Changes

With a 2–1 margin among voters in the state's first binding presidential primary, Reagan won all ninety-six delegate spots at stake. Coupled with a victory five weeks earlier in [[North Carolina]], the historic Texas upset revived Reagan's floundering campaign and made it possible for him to contest [[U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], for their party's nomination, a selection made at the 1976 [[Republican National Convention]] held in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]]. Without the Texas triumph, which occurred on May 1, 1976, and follow-up victories on May 4 in [[Indiana]] and [[Georgia]], Reagan could have been forced out of the race for the nomination. And without Angelo and his two co-chairmen, [[Ray Barnhart]] of Pasadena, Texas, in [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], later the director of the Federal Highway Administration, and [[Barbara Staff]], chairman of the Council of Republican Women's Clubs of [[Dallas|Dallas County]],<ref>Ron Calhoun, "Reagan forces gearing for North Texas campaign," ''Dallas Times Herald'', December 21, 1975, p. F1.</ref> at the helm that year, Reagan might have become viewed as a non-entity with little credibility four years later, when he went on to win the presidency by a wide margin of [[electoral votes]] over the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Jimmy Carter]], who had unseated Ford in the 1976 election.<ref name="hathorn">Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," 'West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), pp. 77–89.</ref>

With a 2–1 margin among voters in the state's first binding presidential primary, Reagan won all ninety-six delegate spots at stake. Coupled with a victory five weeks earlier in [[North Carolina]], the historic Texas upset revived Reagan's floundering campaign and made it possible for him to contest [[U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], for their party's nomination, a selection made at the 1976 [[Republican National Convention]] held in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]]. Without the Texas triumph, which occurred on May 1, 1976, and follow-up victories on May 4 in [[Indiana]] and [[Georgia]], Reagan could have been forced out of the race for the nomination. And without Angelo and his two co-chairmen, [[Ray Barnhart]] of Pasadena, Texas, in [[suburb]]an [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], later the director of the Federal Highway Administration, and [[Barbara Staff]], chairman of the Council of Republican Women's Clubs of [[Dallas|Dallas County]],<ref>Ron Calhoun, "Reagan forces gearing for North Texas campaign," ''Dallas Times Herald'', December 21, 1975, p. F1.</ref> at the helm that year, Reagan might have become viewed as a non-entity with little credibility four years later, when he went on to win the presidency by a wide margin of [[electoral votes]] over the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Jimmy Carter]], who had unseated Ford in the 1976 election.<ref name="hathorn">Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr., of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," 'West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010), pp. 77–89.</ref>

From 1976 to 1996, Angelo served as the [[Republican National Committee]]man for Texas, a position which made him an automatic member of the party's national committee]].<ref name="hathorn"/>

From 1976 to 1996, Angelo served as the [[Republican National Committee]]man for Texas, a position which made him an automatic member of the party's national committee.<ref name="hathorn"/>

==Background==

==Background==