Gerald Ford 1976 presidential campaign

Gerald Ford for President 1976
General election logo Primary campaign logo
Campaign	1976 Republican primaries 1976 U.S. presidential election
Candidate	Gerald Ford 38th President of the United States (1974–1977) Bob Dole U.S. Senator from Kansas (1969–1996)
Affiliation	Republican Party
Status	Announced: July 8, 1975 Official nominee: August 19, 1976 Lost election: November 2, 1976 Left office: January 20, 1977
Key people	Bo Callaway (first campaign manager) Rogers Morton (second campaign manager) James Baker (third campaign manager)
Slogan	He's making us proud again

This article is part of a series about Gerald Ford
Early life Electoral history Pre-vice presidency Military service U.S. Representative for Michigan's 5th Warren Commission 40th Vice President of the United States Confirmation Tenure Resignation of Richard Nixon 38th President of the United States Presidency Timeline Inauguration Policies Environmental Foreign International trips Pardons Appointments Cabinet Judiciary Tenure Pardon of Richard Nixon Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974 Education for All Handicapped Children Act Assassination attempts Sacramento San Francisco Timeline '74 '75 '76–77 Presidential campaign 1976 Primaries Convention Debates Election Post-presidency Presidential Library Activities AEI World Forum Death and state funeral
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The 1976 presidential campaign of Gerald Ford was an unsuccessful election campaign for the 1976 United States presidential election by incumbent president Gerald Ford, who had taken office on August 9, 1974 upon the resignation of Richard Nixon. Ford and his running mate Senator Bob Dole were defeated by Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter and vice presidential nominee Walter Mondale. Ford, a Republican president and former vice president under Nixon, launched his presidential bid on July 8, 1975,^[1] and secured nomination for his election to a full term on August 19, 1976. He was challenged in the Republican primaries by former California governor Ronald Reagan from his campaign which was formally launched on November 20, 1975, received more than forty percent of the delegates in the Republican National Convention, but Ford got more votes than Reagan. Reagan would later be elected president in 1980.^[2]

Ford's tenure marked America's fall into a dark period, with a stagnant economy and effects after the Vietnam War (or Vietnam syndrome). Ford pardoned Nixon in the Watergate scandal, which many people believe that Ford lost to his opponent Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election. In the Republican primaries, Ford received 1,121 delegates while needing 1,130 votes to win. Ronald Reagan was one of those who stood in the way of Ford winning the nomination with Reagan receiving 1,078 delegates, this was one of the most controversial primaries ever, as well as the difference in votes of delegates and popular votes.^[3]

However, Ford still received the Republican nomination on August 19, 1976 to face Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter on November 2, 1976. Carter defeated Ford, receiving 297 electoral votes and 50.1% of the popular vote, this was also one of the most controversial presidential elections when there was a fight over states and votes.^[4] Carter took office on January 20, 1977 and held power for four years before Reagan defeated him in 1980 and took office on January 20, 1981.

Ford joined his vice presidential running mate Bob Dole on the campaign trail.^[5]