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 Presidential election results map.Red denotes states won by Reagan/Bush andblue denotes those won by Carter/Mondale. Numbers indicateelectoral votes cast by each state and the District of Columbia. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 1980. In alandslide victory, theRepublican ticket of former California governorRonald Reagan and former director of central intelligenceGeorge H. W. Bush defeated theDemocratic ticket of incumbent presidentJimmy Carter and vice presidentWalter Mondale and theIndependent ticket of CongressmanJohn B. Anderson and former ambassador to MexicoPatrick Lucey. Because of the rise ofconservatism after Reagan's victory, many historians consider the election apolitical realignment.
Carter's unpopularity, his poor relations with Democratic leaders, and the poor economic conditions under his administration encouraged an unsuccessfulintra-party challenge from Massachusetts SenatorTed Kennedy. Meanwhile, theRepublican primaries were contested between Reagan, formerCentral Intelligence Agency directorGeorge H. W. Bush, Illinois representativeJohn B. Anderson, and several other candidates. All of Reagan's opponents had dropped out by the end of the primaries, and the Republicans nominated a ticket consisting of Reagan and Bush. Anderson entered the general election as anindependent candidate with former Wisconsin governorPatrick Lucey as his running mate.
Reagan campaigned for increased defense spending,supply-side economic policies, and abalanced budget. His campaign was aided by Democratic dissatisfaction with Carter, theIran hostage crisis, and a worsening economy marred bystagflation. Carter attacked Reagan as a dangerous right-wing extremist, and warned that Reagan would cutMedicare andSocial Security. The Carter campaign was aided early on by therally 'round the flag effect from the hostage crisis; as the crisis lasted to election day, it became a detriment.[2]
Reagan won the election in a landslide with 489Electoral College votes to Carter's 49, and 50.7% of the popular vote to Carter's 41.0%. Anderson won 6.6% of the popular vote and no electoral votes. This was the secondconsecutive election in which an incumbent president was defeated and the first election since1888 in which an incumbent Democratic president was defeated.
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Throughout the 1970s, the United States underwent a wrenching period ofstagflation (low economic growth, high inflation, and interest rates), andintermittent energy crises.[3] By October 1978,Iran—a major oil supplier to the United States at the time—was experiencing amajor uprising that severely damaged its oil infrastructure and greatly weakened its capability to produce oil.[4] In January 1979, shortly after Iran's leaderShahMohammad Reza Pahlavi fled the country, Iranian opposition figureAyatollahRuhollah Khomeini ended his 14-year exile in France and returned to Iran to establish anIslamic Republic, largely hostile to American interests and influence in the country.[4] In the spring and summer of 1979, inflation was on the rise and various parts of the United States were experiencing energy shortages.[5]
Carter was widely blamed for the return of the long gas lines in the summer of 1979 that were last seen just after the 1973Yom Kippur War. He planned on delivering his fifth major speech on energy, but he felt that the American people were no longer listening. Carter left for the presidential retreat ofCamp David. "For more than a week, a veil of secrecy enveloped the proceedings. Dozens of prominent Democratic Party leaders—members of Congress, governors, labor leaders, academics and clergy—were summoned to the mountaintop retreat to confer with the beleaguered president." His pollster,Pat Caddell, told him that the American people simply faced a crisis of confidence because of the assassinations ofJohn F. Kennedy,Robert F. Kennedy andMartin Luther King Jr.; theVietnam War; andWatergate.[6] On July 15, 1979, Carter gave a nationally televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people. This came to be known as his "Malaise speech", although Carter never used the word in the speech.[7]
Many expected Senator Ted Kennedy to successfully challenge Carter in the upcoming Democratic primary. Kennedy's official announcement was scheduled for early November. A televisioninterview with Roger Mudd of CBS a few days before the announcement went badly, however. Kennedy gave an "incoherent and repetitive"[8] answer to the question of why he was running, and the polls, which showed him leading Carter by 58–25 in August now had him ahead 49–39.[9] Kennedy was also politically scarred by the 1969Chappaquiddick incident;[10][11] the controversy had been a major reason for Kennedy's decision to not run for president in 1972 and 1976.[11]
