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 County results
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The1980 United States presidential election in Arkansas took place on November 4, 1980. All fifty states andThe District of Columbia were part of the1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose six electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
The election was very close inArkansas, with the state being won by former CaliforniaGovernorRonald Reagan by only 0.6 points.[1]
Despite incumbentJimmy Carter having won the state four years earlier by 30 percent, Carter's perceived failures in office, including economic downturn in an election year, theIran hostage crisis, and a riot by Cuban refugees who were temporarily placed in Fort Chaffee in western Arkansas, contributed to his defeat. While insignificant in the overall context of Reagan winning the Electoral College by a significant amount, some analysts have said the combined Democratic ticket in Arkansas in both the presidential andgubernatorial races would have won, if the riot had not occurred.
This is also the last time any candidate won Arkansas with only a plurality; in 1992, it was the only state in the nation besides the District of Columbia to give native son Bill Clinton a majority of the vote.[2] This is the closest election in the state's history. This was the first time since 1868 that the state backed a non-incumbent Republican.
Among white voters, 53% supported Reagan while 42% supported Carter.[3][4]
| Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Popular vote | Electoral vote | Running mate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Percentage | Vice-presidential candidate | Home state | Electoral vote | ||||
| Ronald Reagan | Republican | California | 403,164 | 48.13% | 6 | George H. W. Bush | Texas | 6 |
| Jimmy Carter (incumbent) | Democrat | Georgia | 398,041 | 47.52% | 0 | Walter Mondale (incumbent) | Minnesota | 0 |
| John B. Anderson | Anderson Coalition[a] | Illinois | 22,468 | 2.68% | 0 | Patrick Lucey | Wisconsin | 0 |
| Ed Clark | Libertarian | California | 8,970 | 1.07% | 0 | David Koch | New York | 0 |
| Barry Commoner | Citizens | New York | 2,345 | 0.28% | 0 | LaDonna Harris | Oklahoma | 0 |
| Benjamin Bubar | Prohibition | Maine | 1,350 | 0.16% | 0 | Earl Dodge | Colorado | 0 |
| Gus Hall | People Before Profits | New York | 1,244 | 0.15% | 0 | Angela Davis | California | 0 |
| Total | 837,582 | 100% | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Needed to win | 270 | 270 | ||||||
| County[6] | Ronald Reagan Republican | Jimmy Carter Democratic | John B. Anderson Anderson Coalition | Ed Clark Libertarian | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Arkansas | 3,409 | 42.69% | 4,303 | 53.89% | 193 | 2.42% | 16 | 0.20% | 64 | 0.80% | -894 | -11.20% | 7,985 |
