Yes, but not many
AK: A few boroughs in the rural west
ME: Cumberland
MI: Washtenaw, Marquette
NY: Niagara, Monroe
VT Chittenden, Grand Isle
There were a number in Mississippi too: Franklin, Grenada, Marion, Yazoo. Clarke went from a Ford win in 76' to a tie in 80'.
Ford overperformed in Mississippi compared to most of the rest of the South which was solidly for Carter. Any idea why this was?
MS has the highest % of blacks in the country. Ford was a liberal Republican and a strong supporter of civil rights. Carter 1976 was not as trusted due to being the governor of a deep south state. Ford got 16% of the black vote that year.
That being the reason for Ford coming close to carrying Mississippi makes no sense. Think about it.
Ford getting 16% of the black vote was not bad for a Republican, but Carter still got over 80% of blacks. That would mathematically mean the blacker the state, the greater Carter’s advantage was demographically. Assuming that blacks were not disenfranchised is Mississippi like they had been pre-VRA, Ford clearly and decisively won the white vote in Mississippi.