Meanwhile, Carter was given an opportunity for political redemption when the Khomeini regime again gained public attention and allowed the taking of52 American hostages by a group ofIslamist students and militants at the U.S. embassy inTehran on November 4, 1979. Carter's calm approach towards the handling of this crisis resulted in his approval ratings jump in the 60-percent range in some polls, due to a "rally round the flag" effect.[12]
By the beginning of the election campaign, the prolongedIran hostage crisis had sharpened public perceptions of a national crisis.[13] On April 25, 1980, Carter's ability to use the hostage crisis to regain public acceptance eroded when his high riskattempt to rescue the hostages ended in disaster when eight servicemen were killed. The unsuccessful rescue attempt drew further skepticism towards his leadership skills.[14]
Following the failed rescue attempt, Carter took overwhelming blame for the Iran hostage crisis, in which the followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini burnedAmerican flags and chanted anti-American slogans, paraded the captured American hostages in public, and burned Carter ineffigy. Carter's critics saw him as an inept leader who had failed to solve the worsening economic problems at home. His supporters defended the president as a decent, well-intentioned man being unfairly criticized for problems that had been escalating for years.[15]
Whenthe Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late 1979, Carter seized international leadership in rallying opposition. He cut off American grain sales, which hurt Soviet consumers and annoyed American farmers. In terms of prestige, the Soviets were deeply hurt by the large-scale boycott of their1980 Summer Olympics. Furthermore, Carter begansecret support of the rebel forces in Afghanistan that successfully tied down the Soviet army for a decade. The effect was to end détente and reopen the Cold War.[16][17]
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Entertainment and personal 33rd Governor of California 40th President of the United States Tenure   | ||
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Personal 43rd Vice President of the United States Vice presidential campaigns 41st President of the United States Tenure Policies Presidential campaigns  | ||
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| Ronald Reagan | George H. W. Bush |
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| for President | for Vice President |
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| 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975) | 11th Director of Central Intelligence (1976–1977) |
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The following candidates were frequently interviewed by major broadcast networks and cable news channels, were listed in publicly published national polls, or had held a public office. Reagan received7,709,793 votes in the primaries.
| Candidates in this section are sorted by date of withdrawal from the nomination race | ||||
| George H. W. Bush | John B. Anderson | Phil Crane | Bob Dole | |
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| FormerDirector of Central Intelligence (1976–1977) | Representative from Illinois's16th district (1961–1981) | Representative from Illinois's12th district (1973–1993) | Senator fromKansas (1969–1996) | |
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| Campaign | Campaign | Campaign | Campaign | |
| SC: May 26, 1980 ER: June 14, 1980 3,070,033 votes | DI: April 24, 1980 1,572,174 votes | W: April 17, 1980 ER: April 17, 1980 97,793 votes | W: March 15, 1980 ER: March 30, 1980 7,204 votes | |
| John Connally | Howard Baker | Larry Pressler | Lowell P. Weicker Jr. | |
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| FormerSecretary of the Treasury fromTexas (1971–1972) | Senator fromTennessee (1967–1985) | Senator fromSouth Dakota (1979–1997) | Senator fromConnecticut (1971–1989) | |
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| Campaign | Campaign | Campaign | Campaign | |
| W: March 9, 1980 ER: March 25, 1980 82,625 votes | W: March 5, 1980 ER: April 20, 1980 181,153 votes | W: January 8, 1980 ER: March 21, 1980 0 votes | W: May 16, 1979 0 votes | |
Former governorRonald Reagan ofCalifornia was the odds-on favorite to win his party's nomination for president afternearly beating incumbent presidentGerald Ford just four years earlier. Reagan dominated the primaries early, driving from the field Senate minority leaderHoward Baker from Tennessee, former governorJohn Connally of Texas, SenatorRobert Dole from Kansas, RepresentativePhil Crane from Illinois, and RepresentativeJohn Anderson from Illinois, who dropped out of the race to run as an Independent.George H. W. Bush from Texas posed the strongest challenge to Reagan with his victories in the Pennsylvania and Michigan primaries, but it was not enough to turn the tide. Reagan won the nomination on the first round at the1980 Republican National Convention inDetroit, Michigan, in July, then chose Bush (his top rival) as his running mate. Reagan, Bush, and Dole would all go on to be the nominees in the next four elections. (Reagan in1984, Bush in1988 and1992, and Dole in1996).
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| Jimmy Carter | Walter Mondale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The following candidates were frequently interviewed by major broadcast networks, were listed in published national polls, or had held public office. Carter received 10,043,016 votes in the primaries.
| Candidates in this section are sorted by date of withdrawal from the nomination race | ||||||||
| Ted Kennedy | Jerry Brown | |||||||
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| U.S. Senator fromMassachusetts (1962–2009) | Governor ofCalifornia (1975–1983) | |||||||
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| W: August 11, 1980 7,381,693 votes | W: April 2, 1980 575,296 votes | |||||||
The three major Democratic candidates in early 1980 were incumbent presidentJimmy Carter, SenatorTed Kennedy of Massachusetts, and GovernorJerry Brown of California. Brown withdrew on April 2. Carter and Kennedy faced off in 34 primaries. Not counting the1968 election in whichLyndon Johnson withdrew his candidacy, this was the most tumultuousprimary race that an elected incumbent president had encountered sincePresident Taft, during the highly contentiouselection of 1912.
During the summer of 1980, there was a short-lived "Draft Muskie" movement; Secretary of StateEdmund Muskie was seen as a favorable alternative to a deadlocked convention. One poll showed that Muskie would be a more popular alternative to Carter than Kennedy, implying that the attraction was not so much to Kennedy as to the fact that he was not Carter. Muskie was polling even with Ronald Reagan at the time, while Carter was seven points behind.[18] Although the underground "Draft Muskie" campaign failed, it became a political legend.[19]
After defeating Kennedy in 24 of 34 primaries, Carter entered the party'sconvention in New York in August with 60 percent of the delegates pledged to him on the first ballot. Still, Kennedy refused to drop out. At the convention, after a futile last-ditch attempt by Kennedy to alter the rules to free delegates from their first-ballot pledges, Carter was renominated with 2,129 votes to 1,146 for Kennedy. Vice PresidentWalter Mondale was also renominated. In his acceptance speech, Carter warned that Reagan's conservatism posed a threat to world peace and progressive social welfare programs from theNew Deal to theGreat Society.[20]
| 1980 Independent ticket | 1980 Libertarian ticket | ||
| John B. Anderson | Patrick Lucey | Ed Clark | David Koch |
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| for President | for Vice President | for President | for Vice President |
| .png) | .jpg) |  |
| U.S. Representative fromIllinois (1961–1981) | FormerU.S. Ambassador to Mexico (1977–1979) | Former Chair of the Libertarian Party of California (1973–1974) | Co-owner ofKoch, Inc. |
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John B. Anderson was defeated in the Republican primaries, but entered the general election as an independent candidate. He campaigned as a liberal Republican alternative to Reagan's conservatism. Anderson's campaign appealed primarily to frustrated anti-Carter voters from Republican and Democratic backgrounds.[21] Anderson's running mate wasPatrick Lucey, a Democratic formergovernor of Wisconsin and then ambassador to Mexico, appointed by President Carter.