| Ashley | 3,960 | 45.27% | 4,552 | 52.03% | 130 | 1.49% | 45 | 0.51% | 61 | 0.70% | -592 | -6.76% | 8,748 |
| Baxter | 9,684 | 63.93% | 4,789 | 31.62% | 494 | 3.26% | 132 | 0.87% | 48 | 0.32% | 4,895 | 32.31% | 15,147 |
| Benton | 18,830 | 63.96% | 9,231 | 31.36% | 1,018 | 3.46% | 303 | 1.03% | 58 | 0.20% | 9,599 | 32.60% | 29,440 |
| Boone | 6,778 | 56.07% | 4,576 | 37.86% | 429 | 3.55% | 159 | 1.32% | 146 | 1.21% | 2,202 | 18.21% | 12,088 |
| Bradley | 1,650 | 33.74% | 3,139 | 64.19% | 66 | 1.35% | 24 | 0.49% | 11 | 0.22% | -1,489 | -30.45% | 4,890 |
| Calhoun | 896 | 37.40% | 1,438 | 60.02% | 52 | 2.17% | 9 | 0.38% | 1 | 0.04% | -542 | -22.62% | 2,396 |
| Carroll | 4,273 | 55.29% | 2,977 | 38.52% | 298 | 3.86% | 135 | 1.75% | 45 | 0.58% | 1,296 | 16.77% | 7,728 |
| Chicot | 2,239 | 38.76% | 3,445 | 59.64% | 26 | 0.45% | 64 | 1.11% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,206 | -20.88% | 5,776 |
| Clark | 2,743 | 29.97% | 6,122 | 66.89% | 215 | 2.35% | 59 | 0.64% | 14 | 0.15% | -3,379 | -36.92% | 9,153 |
| Clay | 3,091 | 42.17% | 3,985 | 54.37% | 121 | 1.65% | 126 | 1.72% | 7 | 0.10% | -894 | -12.20% | 7,330 |
| Cleburne | 4,042 | 48.38% | 4,021 | 48.13% | 204 | 2.44% | 82 | 0.98% | 6 | 0.07% | 21 | 0.25% | 8,355 |
| Cleveland | 1,124 | 36.76% | 1,856 | 60.69% | 36 | 1.18% | 33 | 1.08% | 9 | 0.29% | -732 | -23.93% | 3,058 |
| Columbia | 5,259 | 52.76% | 4,445 | 44.60% | 107 | 1.07% | 131 | 1.31% | 25 | 0.25% | 814 | 8.16% | 9,967 |
| Conway | 4,145 | 45.11% | 4,698 | 51.13% | 232 | 2.52% | 102 | 1.11% | 12 | 0.13% | -553 | -6.02% | 9,189 |
| Craighead | 11,010 | 51.31% | 9,231 | 43.02% | 708 | 3.30% | 283 | 1.32% | 224 | 1.04% | 1,779 | 8.29% | 21,456 |
| Crawford | 8,542 | 66.22% | 3,948 | 30.61% | 245 | 1.90% | 131 | 1.02% | 33 | 0.26% | 4,594 | 35.61% | 12,899 |
| Crittenden | 6,248 | 45.20% | 7,022 | 50.80% | 185 | 1.34% | 224 | 1.62% | 144 | 1.04% | -774 | -5.60% | 13,823 |
| Cross | 2,895 | 44.59% | 3,471 | 53.47% | 89 | 1.37% | 35 | 0.54% | 2 | 0.03% | -576 | -8.88% | 6,492 |
| Dallas | 1,596 | 35.16% | 2,838 | 62.52% | 74 | 1.63% | 25 | 0.55% | 6 | 0.13% | -1,242 | -27.36% | 4,539 |
| Desha | 2,057 | 34.07% | 3,748 | 62.08% | 77 | 1.28% | 47 | 0.78% | 108 | 1.79% | -1,691 | -28.01% | 6,037 |
| Drew | 2,272 | 36.74% | 3,757 | 60.75% | 117 | 1.89% | 32 | 0.52% | 6 | 0.10% | -1,485 | -24.01% | 6,184 |
| Faulkner | 7,544 | 44.19% | 8,528 | 49.95% | 769 | 4.50% | 181 | 1.06% | 51 | 0.30% | -984 | -5.76% | 17,073 |
| Franklin | 3,448 | 53.66% | 2,716 | 42.27% | 197 | 3.07% | 61 | 0.95% | 4 | 0.06% | 732 | 11.39% | 6,426 |
| Fulton | 2,101 | 49.35% | 2,037 | 47.85% | 83 | 1.95% | 30 | 0.70% | 6 | 0.14% | 64 | 1.50% | 4,257 |
| Garland | 15,739 | 52.96% | 12,515 | 42.11% | 1,042 | 3.51% | 250 | 0.84% | 171 | 0.58% | 3,224 | 10.85% | 29,717 |
| Grant | 2,007 | 38.04% | 3,078 | 58.34% | 102 | 1.93% | 55 | 1.04% | 34 | 0.64% | -1,071 | -20.30% | 5,276 |
