Who were each candidates' main supporters in the 1976 GOP primaries?

[RINO Tom]

In Michigan, which went 2-1 for Ford, Reagan's 6 best counties (out of 83) included Macomb, Hillsdale (home of Hillsdale College), and two UP counties. Ford's 7 best counties included Allegan-Kent-Ottawa (Ford's home base) as well as Ingham and Washtenaw, home of the Univ of Mich and Michigan State University.

This suggests a divide akin to the Trump / all other divide in the 2016 primaries, with Reagan's 1976 base similar to Trump's, and Ford's similar to all other Republicans.

I suspect a similar pattern is present in other states.

So... Reagan's supporters: less educated, possibly older, and more conservative (and more rural and religious). Ford's: better educated, younger, less conservative.

I think Reagan though was more popular with Younger Voters than Older Voters


Reagan also unlike Trump main support came in the West while he did pretty badly in the Industrial Midwest and North East (for Trump it was the opposite).

Here’s the county by county 1976 map:

Ah yes, Marin County was quite the haven for young voters.

How many counties are on that map?  You picked one, LOL.

[RINO Tom]

In MI, many of Reagan's best counties (Macomb, Alcona, St Clair, Kalkaska) have large numbers of residents with Polish heritage.

Reagan's dismal showing in university counties (Kalamazoo, Ingham, Washtenaw) suggests that young people were not a large part of his base-- however popular Reagan was with young (white male) voters in 1984.

At least in Michigan, which might have unique results due to its lopsided nature.

[RINO Tom]

Wow Reagan was popular in the West, which despite voting against President Ford in the primaries, was solidly in Ford's column in November.  (That does not speak well of Carter's popularity in the West.)

Anyway, Indiana sticks out in the Rustbelt.

Some of the Southern states are interesting, too.  I have to believe hardly anyone was voting in GOP primaries in, for example, Arkansas and that the GOP voters there were uniquely right-wing (hence Reagan's win).  However, in the ancestrally GOP areas of East Tennessee and western North Carolina, Ford cleaned up.

[RINO Tom]

Gonna throw out the obligatory fact that counties can change a LOT in 42 years.