Reagan v Carter 1976

[Lincoln Republican]

The year is 1976.

Governor Ronald Reagan of California takes the bold step of challenging a sitting President, albeit an unelected one, for the Republican presidential nomination.

Reagan's natural charm and charisma wins the day over Ford's rather gaffe prone campaign.  As well, many Republicans feared that Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon would hurt the party in the election if Ford was the nominee.

During the battle for the nomination, Reagan had announced that he would name Pennsylvania Senator Richard Schweiker as his Vice Presidential running mate, which, Reagan said, "Gives the ticket balance."  Reagan, the conservative Governor from the west, Schweiker, the moderate Senator from the northeast.

On the Democratic side, Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia comes out of nowhere, it seems, and wins the Democratic Presidential nomination.  Carter, seen as a moderate, chooses liberal Democratic Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota for his Vice Presidential running mate.

How does this election turn out?
Maps?     

[Kevin]

[Kevin]

Reagan takes PA Which carries hime to victory. However it is close since Carter takes VA.   

[© tweed]

Carter probably wins.  The stage wasn't set for somebody like Reagan in 1976.

[True Democrat]

[Jake]

Reagan ran on a platform of fixing Carter's ups. It seems unlikely that he could've improved over Ford.

[opebo]

[J. J.]

Reagan takes PA (27), but looses MI (21) (Ford's home state); he also takes OH (25) by about 20,000 votes.  Reagan wins everything else that Ford did, but by larger margins.  He wins with 273 Electoral Votes and about 51% of the popular vote.

OH is recounted three times.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Carter: 277
Reagan: 261