| Greene | 4,514 | 41.64% | 5,996 | 55.31% | 219 | 2.02% | 106 | 0.98% | 6 | 0.06% | -1,482 | -13.67% | 10,841 |
| Hempstead | 3,852 | 44.65% | 4,671 | 54.14% | 72 | 0.83% | 31 | 0.36% | 2 | 0.02% | -819 | -9.49% | 8,628 |
| Hot Spring | 3,561 | 32.92% | 6,897 | 63.76% | 244 | 2.26% | 87 | 0.80% | 28 | 0.26% | -3,336 | -30.84% | 10,817 |
| Howard | 2,386 | 47.12% | 2,564 | 50.63% | 63 | 1.24% | 28 | 0.55% | 23 | 0.45% | -178 | -3.51% | 5,064 |
| Independence | 5,076 | 45.63% | 5,683 | 51.08% | 276 | 2.48% | 69 | 0.62% | 21 | 0.19% | -607 | -5.45% | 11,125 |
| Izard | 2,266 | 43.13% | 2,750 | 52.34% | 160 | 3.05% | 54 | 1.03% | 24 | 0.46% | -484 | -9.21% | 5,254 |
| Jackson | 3,191 | 39.49% | 4,651 | 57.55% | 174 | 2.15% | 51 | 0.63% | 14 | 0.17% | -1,460 | -18.06% | 8,081 |
| Jefferson | 10,697 | 35.60% | 17,292 | 57.55% | 802 | 2.67% | 625 | 2.08% | 630 | 2.10% | -6,595 | -21.95% | 30,046 |
| Johnson | 3,619 | 47.39% | 3,709 | 48.57% | 187 | 2.45% | 93 | 1.22% | 28 | 0.37% | -90 | -1.18% | 7,636 |
| Lafayette | 1,756 | 46.50% | 1,947 | 51.56% | 47 | 1.24% | 21 | 0.56% | 5 | 0.13% | -191 | -5.06% | 3,776 |
| Lawrence | 3,245 | 46.60% | 3,547 | 50.94% | 117 | 1.68% | 51 | 0.73% | 3 | 0.04% | -302 | -4.34% | 6,963 |
| Lee | 1,711 | 35.09% | 3,103 | 63.64% | 47 | 0.96% | 12 | 0.25% | 3 | 0.06% | -1,392 | -28.55% | 4,876 |
| Lincoln | 1,243 | 32.29% | 2,517 | 65.39% | 56 | 1.45% | 30 | 0.78% | 3 | 0.08% | -1,274 | -33.10% | 3,849 |
| Little River | 2,272 | 45.22% | 2,631 | 52.37% | 41 | 0.82% | 43 | 0.86% | 37 | 0.74% | -359 | -7.15% | 5,024 |
| Logan | 4,511 | 50.61% | 4,098 | 45.98% | 166 | 1.86% | 117 | 1.31% | 21 | 0.24% | 413 | 4.63% | 8,913 |
| Lonoke | 5,619 | 48.50% | 5,605 | 48.38% | 246 | 2.12% | 84 | 0.73% | 31 | 0.27% | 14 | 0.12% | 11,585 |
| Madison | 3,180 | 54.50% | 2,434 | 41.71% | 126 | 2.16% | 75 | 1.29% | 20 | 0.34% | 746 | 12.79% | 5,835 |
| Marion | 3,059 | 57.11% | 2,046 | 38.20% | 160 | 2.99% | 84 | 1.57% | 7 | 0.13% | 1,013 | 18.91% | 5,356 |
| Miller | 6,770 | 52.40% | 5,996 | 46.41% | 105 | 0.81% | 40 | 0.31% | 10 | 0.08% | 774 | 5.99% | 12,921 |
| Mississippi | 7,170 | 43.67% | 8,908 | 54.26% | 234 | 1.43% | 88 | 0.54% | 17 | 0.10% | -1,738 | -10.59% | 16,417 |
| Monroe | 2,027 | 41.98% | 2,686 | 55.62% | 82 | 1.70% | 28 | 0.58% | 6 | 0.12% | -659 | -13.64% | 4,829 |
| Montgomery | 1,585 | 43.88% | 1,878 | 51.99% | 86 | 2.38% | 38 | 1.05% | 25 | 0.69% | -293 | -8.11% | 3,612 |
| Nevada | 1,697 | 38.22% | 2,631 | 59.26% | 50 | 1.13% | 46 | 1.04% | 16 | 0.36% | -934 | -21.04% | 4,440 |
| Newton | 2,423 | 60.08% | 1,436 | 35.61% | 100 | 2.48% | 57 | 1.41% | 17 | 0.42% | 987 | 24.47% | 4,033 |
| Ouachita | 4,329 | 35.46% | 7,152 | 58.58% | 248 | 2.03% | 110 | 0.90% | 369 | 3.02% | -2,823 | -23.12% | 12,208 |
| Perry | 1,459 | 45.79% | 1,606 | 50.41% | 73 | 2.29% | 43 | 1.35% | 5 | 0.16% | -147 | -4.62% | 3,186 |
