in the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.
New Mexico was won by President Gerald Ford by a 2-point lead. A very partisan election in New Mexico, only 1% of the State voted for third party candidates. While Ford took the State of New Mexico, and much of the American Southwest and Midwest, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won the electoral college with 297 votes, and was elected President.
A reliable bellwether state in Presidential elections, this was the first election since gaining statehood that New Mexico did not back the winning Presidential candidate. This has only happened in two other elections since (2000 and 2016). This is also the only election in which New Mexico backed the candidate that lost the popular vote.