From January 6 to July 14, 1976, voters of the
Republican Party chose its nominee for
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
in the
1976 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 2, 1976. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia Governor of Georgia, governor Jimmy ...
. The major candidates were incumbent President
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
and former governor of California
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
. After a series of
primary election
Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...
s and
caucus
A caucus is a group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures.
The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to ...
es, neither secured a majority of the delegates before the convention.
This was the last election in which the Republican nominee was undetermined at the start of the party's national convention.
Background
August 1974 – February 1975: The Ford presidency begins
Following the
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...
and resignation of President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
, Vice President Gerald Ford was elevated to the presidency on August 9, 1974. Because Ford had been appointed vice president by Nixon following the resignation of Spiro Agnew from the position, he became the only president to assume office without having been previously elected president or vice president by the
Electoral College
An electoral college is a body whose task is to elect a candidate to a particular office. It is mostly used in the political context for a constitutional body that appoints the head of state or government, and sometimes the upper parliament ...
.
On September 8, Ford's first major act in office was to grant a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes Richard Nixon might have committed against the United States while president. Following his pardon of Nixon, Ford's approval ratings among the American public dropped precipitously. Within a week, his approval rating fell from 69% to 49%, the steepest decline in history.
The economy was in dire condition upon Ford's elevation, marked by the worst peacetime inflation in American history and the highest interest rates in a century. The Dow Jones had declined 43 percent from October 1973 to September 1974. To combat inflation, Ford first proposed a tax increase and later, in response to Democratic calls for a permanent cut in taxes, a temporary moderate decrease. Reagan publicly criticized both proposals.
Race and education divided public opinion, especially over issues such as forced integration and changes to public school curriculum. Political violence over education policy broke out in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in West Virginia, most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County and ...
. Abortion also became a nationally salient issue after the Supreme Court's ''
Roe v. Wade
''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an ...
'' decision, which was handed down the year prior in 1973 and struck down state restrictions on abortion nationwide.
In the 1974 midterm elections, the Democratic Party dramatically expanded its majorities in both the
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
and
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. The elections were seen as a referendum on the Republican Party post-Watergate and on the political establishment more generally. Newly elected members of Congress became known as "
Watergate Babies" and aggressively pursued procedural and oversight reforms.
During this period,
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
concluded his second term in office as governor of California. His administration was marked by efforts to dismantle the
welfare state
A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...
and a high-profile crackdown on urban crime and left-wing dissent, especially at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
. He also led an effort to enforce the state's
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...
laws but was blocked by the
California Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...
in the ''
People v. Anderson'' decision. After Reagan left office in January 1975, he began hosting a national radio show and writing a national newspaper column.
March–July 1975: Conservatives revolt and Reagan rises
Conservative opposition to Ford within the Republican Party began to surface in December 1974, following his appointment of New York Governor
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
as vice president. For more than a decade, Rockefeller had represented the party's liberal wing, and the appointment faced immediate criticism from right-wing senators
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the Conservatism in the United States, conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the ...
,
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...
and
John Tower
John Goodwin Tower (September 29, 1925 – April 5, 1991) was an American politician and military veteran who represented Texas in the United States Senate from 1961 to 1985. He was the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas si ...
, though Rockefeller's confirmation in the Senate was largely undeterred.
Discontent reached a fever pitch at the second annual
Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC ) is an annual political conference attended by Conservatism in the United States, conservative Activism, activists and officials from across the United States. CPAC is hosted by the American ...
in February. Speaking there, Reagan dismissed calls to seek the presidency on a third-party ticket: "Is it a third party that we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which could make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all the issues troubling the people?" Speakers at CPAC also criticized Ford administration policy, Vice President Rockefeller, and First Lady
Betty Ford
Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy, and set a precedent as a politi ...
's public campaign in support of abortion and the
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...
. In March, discussion of Reagan's presidential prospects began to grow following an appearance on
''The Tonight Show'' and a profile in ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' that called him "the most kinetic single presence in American political life." In defense, the administration drafted a letter of support for President Ford that received the signatures of 113 of 145 GOP representatives and 31 of 38 senators. Ford formally announced he would run for re-election on July 8.

