Mondale lost the general election, held on November 6, 1984, to incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan in a landslide.

A former United States Senator from Minnesota, Mondale considered running for the Democratic nomination in the 1976 presidential election, but he dropped out of the race on November 21, 1974, after having built a campaign for two years.

On May 11, 1982, Carter remarked during a press conference that he would not seek the presidency himself in 1984 and commented further, "I am definitely supporting Mr. Mondale [for the Democratic presidential nomination].

"[9] Mondale's opponents in the race for the Democratic nomination in 1984 included Reubin Askew, Jesse Jackson, George McGovern, and Gary Hart.

[10] In early polls, Mondale had a comfortable lead over his primary rivals, and he was considered the front-runner for the nomination by odds makers.

[15] Mondale picked three-term Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro to be his running mate on July 12, 1984, making her the first woman nominated for vice president by a major U.S. political party.

[10] Shortly before the general election, Mondale defended his choice of Ferraro as his running mate against Reagan, who had recently said that her nomination was not a major breaking point.

Mondale replied that he chose Ferraro "because she's the best," adding that "She is far better prepared for her position than Mr. Reagan was when he was elected president of the United States.

[22] In the general election, Mondale was endorsed by The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Detroit Free Press, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, among other newspapers.

"[41] Writing in the Washington Post in March 1985, Mark Shields argued, "The single, biggest mistake made by candidate Mondale and his campaign was the failure to endorse and to embrace the Fair Tax plan of Sen. Bill Bradley (D–N.J.)