1976 Delaware gubernatorial election

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%

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

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

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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. As of 2022, this is the last time that an incumbent governor of Delaware lost re-election.

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[]

References[]

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.