More than any domestic issue in 1975, foreign policy drove a wedge between the president and his conservative critics. Following the
American evacuation of Saigon and
the collapse of South Vietnam, these criticisms grew vociferous. On his radio show, Reagan compared the withdrawal from Saigon to the
Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...
and warned that it would "tempt the Soviet Union as it once tempted Hitler and the military rulers of Japan." While Ford regained some support from conservatives following the
rescue of the SS Mayaguez in Cambodia, he soon drew the ire of the party's right wing with a series of foreign policy moves designed to improve relations with the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.
First, President Ford refused to meet with Soviet dissident
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Soviet and Russian author and Soviet dissidents, dissident who helped to raise global awareness of political repression in the Soviet Union, especially the Gulag pris ...
on his visit to the United States on June 21. In response, Reagan publicly criticized Ford by name for the first time in his national newspaper column, contrasting the popular Solzhenitsyn to other guests the President had entertained in the White House, "the Strawberry Queen of West Virginia and the Maid of Cotton." The day after this column ran, Senator
Paul Laxalt announced the formation of a committee named "Friends of Ronald Reagan," organized for the purpose of drafting Reagan to run for president.
Ford followed the Solzhenitsyn affair with an overseas trip to Eastern Europe, where he signed the
Helsinki Accords
The Helsinki Final Act, also known as Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration, was the document signed at the closing meeting of the third phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland, betwee ...
, a treaty establishing that the current boundaries of Eastern European nations were "inviolable by force." Conservatives and anti-communists harshly criticized Ford for capitulating to Soviet demands and formally recognizing the Eastern bloc. ''The Wall Street Journal'' called the Helsinki agreement the "new
Yalta
Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...
." By late August, Ford's approval rating was 34%.
On September 5 in Sacramento, Ford survived the
first of two attempts on his life by lone assassins.
A second attempt followed on September 21. Neither assassin struck Ford.
September–December 1975: Reagan enters the race
In September, Reagan began to actively campaign in key early states. He stumped in
New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
for Louis Wyman in
the special election for Senate and began to assemble a campaign staff led by campaign manager
John Sears. He secured the endorsement of New Hampshire's conservative governor
Meldrim Thomson Jr. and state party chairman, as well as support from moderate former governor
Hugh Gregg.
On November 4, Vice President
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
announced he would not seek nomination as Ford's running mate in 1976. That same day, Ford fired Secretary of Defense
James R. Schlesinger
James Rodney Schlesinger (February 15, 1929 – March 27, 2014) was an American economist and statesman who was best known for serving as Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975 under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to becom ...
, whose critical comments on the Helsinki summit had been leaked to the press earlier in the fall. That week, Ford traveled to Massachusetts and pledged to campaign in every primary in the nation.
On November 20, Ronald Reagan officially announced his campaign for president.
Campaign
Ford narrowly defeated Reagan in the
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest, the first being the Iowa caucuses, held in the United States every four years as part of the process of cho ...
, and then won the Florida and Illinois primaries by comfortable margins. During the first six contests, Reagan followed the "eleventh commandment" he used during his
initial campaign for governor of California: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican." By the North Carolina primary, Reagan's campaign was nearly out of money, and it was widely believed that another defeat would force him to quit the race. But with the help of U.S. Senator
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the Conservatism in the United States, conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the ...
's powerful political organization, Reagan upset Ford. Reagan had abandoned the approach of invoking the commandment and beat Ford 52% to 46%, regaining momentum.
Reagan then had a string of impressive victories, including Texas, where he won all delegates at stake in its first binding primary. Four other delegates chosen at the Texas state convention went to Reagan and the state shut out its U.S. senator,
John G. Tower, who had been named to manage the Ford campaign on the convention floor. Ford bounced back to win his home state of Michigan, and from there, the two candidates engaged in an increasingly bitter nip-and-tuck contest for delegates. By the time the party's convention opened in August 1976, the race was still too close to call.
Reagan was the first candidate to win a presidential primary against an incumbent actively running for reelection since
Estes Kefauver
Carey Estes Kefauver ( ;
July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until h ...
defeated
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
in the
1952 New Hampshire Democratic primary. Former Texas governor
John Connally
John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917June 15, 1993) was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969 and as the 61st United States secretary of the treasury from 1971 to 1972. He began his career as a Hi ...
speculated that Reagan's attacks weakened Ford in
the general election against his opponent and eventual successor,
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
.
