anyone know what happened in CA in 1976

[freepcrusher]

if I recall, the incumbent senator, John Tunney, lost re-election to a 69 year old no name college professor. Was he considered lazy and/or a spoiled brat? Because that's what I remember hearing somewhere.

[badgate]

Someone should write a TL of that.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Tunney had notable attendance issues, and Gerald Ford carried the state.

[Mr.Phips]

Tunney had notable attendance issues, and Gerald Ford carried the state.

Ford carried the state by the skin of his teeth.  Margins like his usually dont have coattails except for maybe in an open seat race. 

[Indy Texas]

S. I. Hayakawa, the professor who defeated Tunney that year, had become somewhat of a hero for California Republicans/conservatives in the '60s and '70s for taking a strong zero-tolerance policy towards anti-war and counterculture protests at San Francisco State University, which he was the president of. My guess is it was that, combined with Ford's victory and the perception of Tunney as young and not taking his Senate job seriously.