Gilligan was a fluke win in the first place. He lost because the people of OH recognized he was a fiasco and returned his GOP predecessor to his job. I still can’t believe Metzenbaum managed to beat Taft in a rematch in ‘76 (especially after Metzenbaum was tagged as a kook). Ford only barely lost the state (a swing of 6,000 votes would’ve seen him carry it, and had he won it and just another state (say, TN), he’d have won that year. It’s amazing to look at the ‘76 map and see the polar opposite reversal that has occurred since then with who carries what states. CA & NJ GOP, and the entire Deep South except for Virginia going rodent.
Suckia speaks of a GOP scandal in 1970.
“and had he won it and just another state (say, TN),”
TN was a big win for Jimbo.
It is quite a turn change. Ford won 15 states lost by McStain and lost 11 won by McStain. 26 states different if I counted right.