Schedule and results
}
, -
!Nevada
47,749
!18
, 5
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 13
, –
,
, -
!Oregon
298,535
!31
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 17
, 13
,
, –
, -
!Tennessee
242,543
!43
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 21
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 22
,
,
, -
!May 29
!Virginia
district convention
!3 (of 51)
, –
, –
, –
, style="background:#808080;" , 3
, -
! rowspan="3" , June 1
!Montana
89,779
!0 (of 20)
,
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" ,
, –
,
, -
!Rhode Island
14,352
!19
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 19
,
, –
,
, -
!South Dakota
84,077
!20
, 9
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 11
, –
,
, -
! rowspan="2" , June 5
!Colorado
district convention
!3 (of 31)
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 3
, –
, –
, -
!Louisiana
convention
!17 (of 41)
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 14
, –
, 3
, -
!June 6
!Virginia
convention
!21 (of 51)
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 17
, –
, 4
, -
! rowspan="3" , June 8
!California
2,450,511
!167
,
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 167
,
, –
, -
!New Jersey
242,122
!67
, style="background:#86bae0;" ,
, –
, –
, style="background:#808080;", 67
, -
, -
!Ohio
965,416
!97
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 91
, 6
, –
, –
, -
!June 12
!Missouri
convention
!19 (of 49)
, 1
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 18
, –
, –
, -
! rowspan="5" , June 19
!Colorado
district convention
!3 (of 31)
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 3
, –
, –
, -
!Delaware
convention
!17
, –
, –
, –
, style="background:#808080;", 17
, -
!Iowa
convention
!36
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 19
, 17
, –
, –
, -
!Texas
convention
!4 (of 100)
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 4
, –
, –
, -
!Washington
convention
!38
, 7
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 31
, –
, –
, -
! rowspan="4" , June 26
!Idaho
convention
!4 (of 21)
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 4
, –
, –
, -
!Minnesota
convention
!18 (of 42)
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 17
, 1
, –
, –
, -
!Montana
convention
!20
, 6
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 14
, –
, –
, -
!New Mexico
convention
!21
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 21
, –
, –
, -
!July 8
!North Dakota
convention
!18
, –
, –
, –
, style="background:#808080;", 18
, -
!July 9
!Colorado
district conventions
!9 (of 31)
, 3
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 5
, –
, 1
, -
!July 10
!Colorado
convention
!16 (of 31)
, 1
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 15
, –
, –
, -
!rowspan="2" , July 17
!Connecticut
convention
!35
, style="background:#86bae0;" , 35
, –
, –
, –
, -
!Utah
convention
!20
, –
, style="background:#ee9f9f;" , 20
, –
, –
, -
! colspan="3" , 2,259 delegates
10,831,604 votes
!727
!933
!0
!566
, -
! colspan="3" , Estimated Delegate Count
!1,121
(49.24%)
!1,078
(47.72%)
!0
(0.00%)
!60
(2.66%)
Candidates
This was the last time during the 20th century (and the last time to date) that a primary season had ended without a presumptive nominee.
Nominee
Eliminated at convention
Candidates who declined to run
File:Nelson Rockefeller.jpg, Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
, Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
File:Spiro Agnew.jpg, Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew (; November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second of two vice presidents to resign, the first being John C. ...
, former Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
File:Elliot Richardson.png, Elliot Richardson
Elliot Lee Richardson (July 20, 1920December 31, 1999) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. As a member of the cabinets of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1970 and 1977, Richardson is one of two men in United States history ...
, former U.S. Attorney General
The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
and Ambassador to the United Kingdom
File:John Connally.jpg, John Connally
John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917June 15, 1993) was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969 and as the 61st United States secretary of the treasury from 1971 to 1972. He began his career as a Hi ...
, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
File:Howard Baker photo.jpg, Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker Jr. (November 15, 1925 June 26, 2014) was an American politician, diplomat and photographer who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Senate Minority Le ...
, Senator from Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
File:James L. Buckley (cropped).jpg, James L. Buckley, Senator from New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
File:Edward brooke senator.jpg, Edward Brooke
Edward William Brooke III (October 26, 1919 – January 3, 2015) was an American lawyer and Republican Party politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1967 to 1979. He was the first African American elected to t ...
, Senator from Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
File:Charlesmathiasjr.jpg, Charles Mathias
Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. (July 24, 1922 – January 25, 2010) was an American politician and attorney from the U.S. state of Maryland. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served in both chambers of the Unit ...
