Primaries Reagan's authorized campaign, Reagan-Bush '84, was established in October 1983 with Senator
Paul Laxalt as chairman,
Edward J. Rollins as Campaign Director, and
Lee Atwater as deputy director. Angela "Bay" Buchanan was Treasurer and James H. Lake was Communications Director. Other long-time Reagan operatives on the 1984 campaign included
Stuart K. Spencer,
Richard Wirthlin,
Kenneth Khachigian,
Drew Lewis, and
Lyn Nofziger. The Finance Chairman was
Joe M. Rodgers and the Finance Director was Timothy G. Ryan. Though there had been some speculation that Reagan would not seek a second term, he announced his candidacy for re-election in a nationally televised speech on January 29, 1984. Reagan's only opponents in the Republican primary were former
Minnesota governor and
perennial candidate Harold Stassen and former
U.S. Special Envoy to
Paraguay Ben Fernandez. The primaries were uncompetitive, as Reagan won 98.8% of the vote. Although Reagan faced only nominal opposition for the Republican nomination, the campaign did need to project Reagan's vision for a second term and mount an effective counter to the daily criticism coming from former Vice President Walter Mondale and others seeking the Democratic Party's nomination. In May 1984, Reagan-Bush '84 launched a highly praised television ad blitz proclaiming, "
It's Morning Again in America." The ads underscored a theme at the center of Reagan's campaign: that America was "Prouder, Stronger, and Better" under President Reagan's leadership. Campaign Director Ed Rollins noted, "We wanted to remind people how things were, and how they are getting better." The campaign budgeted up to $10 million in ad buys during the period before the August Republican convention. Reagan-Bush '84 financed its pre-convention campaign, including the television ads, with a successful fundraising effort, reaching its fundraising goals by April 1984. Finance Director Timothy G. Ryan reported raising over $26 million, with $12 million from direct mail solicitations, $4 million from fundraising events, and over $10 million in federal matching funds. For his direct mail fundraising, Ryan used contributor lists from a number of Republican organizations that generated what was then the most successful political fundraising in American history, with an average contribution of $56.20. Additionally, Reagan-Bush '84 was the first presidential campaign to raise enough matchable contributions ($250 and less) to qualify for the maximum amount of
Federal Election Commission matching funds for the pre-convention period. Over 300,000 people contributed to the campaign.
Republican National Convention In August, Reagan accepted his party's nomination at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. He was, at that time, the oldest presidential nominee ever, at the age of 73 years, 6 months. In his acceptance speech, Reagan promised a "springtime of hope" for America. There were also several other main speakers, including Barry Goldwater, the Republican Party's 1964 nominee, who spoke on national defense.
Endorsements Reagan had received endorsements from:
Cabinet Members •
Margaret Heckler Secretary of the
United States Department of Health and Human Services •
Stephanie Zimbalist ==Opinion polling==