| Phillips | 4,270 | 38.31% | 6,642 | 59.59% | 163 | 1.46% | 44 | 0.39% | 27 | 0.24% | -2,372 | -21.28% | 11,146 |
| Pike | 1,916 | 46.77% | 2,094 | 51.11% | 58 | 1.42% | 23 | 0.56% | 6 | 0.15% | -178 | -4.34% | 4,097 |
| Poinsett | 4,040 | 44.01% | 4,894 | 53.31% | 153 | 1.67% | 83 | 0.90% | 10 | 0.11% | -854 | -9.30% | 9,180 |
| Polk | 3,993 | 58.51% | 2,617 | 38.35% | 139 | 2.04% | 69 | 1.01% | 6 | 0.09% | 1,376 | 20.16% | 6,824 |
| Pope | 7,217 | 50.72% | 6,364 | 44.72% | 471 | 3.31% | 153 | 1.08% | 25 | 0.18% | 853 | 6.00% | 14,230 |
| Prairie | 1,855 | 47.63% | 1,928 | 49.50% | 64 | 1.64% | 35 | 0.90% | 13 | 0.33% | -73 | -1.87% | 3,895 |
| Pulaski | 52,125 | 46.15% | 54,839 | 48.56% | 4,657 | 4.12% | 1,003 | 0.89% | 313 | 0.28% | -2,714 | -2.41% | 112,937 |
| Randolph | 2,579 | 43.50% | 3,070 | 51.78% | 125 | 2.11% | 144 | 2.43% | 11 | 0.19% | -491 | -8.28% | 5,929 |
| St. Francis | 4,485 | 42.77% | 5,816 | 55.46% | 132 | 1.26% | 51 | 0.49% | 3 | 0.03% | -1,331 | -12.69% | 10,487 |
| Saline | 8,330 | 42.60% | 10,368 | 53.02% | 643 | 3.29% | 191 | 0.98% | 23 | 0.12% | -2,038 | -10.42% | 19,555 |
| Scott | 2,228 | 48.16% | 2,236 | 48.34% | 92 | 1.99% | 60 | 1.30% | 10 | 0.22% | -8 | -0.18% | 4,626 |
| Searcy | 2,459 | 58.79% | 1,536 | 36.72% | 101 | 2.41% | 70 | 1.67% | 17 | 0.41% | 923 | 22.07% | 4,183 |
| Sebastian | 23,403 | 63.46% | 10,141 | 27.50% | 1,023 | 2.77% | 902 | 2.45% | 1,410 | 3.82% | 13,262 | 35.96% | 36,879 |
| Sevier | 2,502 | 45.52% | 2,854 | 51.92% | 97 | 1.76% | 39 | 0.71% | 5 | 0.09% | -352 | -6.40% | 5,497 |
| Sharp | 3,420 | 53.30% | 2,774 | 43.24% | 160 | 2.49% | 56 | 0.87% | 6 | 0.09% | 646 | 10.06% | 6,416 |
| Stone | 1,793 | 45.11% | 1,968 | 49.51% | 133 | 3.35% | 66 | 1.66% | 15 | 0.38% | -175 | -4.40% | 3,975 |
| Union | 9,401 | 55.10% | 6,852 | 40.16% | 313 | 1.83% | 337 | 1.98% | 160 | 0.94% | 2,549 | 14.94% | 17,063 |
| Van Buren | 3,090 | 49.11% | 2,968 | 47.17% | 153 | 2.43% | 67 | 1.06% | 14 | 0.22% | 122 | 1.94% | 6,292 |
| Washington | 20,788 | 58.69% | 12,276 | 34.66% | 1,737 | 4.90% | 485 | 1.37% | 135 | 0.38% | 8,512 | 24.03% | 35,421 |
| White | 8,079 | 46.66% | 8,750 | 50.54% | 309 | 1.78% | 125 | 0.72% | 50 | 0.29% | -671 | -3.88% | 17,313 |
| Woodruff | 1,204 | 32.06% | 2,452 | 65.28% | 74 | 1.97% | 21 | 0.56% | 5 | 0.13% | -1,248 | -33.22% | 3,756 |
| Yell | 3,187 | 44.65% | 3,702 | 51.87% | 181 | 2.54% | 61 | 0.85% | 6 | 0.08% | -515 | -7.22% | 7,137 |
| Totals | 403,164 | 48.13% | 398,041 | 47.52% | 22,468 | 2.68% | 8,970 | 1.07% | 4,939 | 0.59% | 5,123 | 0.61% | 837,582 |
| District | Reagan | Carter | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 45.0% | 53.0% | Bill Alexander |
| 2nd | 46.3% | 50.1% | Ed Bethune |
| 3rd | 58.8% | 37.9% | John Paul Hammerschmidt |
| 4th | 42.1% | 56.2% | Beryl Anthony Jr. |
State and district results of the1980 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
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