, Senator from Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
File:Sen. Charles Percy.jpg, Charles Percy, Senator from Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
File:John Bertrand Conlan.jpg, John Conlan, Representative from Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
Endorsements
;Federal Officials
*
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...
Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
;Former Federal Officials
*
Earl Butz former
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments
The department includes several organi ...
(1971–1976)
*
John Connally
John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917June 15, 1993) was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969 and as the 61st United States secretary of the treasury from 1971 to 1972. He began his career as a Hi ...
former
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
(1971–1972)
*
Rogers Morton
Rogers Clark Ballard Morton (September 19, 1914 – April 19, 1979) was an American politician who served as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Commerce during the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, ...
former
Counselor to the President
Counselor to the President is a title used by high-ranking political advisors to the president of the United States and senior members of the White House Office.
The current officeholders are Alina Habba and Peter Navarro. The position should no ...
(1976)
;Senators
*
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker Jr. (November 15, 1925 June 26, 2014) was an American politician, diplomat and photographer who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Senate Minority Le ...
(R-TN)
*
Dewey F. Bartlett (R-OK)
*
Henry Bellmon
Henry Louis Bellmon (September 3, 1921 – September 29, 2009) was an American Republican politician from the U.S. State of Oklahoma. A member of the Oklahoma Legislature, he went on to become both the 18th and 23rd governor of Oklahoma, mai ...
(R-OK)
*
James L. Buckley (C-NY)
*
Clifford Case (R-NJ)
*
Carl Curtis (R-NE)
*
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican Leader of th ...
(R-KS)
*
Robert P. Griffin (R-MI)
*
Mark Hatfield
Mark Odom Hatfield (July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Factions in the Republican Party (United States)#Moderates, moderate Republican Party (United States), Republican, he se ...
(R-OR)
*
Roman Hruska (R-NE)
*
Jacob Javits (R-NY)
*
Paul Laxalt (R-NV)
*
Bob Packwood
Robert William Packwood (born September 11, 1932) is an American retired lawyer and politician from Oregon who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1969 to 1995. He resigned from the U.S. Senate under threat of expulsion, in 1995 ...
(R-OR)
*
James B. Pearson (R-KS)
*
Charles H. Percy (R-IL)
*
Richard Schweiker (R-PA)
*
Robert Taft Jr. (R-OH)
*
Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Before his 49 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South ...
(R-SC)
*
John Tower
John Goodwin Tower (September 29, 1925 – April 5, 1991) was an American politician and military veteran who represented Texas in the United States Senate from 1961 to 1985. He was the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas si ...
(R-TX)
*
Lowell Weicker
Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. (; May 16, 1931 – June 28, 2023) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut.
Weicker unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for presi ...
(R-CT)
;Former Senators
*
George Aiken
George David Aiken (August 20, 1892 – November 19, 1984) was an American politician and horticulturist. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 64th governor of Vermont (1937–1941) before serving in the United States Senate for 34 ye ...
(R-VT)
*
Gordon Allott (R-CO)
[
* Wallace F. Bennett (R-UT)][
* J. Caleb Boggs (R-DE)][
* John W. Bricker (R-OH)][
*]Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (July 5, 1902 – February 27, 1985) was an American diplomat and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate and served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations in the administration of Pre ...
(R-MA)[
* Harry P. Cain (R-WA)][
* Homer Capehart (R-IN)][
* Frank Carlson (R-KS)][
* Marlow Cook (R-KY)][
*]John Sherman Cooper
John Sherman Cooper (August 23, 1901 – February 21, 1991) was an American politician, jurist, and diplomat from the United States. He served three non-consecutive, partial terms in the United States Senate before being elected to two fu ...
(R-KY)
* Norris Cotton (R-NH)
* Homer S. Ferguson (R-MI)[
* Leonard B. Jordan (R-ID)][
* Thomas Kuchel (R-CA)][
* Frank Lausche (D-OH)]
* Jack Miller (R-IA)[
* Thruston Morton (R-KY)][
*]George Murphy
George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American actor and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to ...
(R-CA)[
*]Leverett Saltonstall
Leverett Atholville Saltonstall (September 1, 1892June 17, 1979) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served three two-year terms as the List of Governors of Massachusetts, 55th Governor of Massachusetts, and for more th ...
(R-MA)[
* Milward Simpson (R-WY)][
;Representatives
*]John B. Anderson
John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member of ...
