Washington, 1976: a Ford elector votes for Reagan

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   Because a majority of Washington voters backed Ford in the 1976 election, Padden went to Olympia for the meeting of the Electoral College that December.

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   Mike Padden, a Washington elector for Gerald R. Ford (R), voted for Governor Ronald Reagan (R) of California

   When it came time to cast his ballot, he voted for Reagan instead of Ford.

   A Washington (State) elector voted for Ronald Reagan.

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   For vice president he voted for Robert Dole, Gerald Ford's running mate.

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   "faithless electors" have voted for presidential and vice presidential candidates other than those to whom they were pledged

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   Reagan was competing against President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination for the president.

   Mike Padden, who was one of the Reagan campaign leaders for Spokane

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   Padden was offered a chance to be a national delegate but declined.

   Instead, he accepted the offer to be a member of the Electoral College if state voters backed the GOP candidate.

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   Reagan came close but never caught up to Ford in the delegate chase that year

   Ford went on to lose to former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter.

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   it also prompted a state law requiring electors to vote for their party’s nominee.

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   Padden was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1980, and served 15 years

   He was elected to the state Senate in 2011 and served until January of 2025.