1973 United States vice presidential confirmation

1973 United States vice presidential confirmation

November 27, 1973 (1973-11-27) (Senate)
December 6, 1973 (1973-12-06) (House)

100 and 434 members of the Senate and House
Majority of both Senate and House votes needed to win
  Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped 2).jpg
Nominee Gerald Ford
Party Republican
Home state Michigan
Electoral vote 92 (Senate)
387 (House)
Percentage 96.8% (Senate)
91.7% (House)

Vice President before election

Spiro Agnew

Confirmed Vice President

Gerald Ford

On October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew (a Republican) was forced to resign following a controversy over his personal taxes. Under the terms of the 25th Amendment, a vice presidential vacancy is filled when the president nominates a candidate who is confirmed by both houses of Congress. President Richard Nixon (a Republican) thus had the task of selecting a vice president who could receive the majority support of both houses of Congress, which were then controlled by the Democrats.

President Nixon considered selecting former Texas Governor and Treasury Secretary John Connally, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and California Governor Ronald Reagan. However, Nixon settled on House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan, a moderate Republican who was popular among the members of Congress (in both parties) and who was good friends with Nixon. Ford won the approval of both houses by huge margins, and was sworn in as the 40th vice president of the United States on December 6, 1973.

On August 9, 1974, Ford ascended to the presidency after the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon, becoming the only unelected president in American history.

Confirmation votes

By a vote of 92 to 3 on November 27, 1973, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Gerald Ford. The following week, on December 6, the House of Representatives gave its approval, 387 to 35. 35 representatives and three senators voted no. The three senators voting no were, Senators William Hathaway of Maine, Thomas Eagleton of Missouri, and Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.

1973 U.S. Senate
Vice presidential
confirmation vote:
Party Total votes
Democratic Republican Conservative Independent
Yes 51 39 1 1 92  (96.8%)
No 03 00 0 0 3  (3.2%)
Result: Confirmed
1973 U.S. House
Vice presidential
confirmation vote:
Party Total votes
Democratic Republican
Yes 199 188 387  (91.7%)
No 035 000 35  (8.3%)
Result: Confirmed

See also


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