<P> In 1984 , former vice president and presidential candidate Walter Mondale , seen as an underdog , selected Ferraro to be his running mate in the upcoming election . Ferraro became the only Italian American to be a major - party national nominee in addition to being the first woman . The positive polling the Mondale - Ferraro ticket received when she joined soon faded , as damaging questions arose about her and her businessman husband 's finances and wealth and her Congressional disclosure statements . In the general election , Mondale and Ferraro were defeated in a landslide by incumbent President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush . </P>
who was running as vice president in 1984
Ferraro George H.W. Bush