Ronald Reagan productions. Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild—the labor union for actors—where he worked to root out Communist influence. In the 1950s, he moved into television and was a motivational speaker at General Electric factories. Reagan had been a Democrat until 1962, when he became a conservative and switched to the Republican Party. In 1964, Reagan's speech, "A Time for Choosing", supported Barry Goldwater's foundering presidential campaign and earned him national attention as a new conservative spokesman. Building a network of supporters, he was elected Governor of California in 1966. As governor, Reagan raised taxes, turned a
Ronald Reagan seasons from 1953 to 1962, which increased Reagan's profile in American households. He had previously appeared in feature films mostly in supporting roles or as a "second lead". In his final work as a professional actor, Reagan was a host and performer from 1964 to 1965 on the television series "Death Valley Days". Reagan and future wife Nancy Davis appeared together on television several times, including an episode of "General Electric Theater" in 1958 called "A Turkey for the President." In 1938, Reagan co-starred in the film "Brother Rat" with actress Jane Wyman (1917–2007). They announced their engagement at the