A New Vision for America Jimmy Carter

Black text on a white background and a black and white photograph of Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter was one of the lesser known Democratic candidates in the 1976 presidential elections. Although he had already served as a Georgia Senator and the Governor of Georgia, his name recognition during the campaign was only two percent. Carter's religious background and experience as a peanut farmer appealed to the conservative and rural voters in Georgia. Average Americans recovering from the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate also preferred a Washington outsider like Carter, a fresh face to mainstream politics. To everyone’s surprise, Carter won the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. He proceeded to win the presidential election against the Republican candidate Gerald R. Ford and served as the 39th President of the United States. He reran for presidency in the 1980 election but lost the race to his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan.