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November 27, 1973 (1973-11-27) (Senate) December 6, 1973 (1973-12-06) (House) 1974 → | ||||||||||||||||||||
100 and 435 members of theSenate andHouse Majority of both Senate and House votes needed to win | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Vote by house district Republican "Aye" Democratic "Aye" Democratic "No" Absent/Not voting | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Pre-vice presidency 40th Vice President of the United States 38th President of the United States Tenure Post-presidency   | ||
On October 10, 1973,Vice PresidentSpiro Agnew (aRepublican) was forced to resign following a controversy over his personal taxes. Under the terms of theTwenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a vice presidential vacancy is filled when the president nominates a candidate who is confirmed by both houses of Congress.PresidentRichard Nixon (a Republican) thus had the task of selecting a vice president who could receive the majority support of both houses of Congress, which were then controlled by theDemocrats.
President Nixon considered selecting former Texas Governor and Treasury SecretaryJohn Connally, New York GovernorNelson Rockefeller, and California GovernorRonald Reagan.[1] However, Nixon settled onHouse Minority LeaderGerald Ford of Michigan, amoderate Republican who was popular among the members of Congress (in both parties) and who was good friends with Nixon.[1] Ford won the approval of both houses by huge margins, and was sworn in as the 40th vice president of the United States on December 6, 1973.[1][2]
On August 9, 1974, Ford ascended to the presidency after theWatergate scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon, becoming the only president in American history to have never been elected president or vice president.[a]
By a vote of 92 to 3 on November 27, 1973, theSenate confirmed the nomination of Gerald Ford.[3] The following week, on December 6, theHouse of Representatives gave its approval, 387 to 35.[4]
| 1973 U.S. House Vice presidential confirmation vote: | Party | Total votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | ||
| Yes | 199 | 188 | 387 (91.7%) |
| No | 35 | 0 | 35 (8.3%) |
| Result:Confirmed | |||
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