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Mike Padden is a lawyer, former member of the Washington State Legislature, and a current district court judge residing in Spokane, Washington. He is likely most well-known as a "faithless elector", a Presidential Elector who casts his vote for someone other than for whom he has pledged to vote.
Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate and incumbent, had lost the 1976 presidential election to Democrat (and former Georgia Governor) Jimmy Carter, and rather than vote as pledged (for Ford), Padden instead cast his vote for Ronald Reagan (who had lost the Republican nomination to Ford earlier that year).
Padden is said to have been motivated not so much by protesting Ford, but by protesting the election of Jimmy Carter. Regarding Carter, Padden said he had "consistently refused to do anything to protect the most basic civil right of all, the right to life itself." Padden indicated he voted for Reagan because he felt that he had the proper pro-life position.
See also
- Electoral College (United States)
- Faithless elector
- United States presidential election, 1976
- Ronald Reagan
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