Illustration of a republican shrouded elephant strangling a peanut with a mouth and large teeth. White lettering with a red background edge on top, white lettering with blue background on bottom and white overall background.

This button is from the 1976 presidential election in which incumbent president Gerald Ford ran against Jimmy Carter. Ford had come to the presidency after Nixon’s resignation following the Watergate Scandal in 1974 and had pardoned Nixon as one of his first acts as President. Against him was Democrat Jimmy Carter, a relatively unknown former peanut farmer from Georgia, whom this button refers to. During the election Carter’s lack of involvement with Ford’s controversial pardon of Nixon helped him in the polls, and he was elected president by a very thin margin, winning 50% of the vote to Ford’s 48%.

United States Presidential Election, 1976. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2015 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1976.

Two red stars with a blue check mark between them on the upper right over rainbow colored text over black text, on a white background

In 2015, Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia ran for the mayoralty of Chicago. In 1992 Garcia had been elected to the Illinois State Senate, being the first Mexican-American to do so, and in 2010 was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. In the 2015 campaign for the mayoralty, Garcia stepped in for progressive Karen Lewis who had to end her campaign due to illness, and ran against Rahm Emanuel. His platform opposed the Belmont flyover and cameras recording red lights, and supported the expansion of rights for the LGBT community. Garcia lost to Emanuel in the election, and has since returned to Chicago politics.

This button was manufactured by the Busy Beaver Button Co.

Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesús_"Chuy"_García.

Spielman, Fran. (2015, Dec 2). Garcia Releases LGBTQ Agenda – To Delight of Activists Disenchanted with Emanuel. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved from: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/364629/garcia-releases-lgbtq-agenda-delight-activists-disenchanted-emanuel.

Red text above and blue text below blue illustration of a peanut in a tow truck towing a car with a photograph of a man's head as the car's passenger, all on a white background

White text on a blue upper half of the button with vertical red and white stripes on the bottom half and an outer red edge

Following the implication of Nixon and his advisors in the Watergate scandal, the American public was divided about whether or not to believe that the President had been unaware of his administration's cover-up of the break-in to the DNC headquarters in 1972. Initially, the majority of Republicans "back[ed] the president's" claim of ignorance to the illegal activity. However, a series of tapes released between April and August of 1974 destroyed Nixon's political reputation, revealing not only his knowledge of the break-in but also his "coarse and vindictive attitude" towards American people. Four days after the release of the "smoking gun" tape, Nixon resigned on August 9th of 1974. It remains the only time a U.S. President has resigned from the post.

Red text and a white star on a black background

This button was for Adlai Stevenson III's campaign for Illinois governor in 1986. Stevenson ran as a Solidarity Party candidate to offer an alternative to the Democratic slate of candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state. He lost the election to James R. Thompson, a Republican. Stevenson had run as a Democrat for Illinois governor in 1982, also against Thompson, but lost by 0.14 percent and asked for a recount. The Illinois Supreme Court voted against a recount, thereby making Thompson governor.

Stevenson was the Illinois Treasurer from 1967-1970 and U.S. Senator from 1970-1981. He is the son of former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson II, who lost the U.S. presidential election to Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956.

Illustration of a black building with a nuclear symbol on it and a white cloud coming out of it with black text inside on a blue background

This button was worn by anti-nuclear protesters following the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island (Pennsylvania) nuclear power plant in 1979. The Three Mile Island meltdown, which happened on March 28, 1979, is considered the worst commercial nuclear accident ever in the United States. The accident and subsequent repercussions gave credibility to some of the claims of the anti-nuclear movement that had emerged during the late 1960s following the commercialization of nuclear energy.

For months following the partial meltdown, protesters held anti-nuclear demonstrations all around the country. The largest demonstration occurred in New York City in September, 1979, and attracted over 200,000 people. A series of “No Nukes” concerts held at Madison Square Garden accompanied the demonstration. The reference to cows on this button is an allusion to claims that herds of cows developed severe radiation poisoning immediately following the accident. 

The button was designed by Carter Wentworth and was originally created for the Greenfield, Massachusetts group Alternative Energy Committee of Franklin County in 1976. According to Donnelly/Colt it was one of the most popular buttons of the anti-nuclear movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Black text on a pink and white illustration of an American flag

1994 marked the beginning of Dawn Netsch’s campaign for the governorship of the state of Illinois. Originally a professor of law at Northwestern University, Netsch had been elected to the State Senate in 1972, and in 1990 became comptroller of Illnois. In 1994, Netsch ran to be governor, being the first woman to be nominated by a major political party in an Illinois gubernatorial race, and quickly rose to popularity for her straightforward television commercials. Her platform of raising the income tax rate to pay for education was attacked by her opponent, Republican Jim Edgar, causing her to lose the election. After the campaign, Netsch continued both in politics and as a professor, and was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1995 for her support of the LGBT community.

Dawn Clark Netsch. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2015 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_Clark_Netsch.

Color photograph of Bill and Hillary Clinton on a black background

Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993. Clinton was the first Democrat to be elected as President since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and is considered the first post-Cold War president. Clinton and his running mate Al Gore defeated incumbent president George H. W. Bush, winning 43% of the vote against Bush’s 37.4% and independent Ross Perot’s 18.9%. Clinton was considered a fresh and hopeful alternative to Bush, whose approval ratings went from nearly 90% during the Gulf War, down to below 50% by the end of 1991.

Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton's wife, is credited by some as saving her husband's 1992 presidential campaign when she appeared with him on the television show 60 Minutes, following accusations of an extramarital affair between Bill Clinton and an Arkansas singer. Hillary Clinton, a lawyer, was the first First Lady to hold a postgraduate degree and have a successful professional carerer prior to moving into the White House. Following the inauguration, she was an integral part of her husband's inner circle, and is historically considered one of the most empowered First Ladies. 

White text on a blue background

James Flint, a Chicago based businessman and founder and owner of Miss Gay Continental Pageant (a national contest for female impersonators) ran for Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1987.  Flint, a long time supporter of the Democratic Party was also involved in organizations such as the 46th Ward Democratic Organization, International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, the Rainbow Coalition, and many others.  Flint lost the elections but still is viewed as a valuable asset and supporter to the Gay and Lesbian community.

Color photograph of Bill Clinton and Al Gore in front of the White House with black text at the top and white text at the bottom

Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993. Clinton was the first Democrat to be elected as President since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and is considered the first post-Cold War president. Clinton and his running mate Al Gore defeated incumbent president George H. W. Bush, winning 43% of the vote against Bush’s 37.4% and independent Ross Perot’s 18.9%. 

Many attribute Clinton’s natural charisma, coupled with his informal but focused campaign, to his victory. His saxophone-playing appearance on the late night talk show The Arsenio Hall Show is seen as a turning point in his campaign, garnering him support among both minority and young voters. Clinton was considered a fresh and hopeful alternative to Bush, whose approval ratings went from nearly 90% during the Gulf War, down to below 50% by the end of 1991.