Question: The U.S President that Gerald Ford succeeded was a Senator for which state prior to being elected president?

Context paragraphs:
Bobbie Kilberg: Bobbie Kilberg (born Barbara Greene; October 25, 1944) is a Republican operative who has worked for Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.  Kilberg is currently the President and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and has been since 1998.  She was briefly an attorney with the Washington law firm of Arnold & Porter from 1971 to 1973.  Her White House experiences include serving on the staff of President Richard Nixon's Domestic Policy Council, serving under President Gerald Ford as Associate Counsel and serving for President George H.W. Bush as Deputy Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and as Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

John Gardner Ford: John "Jack" Gardner Ford (born March 16, 1952) is the second child and second son of U.S. President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford.  Married to Juliann Felando Ford on April 29, 1989 and they have two sons, Christian Gerald Ford (born October 14, 1997), and Jonathan August Ford (born November 29, 1999).  He is a 1970 graduate of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.  He attended Utah State University, studying Forestry.

Richard Nixon: Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 until 1974, when he resigned from office, the only U.S. president to do so.  He had previously served as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961, and prior to that as a U.S. Representative and also Senator from California.

Presidency of Gerald Ford: The presidency of Gerald Ford began on August 9, 1974, when Gerald Ford became President of the United States upon the resignation of Richard Nixon from office, and ended on January 20, 1977, a period of days.  Ford had served as Vice President of the United States since December 6, 1973, following Spiro Agnew's resignation from that office.  The 38th United States president, Ford has the distinction of being the first, and to date the only person to serve as president without being elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency.  His presidency ended following his defeat in the 1976 presidential election by Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Timeline of the presidency of Gerald Ford: The presidency of Gerald Ford began on August 9, 1974, when Gerald Ford became President of the United States, and ended on January 20, 1977, a span of days.  Ford, the 38th United States president, succeeded Richard Nixon, who had resigned from office.  Prior to this he was the 40th Vice President of the United States, serving from 1973 until President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.  He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, following the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew on October 10, 1973.  Ford has the distinction of being the first, and to date the only person to have served as both vice president and president without being elected to either office.

NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award: The NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award was named in recognition of Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States.  Presented by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the award honors an individual who has provided significant leadership in the role of advocate for intercollegiate athletics and has done so a continuous basis over the course of their career.  Ford played the position of center in football at the University of Michigan, participating on national championship teams in 1932 and 1933.  He turned down offers from Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to study law at Yale University.  The Gerald Ford Award was first awarded in 2004.

Funky President (People It's Bad): "Funky President (People It's Bad)" is a funk song by James Brown.  Released as a single in 1974, it charted #4 R&B.  It also appeared on the album "Reality".  According to Brown the "funky president" of the song's title was meant to refer to U.S. President Gerald Ford, who had succeeded Richard Nixon in the White House shortly before it was recorded.

James M. Cannon: James M. Cannon was a historian, author and former Assistant to the President of the United States for Foreign Affairs during the Gerald Ford administration.  Prior to his work with Ford, he served as an aide to both Governor of New York and Vice President, Nelson D. Rockefeller after a career as a journalist.  After leaving the White House at the end of the Ford Administration, Cannon became Ford's official biographer, publishing "Time and Chance: Gerald Ford's Appointment with History".

United States vice presidential selection, 1974: In 1974, Republican President Richard Nixon was forced to resign following the Watergate Scandal.  Vice President Gerald Ford ascended to the presidency, leaving the office of vice president vacant.  Under the terms of the 25th Amendment, a vice presidential vacancy is filled when the president nominates a candidate who is confirmed by both houses of Congress.  On August 20, 1974, Ford announced his nomination of former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller to fill the vacancy.  Ford also considered picking Tennessee Senator Howard Baker and former Republican National Committee Chairman George H.W. Bush.  Rockefeller was generally considered to be a liberal Republican, and Ford decided that picking Rockefeller would help his candidacy gain support in the 1976 presidential election.  The confirmation hearings for Rockefeller lasted for months, but Rockefeller was sworn in as the 41st Vice President of the United States on December 19, 1974.  Due to the pressure on Ford by the party conservatives, Rockefeller was ultimately passed over for the 1976 ticket, and Ford instead chose Bob Dole as his running mate.  Ford, however, regreted this move later.

Inauguration of Gerald Ford: The inauguration of Gerald Ford as the 38th President of the United States was held on Friday, August 9, 1974, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., following the resignation of President Richard Nixon.  The inauguration marked the commencement of Gerald Ford's only term (a partial term of ) as President.  Chief Justice Warren Burger administered the oath of office.  The Bible upon which Ford recited the oath was held by his wife, Betty Ford, open to Proverbs 3:5-6.

Supporting paragraphs: Funky President (People It's Bad) Richard Nixon
Answer: California