Vander Veen turned the election into a referendum on the increasingly unpopular U.S. President Richard Nixon. He stopped campaigning directly against his opponent, and instead took out newspaper advertisements "in which he promised to do his utmost to dislodge Nixon and turn the presidency over to Ford, a political folk hero in the district." This upset caused a panic in the Republican Party leadership, as it appeared to foreshadow more losses for the party in the November elections.
Vander Veen transformed the election into a referendum on the unpopular U.S. President Richard Nixon. He stopped campaigning directly against his opponent and instead ran advertisements promising to remove Nixon and hand over the presidency to Ford, a popular figure in the district. This action caused alarm within the Republican Party leadership as it suggested more losses for the party in the upcoming November elections.