Resolution – Ford in Focus

Happy 2024! Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions this year? While we were not able to locate any documented evidence of President Ford (or Mrs. Ford) making New Years’ Resolutions, we do know that resolutions are a part of every politician’s life. As a Congressman, Ford would have been very familiar with joint, concurrent and simple resolutions.

In the summer of 1976, one resolution was front and center during President Ford’s election campaign – the “Justice Resolution.” With Ford being challenged in the primaries by California Governor Ronald Reagan, the “Justice Resolution” called upon the Republican Convention to adopt a rule that would require delegates to vote in accordance with their state’s primary outcomes. This early vote at the Convention ensured that Ford would secure the nomination.

Both President and Mrs. Ford actively championed the “Justice Resolution” in the lead up to the Convention, as seen in the below documents.