Black and red text with a tan background and photograph of Willie Mae Reid.

During the 1976 U.S. presidential election, Willie Mae Reid, a Black Chicago politician, became the appointed vice presidential candidate for the Socialist Workers Party. A year prior to her nomination, she ran for Mayor of Chicago and lost to Richard J. Daley. Reid's political career did not cede until 1992 when she reran for the U.S. vice presidency under the Socialist Workers Party.

Blue and red text on a white background.

James Robert Thompson Jr., also known as "Big Jim Thompson," was a Republican governor from Illinois. He ran for governor in 1976 and won 65% of the vote. Thompson is the first candidate for governor to win over 3 million votes. He was in office until 1991 and was the longest serving governor in Illinois. He also served on the 9/11 Commission years after leaving office.

Blue text and blue star on a white background.

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White background with a blue stripe in the middle, with blue and white text. 

This button was utilized during Eugene "Gene" McCarthy's 1976 Presidential campaign, where he ran as an Independent. McCarthy didn't have an official running mate for Vice President, although he did list 15 separate candidates on state ballots where he was required to list a running mate. Nationally, he won a total of 740,460 votes and finished third overall. 

White background, with green text. 

Jane Byrne ran for mayor of Chicago, Illinois in 1979. She won the election with 82% of the votes, becoming the first female mayor of Chicago and also creating the largest margin of victory for a mayoral race. She took office from April 1979 to April 1983, and made strides towards equality by recognizing the gay community, hiring the first African American woman for school superintendent. 

Red border, with a blue background and white text.

Michael Bilandic was appointed acting Mayor of Chicago in 1976 after Richard Daley passed away during his term. Despite promising not to run for the special 1977 election, Bilandic ran a popular campaign and was elected easily. His term ended in 1979, and he was not re-elected, however, he later went on to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. This button was part of the 1977 campaign.

Red background with a black and white photograph of Earle Brown with circling white text.

In the 1932 Minnesota gubernatorial election, Republican Earle Brown ran for Governor of Minnesota, losing to Farmer-Labor Party nominee Floyd B. Olson. Influenced by local politicians, Brown first entered politics when he dismantled the corruption of the Sheriff Office of Hennepin County, Minnesota in 1920. Following this political accomplishment, he contributed to the development of the Minnesota Highway State Patrol, which was first of its kind in the 1920s.

Red, white, and blue background in the form of an American flag, and blue text.

Michael Dukakis, along with his running mate Lloyd Bentsen, ran as the Democratic nominee for United States President during the 1988 election cycle. His major party competition was George W. Bush, who was the Republican nominee. Due to several campaign blunders, Dukakis and Bentsen ultimately lost the election by a large margin (receiving 45% of popular vote, and 21% of electoral votes).

White and red text with a black background and a photograph of Peter Camejo. 

During the 1976 U.S. presidential election, Peter Camejo, a political activist, ran for President under the the Socialist Workers Party and was defeated by Richard Nixon. In the 2004 U.S. presidential election, he became the running mate of Ralph Nader of the Green Party whom lost to George W. Bush.

Illustration of a group of people in a parade with a yellow flag with red text on it and a drum and a horn on a white background

The Fourth Annual Whittier Village Festival was an event held July 9 and 10, 1983. The event included various activities, like face painting for children, and food booths.

Whittier Village is a small city within Los Angeles, California. It was incorporated in 1989 and is part of the Gateway Cities, which are urban and suburban towns located between Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Pacific Ocean. 

Newsletter of the Whittier Historical Society. (1983, June). The Whittier Gazette, IX, 5. Retrieved from: http://whittiermuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/June-1983.pdf