In 1976, incumbent President Gerald R. Ford entered the GOP convention leading challenger California Governor Ronald Reagan in the delegate count, but did not have the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination. When the convention delegates voted, Gerald Ford won the nomination on the first ballot with 1187 votes to Ronald Reagan’s 1070 votes. Three months later, Ford lost the general election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Four years later, incumbent President Jimmy Carter was challenged for the nomination by Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. The 1980 Democratic Convention began with a rules battle over the release of pledged delegates which ultimately failed, and President Carter was nominated on the first ballot. Three months later, Carter lost the general election to Republican Ronald Reagan.