In keeping with our Presidential visits to Rochester series, on October 14th, 1976, Georgia Governor and Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter campaigned in Rochester.
On November 19th, 1975, Carter made his first visit to Rochester where he spoke at the University of Rochester and attended a fundraiser with Rochester Vice Major Midge Costanza on East Avenue.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 20 Nov 1975. Rochester Vice Mayor Margaret Costanza and former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter at party 1150 East Ave … a fund-raising buffet at home of Walter Holloran. D&C photo by Steve Groer
On October 14th, 1976, Carter spoke at the airport and on Main Street with crowds exceeding 20,000.
A few weeks later, Carter would win a close victory over President Gerald Ford. While losing Monroe County, Carter won New York, and won nationwide 50 – 48% (297 – 240 Electoral College).
As seen in When the P.A. announcer told us Nixon had resigned., many still disapproved that Ford had pardoned Nixon.
During the primaries, Carter campaigned in Rochester twice, on March 27th and April 3rd. On March 25th, Rosalyn Carter visited the Al Sigl Center.

1976 Democratic primaries. red = Carter; dark brown = Jackson; pink = Wallace; blue = Church; yellow = Udall; green = Brown
Carter would lose the New York primary to Henry “Scoop” Jackson, also in Rochester on April 3rd.
Almost forgotten 40 years later, there was a dark horse candidate in the presidential race: Howard the Duck.
As seen in Howard the Duck is not for the birds!, during the 1976 presidential campaign, Howard the Duck mania — the avant garde and experimental comic book series — was at its peak.
Howard would run for president as a political outsider. In many ways, Howard himself represented the average voter, alienated and disillusioned in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
As the series progressed, Howard built a lead over Carter and Ford.
But then Howard had an “October surprise” when he was caught in an interspecies love nest. The Duck’s campaign never recovered.Even as late as summer 1977, my father — a diehard Duckther — believed the vote was “rigged” against Howard and the mainstream comic media conspired against The Duck. Eugene never considered Carter’s presidency to be legitimate.
SEE
The Presidential Visits Series in its entirety: James Monroe to Joseph Biden