(R-IL)
* Bill Archer (R-TX)
*John M. Ashbrook
John Milan Ashbrook (September 21, 1928 – April 24, 1982) was an American politician and newspaper publisher. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1961 until his death. (R-OH)
* Skip Bafalis (R-FL)
* Alphonzo E. Bell Jr. (R-CA)
* Edward G. Biester Jr. (R-PA)
* William Broomfield (R-MI)
* Bud Brown (R-OH)
* Jim Broyhill (R-NC)
* John Hall Buchanan Jr. (R-AL)
* Al Cederberg (R-MI)
* Clair Burgener (R-CA)
* Donald D. Clancy (R-OH)
* Don Clausen (R-CA)
* James Colgate Cleveland (R-NH)
* Thad Cochran (R-MS)
* Barber Conable (R-NY)
* Lawrence Coughlin (R-PA)
* Phil Crane (R-IL)
* Samuel L. Devine (R-OH)
* William L. Dickinson (R-AL)
* Jack Edwards (R-AL)
* Millicent Fenwick (R-NJ)
* Paul Findley (R-IL)
* Edwin B. Forsythe (R-NJ)
* Bill Frenzel (R-MN)
* Louis Frey Jr. (R-FL)
* Marvin Esch (R-MI)
*Benjamin Gilman
Benjamin Arthur Gilman (December 6, 1922 – December 17, 2016) was an American politician and Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Middletown, New York, from January 3, 1973, to January 3, 2003.
Early life
Gil ...
(R-NY)
* Barry Goldwater Jr. (R-CA)
* Bill Gradison (R-OH)
*Chuck Grassley
Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate since 2025, a role he also held from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Re ...
(R-IA)
* Tennyson Guyer (R-OH)
* Tom Hagedorn (R-MI)
* Bill Harsha (R-OH)
* Elwood Hillis (R-IN)
* Frank Horton (R-NY)
*Guy Vander Jagt
Guy Adrian Vander Jagt ( ; August 26, 1931 – June 22, 2007) was a Republican politician from Michigan. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Vander Jagt was desc ...
(R-MI)
* John Jarman (R-OK)
* Tom Kindness (R-OH)
* Del Latta (R-OH)
*Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott Sr. (born October 9, 1941) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, author, and politician who represented Mississippi in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1989 and in the United States Senate from 1989 to 2007. ...
(R-MS)
* Ed Madigan (R-IL)
* Robert McClory (R-IL)
*Pete McCloskey
Paul Norton "Pete" McCloskey Jr. (September 29, 1927 – May 8, 2024) was an American politician who represented San Mateo County, California, as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1983.
Born in Loma Linda, Californi ...
(R-CA)
* Stewart McKinney (R-CT)
* Charles Adams Mosher (R-OH)
* Henson Moore (R-LA)
*Carlos Moorhead
Carlos John Moorhead (May 5, 1922 – November 23, 2011) was an American lawyer and politician who served twelve terms as a United States Congressman from California from 1973 to 1997.
Early life and education
Born in Long Beach, he att ...
(R-CA)
* John T. Myers (R-IN)
*Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977, and again from 1979 to 1985, as well as for Texas' ...
(R-TX)
* Joel Pritchard (R-WA)
* Al Quie (R-MN)
* Jimmy Quillen (R-TN)
* Ralph Regula (R-OH)
* Matthew J. Rinaldo (R-NJ)
* J. Kenneth Robinson (R-VA)
*John H. Rousselot
John Harbin Rousselot (November 1, 1927 – May 11, 2003) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from southern California. Although the territory he represented was generally the same, in eastern Los Angeles County ...
(R-CA)
* Ronald A. Sarasin (R-CT)
* Dick Schulze (R-PA)
*Keith Sebelius
Keith George Sebelius (September 10, 1916 – August 5, 1982) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican.
He became active in politics following World War II and was later appointed to ...
(R-KS)
*Bud Shuster
Elmer Greinert "Bud" Shuster ( ; January 23, 1932 – April 19, 2023) was an American politician who represented Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1973 to 2001. He was ...
(R-PA)
* Gene Snyder (R-KY)
* Floyd Spence (R-SC)
* J. William Stanton (R-OH)
* Tom Steed (D-OK)
* Alan Steelman (R-TX)
*Dave Treen
David Conner Treen Sr. (July 16, 1928 – October 29, 2009) was an American politician and attorney at law (United States), attorney from Louisiana. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Treen served as United State ...