TheLibertarian Party nominatedEd Clark for president andDavid Koch for vice president. They were on the ballot in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. The Libertarian Party platform was the only political party in 1980 to contain a plank advocating for theequal rights of homosexual men and women as well as the only party platform to advocate explicitly for "amnesty" for all illegal non-citizens.[22]
TheCitizens Party ranbiologistBarry Commoner for president andComancheNative American activistLaDonna Harris for vice president. The Commoner–Harris ticket was on the ballot in twenty-nine states[which?] and in theDistrict of Columbia.[23]
The following graph depicts the standing of each candidate in the poll aggregators from July 1979 to November 1980.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Ronald Reagan (R) | Jimmy Carter (D) | John Anderson (I) | Other | Undecided | Margin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election Results | Nov. 4, 1980 | 50.75% | 41.01% | 6.61% | 1.63% | - | 9.74 | ||
| Gallup[24] | Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 1980 | 46% | 43% | 7% | 1% | 3% | 3 | ||
| CBS-New York Times[citation needed] | Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 1980 | 44% | 43% | 8% | - | 5% | 1 | ||
| ABC-Harris[citation needed] | Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 1980 | 45% | 40% | 10% | 1% | 4% | 5 | ||
| Newsweek-Gallup[25] | October 29–30, 1980 | 44% | 43% | 7% | 1% | 5% | 4 | ||
| Washington Post[25] | October 26–27, 1980 | 43% | 39% | 7% | - | 11% | 4 | ||
| ABC-Harris[26] | October 22–25, 1980 | 45% | 42% | 10% | - | 3% | 3 | ||
| Gallup[27] | October 17–20, 1980 | 40% | 41% | 10% | - | 9% | 1 | ||
| ABC-Harris[28] | October 14–16, 1980 | 42% | 39% | 12% | - | 7% | 3 | ||
| Gallup[29] | October 10–12, 1980 | 45% | 42% | 8% | - | 5% | 3 | ||
| ABC-Harris[30] | October 3–6, 1980 | 43% | 39% | 14% | - | 4% | 4 | ||
| ABC-Harris[31] | September 22, 1980 | 42% | 36% | 19% | - | 3% | 6 | ||
| 48% | 46% | - | - | 6% | 2 | ||||
| Gallup[32][29] | September 12–15, 1980 | 41% | 37% | 15% | - | 7% | 4 | ||
| ABC-Harris[33] | September 3–7, 1980 | 41% | 37% | 17% | - | 5% | 4 | ||
| Gallup[32] | August 15–18, 1980 | 38% | 39% | 13% | - | 10% | 1 | ||
| ABC-Harris[34] | August 14–18, 1980 | 42% | 36% | 17% | - | 5% | 6 | ||
| Gallup[35][36] | August 15–17, 1980 | 39% | 38% | 14% | 1% | 8% | 1 | ||
| 40% | 46% | - | - | 14% | 6 | ||||
| August 11–14: Democratic National Convention | |||||||||
| ABC-Harris[37] | August 5–6, 1980 | 48% | 28% | 19% | - | 5% | 20 | ||
| 57% | 36% | - | - | 7% | 21 | ||||
| Gallup[38] | August 1–3, 1980 | 45% | 31%[b] | 14% | - | 10% | 14 | ||
| ABC-Harris[39][40] | July 18–21, 1980 | 49% | 23% | 25% | - | 3% | 24 | ||
| 61% | 33% | - | - | 6% | 28 | ||||
| July 14–17: Republican National Convention | |||||||||
| Gallup[41] | July 11–13, 1980 | 43%[c] | 34%[d] | 16% | - | 7% | 9 | ||
| Gallup[42][43] | July 11–14, 1980 | 37% | 34% | 21% | - | 8% | 3 | ||
