In 1974, Jimmy Carter declared his candidacy as dark horse candidate for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. He was not a nationally known figure, but by the time the presidential campaign began he led in the polls by thirty points. His platform was one of restoring trust after Watergate. He ran against President Gerald Ford; one of the main campaign issues was Ford's pardon of Nixon.

The vote was very close, with Carter winning 50 percent of the popular vote and 297 out of 538 electoral votes.