1974 U.S. Presidential Election (Nixon's Early Resignation)

The 1974 U.S. Presidential Election was in response to Richard Nixon's resignation in November, 1973.

Republican Nomination
Republican candidates


 * John Connally, former Treasury Secretary and Governor of Texas
 * Gerald Ford, Vice President of the United States from Michigan
 * Charles Percy, U.S. senator from Illinois
 * Ronald Reagan, Governor of California
 * Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York

The 1974 Republican primaries saw Vice President Ford narrowly win the nomination over Reagan and Connally. The campaigns of Percy and Rockefeller never realy got off the ground. After narrowly winning the nomination on the first ballot, Ford chose Reagan as his running-mate. In his acceptence speech, Ford promised to "make America proud wance again".

Democratic Nomination
Democratic candidates


 * Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia
 * Fred Harris, former U.S. senator from Oklahoma
 * Harold Hughes, U.S. senator from Iowa
 * Hubert Humphrey, U.S. senator and former Vice President from Minnesota
 * Henry "Scoop" Jackson, U.S. senator from Washington
 * Walter Mondale, U.S. senator from Minnesota
 * Edmund Muskie, U.S. senator from Maine
 * Terry Sanford, former Governor of North Carolina
 * Sargeant Shriver, former Director of the Peace Corps from Maryland

The Democratic primaries saw incumbent President Carl Albert not seeking the nomination. A host of Democrats sought the nomination to replace Albert, but Muskie, Mondale, and Jackson were considerd the front-runners. Jimmy Carter and Fred Harris both did better than expected, but altimently Muskies's moderate appeal won out aganist the divided liberal vote of Mondale, Harris, and Shriver. Humphrey and Sanford both hoped for a brokerd convention, but were disapointed when Muskie won enough delegates in the primaries to secure the nomination by July. Muskie chose Carter as his running-mate, and pledged to bring about a new America.

General Election
Muskie had troble painting Ford with the Nixon scandels since a Democrat (Albert) had been president for almost a year. Ford on the other hand ran a upbeat campaign calling for a new more open goverment. Ford's running mate Ronald Reagan made up for what Ford lacked in partisanship, Reagan campaign aggressively for Republican House and Senate candidates and attacked President Albert for signing the SALT II treaty with the Soivet Union.

Another major problem for Muskie, were the third party bids of Alabama Governor George Wallace and former Senator Eugene McCarthy. Wallace pulled votes away from Muskie's right, while McCarthy pulled at his left.

In the three Presidential debates Ford apperd with Wallace and McCarthy, Muskie only apperd in the last debate. In the finale debate (which only featured Ford and Muskie), Muskie launced a strong attack aganist Ford and tried to link him to the Nixon years. Ford meanwhile was positive and upbeat, Muskie's poor performence in debate was the last nail in his political coffin.