Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president on Air Force One after John F. Kennedy's assassination. Johnson, a "New Deal" Democrat from Texas, had been a Senate minority leader and sought the 1960 Democratic nomination. As president, Johnson pursued his ambitious domestic agenda called the "Great Society," which aimed to address issues like poverty, education, healthcare, civil rights, conservation, and urban renewal through programs like Head Start, VISTA, Medicare, and Medicaid. In the 1964 election, Johnson defeated the extremely conservative Republican Barry Goldwater in a landslide, winning 486 electoral votes to Goldwater's 52 and earning a strong mandate for his domestic policies.