Gerald Ford lost to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.
Gerald Ford . He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger , former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter , making him the first President who succeeded to office as a result of a mid-term vacancy since Chester A. Arthur not to be elected in his own right . The United States presidential election of 1976 was the 48th quadrennial presidential election , held on Tuesday , November 2 , 1976 .