Gerald Ford was a President.
Gerald Ford . Before his appointment to the vice presidency , Ford served 25 years as U.S. Representative from Michigan 's 5th congressional district , the final nine of them as the House Minority Leader . 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 .