Many Locke Foundation folks have heard the story several times, but it is worth remembering that North Carolina was critically important to the rise of Ronald Reagan as a serious contender for the US presidency.
After a brief flirtation with the GOP race in 1968, Reagan served two full terms as California governor and then left office in 1975 to begin a national campaign for president. His challenge to President Gerald Ford wasn’t going particularly well in 1976, and he was about to consider dropping out of the race when Sen. Jesse Helms (the only senator to endorse Reagan), Raleigh attorney Tom Ellis, and others in the Helms organization decided to make a major push for Reagan in North Carolina. They helped get some TV advertising on the air. Reagan won that March 1976 primary and stayed in the race, falling just short of defeating Ford and setting himself up for his triumph in 1980.
