Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981. He was a member of the Democratic Party and served as the 76th Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Carter announced his candidacy for President in December 1974 and began a two-year campaign that gradually gained momentum. He won his partys nomination on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention and was elected President on November 2, 1976.