(R-LA)
* Richard Vander Veen (R-MI)
* Charles W. Whalen Jr. (R-OH)
*Charles E. Wiggins
Charles Edward Wiggins (December 3, 1927 – March 2, 2000) was a United States representative from California, and later a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was initially elected to Cali ...
(R-CA)
* Bob Wilson (R-CA)
* Chalmers Wylie (R-OH)
*Bill Young William, Will, Bill or Billy Young may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* William Young (composer) (died 1662), English composer and viola da gambist
* William Young (architect) (1843–1900), Scottish architect, designer of Glasgow City Chambe ...
(R-FL)
;Former Representatives
* E. Ross Adair (R-IN)[
*]Glenn Andrews
Arthur Glenn Andrews (January 15, 1909 – September 25, 2008) was an American politician and a United States representative from Alabama.
Biography
Andrews was born in Anniston in Calhoun County in North Alabama, a son of Roger Lee Andrews ...
(R-AL)
* William Hanes Ayres (R-OH)[
* LaMar Baker (R-TN)][
* James F. Battin (R-MT)][
* Page Belcher (R-OK)][
* E. Y. Berry (R-SD)][
* Jackson Edward Betts (R-OH)]
* Benjamin B. Blackburn (R-GA)[
* Frances P. Bolton (R-OH)][
* William G. Bray (R-IN)]
*Donald G. Brotzman
Donald Glenn Brotzman (June 28, 1922 – September 15, 2004) was a U.S. Representative from Colorado. As of 2025, he remains the last republican to have represented Colorado's 2nd district in the House of Representatives.
History
Brotzman was bo ...
(R-CO)[
*]Joel Broyhill
Joel Thomas Broyhill (November 4, 1919 – September 24, 2006) was an American politician aligned with the Republican Party who served as a Congressman from Virginia for 11 terms, from 1953 to 1974. He represented Virginia's 10th congress ...
(R-VA)[
* D. Emmert Brumbaugh (R-PA)][
* Hamer Budge (R-ID)][
*]George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
(R-TX)[
* John W. Byrnes (R-WI)][
* Bo Callaway (R-GA)][
* John Newbold Camp (R-OK)][
* John Chenoweth (R-CO)][
* Harold Collier (R-IL)][
* William M. Colmer (D-MS)
* William Sheldrick Conover (R-PA)][
* Sam Coon (R-OR)][
* William C. Cramer (R-FL)][
* Paul W. Cronin (R-MA)][
* Glenn Cunningham (R-NE)][
* Glenn R. Davis (R-WI)][
* John R. Dellenback (R-OR)]
* Robert V. Denney (R-NE)[
* David W. Dennis (R-IN)][
* Edwin Durno (R-OR)][
* Charles H. Elston (R-OH)][
* Hamilton Fish III (R-NY)][
* O. C. Fisher (D-TX)][
* Harold V. Froelich, (R-WI)][
* Ed Foreman (R-NM)][
* Ezekiel C. Gathings (D-AR)][
* Edith Green (D-OR)]
* Ezekiel C. Gathings (D-AR)[
* George A. Goodling (R-PA)][
* James R. Grover Jr. (R-NY)][
* Charles Gubser (R-CA)][
* G. Elliott Hagan (D-GA)][
* Leonard W. Hall (R-NY)][
* Charles Halleck (R-IN)][
* Seymour Halpern (R-NY)][
* Orval Hansen (R-ID)][
* Robert P. Hanrahan (R-IL)][
* William Henry Harrison III (R-WY)][
* R. James Harvey (R-MI)][
* Jeffrey P. Hillelson (R-MO)][
* Patrick J. Hillings (R-CA)][
* Lawrence Hogan (R-MD)][
* Joseph F. Holt (R-CA)][
* Craig Hosmer (R-CA)][
* Robert J. Huber (R-MI)][
* William H. Hudnut III (R-IN)][
* John E. Hunt (R-NJ)][
* Charles R. Jonas (R-NC)][
* Walter Judd (R-MN)][Robert Kean
Robert Winthrop Kean (September 28, 1893 – September 21, 1980) was an American Republican Party politician from the state of New Jersey. Kean represented parts of Essex County, New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1 ...]