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 County results Bumpers: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1980 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. SenatorDale Bumpers won re-election to a second term. This election was Bumpers's closest election in his senatorial career.
Elected in 1974, Dale Bumpers was a very popular Senator and was widely seen as the favorite in his 1980 re-election bid. During his time in theSenate, Bumpers was known for "bucking the conservative winds blowing across his state.". The "bucking" was most evident in 1978 when Senator Bumpers voted for thePanama Canal treaties. Bumpers had considered this issue to be the "hottest of his career" as many of his constituents opposed these treaties.[1] During this time, Bumpers had started getting a reputation of having a liberal voting record. Many observed that Bumpers's was much more liberal than his constituents. Despite this, Bumpers still had a high approval rating. The reason for this was that many Arkansans liked his personality and didn't mind his political positions. Bumpers was viewed as a potential presidential candidate in1976 but decided against running. Many people believed that Bumpers's key vote in killing labor law reform in 1978, a vote that angered organized labor and had not been forgotten by labor leaders, discouraged him from running.[2] Between 1974 and 1980, Bumpers was not a member of any Senate committees and opposed all constitutional amendments proposed during this time. Bumpers's first term helped establish his identity as a fiscally responsible, socially liberal constitutionalist.
Only one Republican filed to run, William P. "Bill" Clark. Clark filed for the Senate race only one hour prior to the deadline.
Bumpers's opponent, William P. "Bill" Clark, had previously run for office but was unsuccessful. Clark ran for the Democratic nomination forArkansas's 2nd congressional district but lost toJim Guy Tucker. In the start of the campaign, Clark accused Bumpers of being "fuzzy on the issues" and challenged Bumpers's support for gasolinerationing during theenergy crisis.[3] Clark criticized Bumpers for having voted against defense appropriations twenty-three times between 1975 and 1978 and noted, "Only this year [when seeking reelection] he has voted for a couple of defense items."[4] Clark questioned Bumpers's opposition toschool prayer and support for thePanama Canal Treaties of 1978. Clark further claimed that Bumpers had derided citizens ofNewton County, a frequent Republican stronghold in Arkansas, as "stupid hill people".[5] During the campaign, Clark constantly asked voters, "If Dale Bumpers doesn't vote for you, why should you vote for him?"[6]
DespiteRonald Reagan winning the state in the concurringpresidential election and incumbent GovernorBill Clinton losing hisre-election bid, Dale Bumpers was re-elected to a second term. Bumpers lost his home county ofFranklin. This is the only time Bumpers lost his home county.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dale Bumpers (Incumbent) | 477,905 | 59.09% | |
| Republican | Bill Clark | 360,576 | 40.87% | |
| Independent | Walter McCarty | 331 | 0.04% | |
| Democratichold | ||||
