To help ensure his popularity and reelection, Romney moved to the left, approving a bailout for NYC, appointing a liberal to the Supreme Court, and signing a bill to create the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The straw that broke the camel's back for conservatives was when Romney agreed to a tax increase to help deal with the deficit.
Shortly, after the tax increase/budget vote, Congressman John Ashbrook announced he would challenge Romney in 1976. Ashbrook had been trying to recruit a better candidate (Nixon, Goldwater, Buchanan, Connally) but no one wanted to go up against Romney, who was still popular. Ashbrook hoped that by his running, conservatives would be inspired to fight for a conservative platform, a conservative VP, and maybe a new nominee in 1976.
Shortly after Ashbrook's announcement, California Congressman John Schmitz announced he would run as a conservative favorite-son in the California primary.
After the massive defeat of the McGovern/Chisholm ticket in 1972, it soon became apparent that in the battle for the nomination of 1976, that it would be a fight between the Conservative and Liberal factions of the party. The campaign effectively began in 1974, as many candidates began actively fundraising for their respective campaigns then.
Former Governor Jimmy Carter (D-GA)
Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson of Washington
Representative Mo Udall of Arizona
Governor George Wallace of Alabama
One of the surprising events in the race for the Democratic Nomination was that Representative Shirley Chisholm, who finished a strong third in the 1972 nomination, who instead of running a second time for the Presidency of the United States, she decided to focus on her newly won Senate seat.
Senators Hubert Humphrey, Ted Kennedy, and Bobby Kennedy were also said to be looking at a bid.
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President Nixon in 80's