| Gallup[44][43] | June 27–30, 1980 | 37% | 32% | 22% | - | 9% | 5 | ||
| 47% | 41% | - | - | 12% | 6 | ||||
| Gallup[44][43] | June 13–16, 1980 | 33% | 35% | 24% | - | 8% | 2 | ||
| 45% | 42% | - | - | 13% | 3 | ||||
| ABC-Harris[45] | June 5–9, 1980 | 39% | 34% | 24% | - | 3% | 5 | ||
| 51% | 44% | - | - | 5% | 7 | ||||
| Gallup[44] | May 30 – Jun. 2, 1980 | 32% | 39% | 21% | - | 8% | 7 | ||
| 39% | 50% | - | - | 11% | 11 | ||||
| Gallup[46] | May 16–18, 1980 | 32% | 40% | 21% | - | 7% | 8 | ||
| 41% | 49% | - | - | 10% | 8 | ||||
| Gallup[46] | May 2–5, 1980 | 33% | 38% | 21% | - | 7% | 5 | ||
| 40% | 47% | - | - | 13% | 7 | ||||
| ABC-Harris[47] | April 26–30, 1980 | 39% | 33% | 23% | - | 5% | 6 | ||
| Gallup[48] | April 26–27, 1980 | 35% | 40% | 19% | - | 6% | 5 | ||
| 43% | 47% | - | - | 10% | 4 | ||||
| ABC-Harris[49] | April 25, 1980 | 42% | 33% | 19% | - | 6% | 9 | ||
| Gallup[50] | April 11–13, 1980 | 34% | 41% | 18% | 1% | 6% | 7 | ||
| 44% | 49% | - | 1% | 6% | 5 | ||||
| ABC-Harris[51] | April 8, 1980 | 38% | 38% | 22% | - | 1% | Tied | ||
| 48% | 45% | - | - | 7% | 3 | ||||
| Gallup[50] | March 28–30, 1980 | 34% | 39% | 21% | 1% | 5% | 5 | ||
| 43% | 48% | - | 2% | 7% | 5 | ||||
| ABC-Harris[51] | March 26–30, 1980 | 47% | 50% | - | - | 3% | 3 | ||
| ABC-Harris[51] | March 13–15, 1980 | 40% | 55% | - | - | 5% | 15 | ||
| ABC-Harris[52] | March 5–8, 1980 | 40% | 58% | - | - | 2% | 18 | ||
| Gallup[53] | Feb. 29 – Mar. 2, 1980 | 34% | 57% | - | 3% | 6% | 23 | ||
| ABC-Harris[52] | Jan. 31 – Feb. 4, 1980 | 32% | 64% | - | - | 4% | 32 | ||
| Gallup[54] | February 1–3, 1980 | 32% | 59% | - | 3% | 6% | 27 | ||
| ABC-Harris[55] | January 22, 1980 | 31% | 65% | - | - | 4% | 34 | ||
| Gallup[56] | January 4–6, 1980 | 32% | 63% | - | 1% | 4% | 31 | ||
| ABC-Harris[57] | December 14–16, 1979 | 36% | 59% | - | - | 5% | 23 | ||
| Gallup[58] | December 7–9, 1979 | 36% | 60% | - | 1% | 3% | 24 | ||
| Gallup[59] | November 16–19, 1979 | 41% | 53% | - | 1% | 5% | 12 | ||
| ABC-Harris[60] | November 7–10, 1979 | 42% | 53% | - | - | 5% | 11 | ||
| Gallup[61] | October 12–15, 1979 | 42% | 48% | - | 3% | 7% | 6 | ||
| ABC-Harris[62] | Sep. 26 – Oct. 1, 1979 | 45% | 52% | - | - | 3% | 7 | ||
| Gallup[61] | September 7–10, 1979 | 46% | 47% | - | 2% | 5% | 1 | ||
| ABC-Harris[63] | September 1–5, 1979 | 50% | 45% | - | - | 5% | 5 | ||
| Gallup[64] | August 3–6, 1979 | 42% | 47% | - | 4% | 7% | 5 | ||
| ABC-Harris[65] | July 28–29, 1979 | 51% | 44% | - | - | 5% | 7 | ||
| Gallup[66] | July 13–15, 1979 | 52% | 42% | - | 2% | 4% | 10 | ||
| Gallup[full citation needed] | June 22–25, 1979 | 49% | 45% | - | 1% | 5% | 4 | ||
| ABC-Harris[67] | June, 1979 | 51% | 43% | - | - | 6% | 8 | ||
| ABC-Harris[68] | May, 1979 | 45% | 47% | - | - | 8% | 2 | ||
| ABC-Harris[69] | March, 1979 | 46% | 49% | - | - | 5% | 3 | ||
| Gallup[70] | March 23–26, 1979 | 38% | 52% | - | 3% | 7% | 14 | ||
| ABC-Harris[71] | December 21–26, 1978 | 38% | 55% | - | - | 7% | 17 | ||
| Gallup[72] | December 8–11, 1978 | 35% | 57% | - | 2% | 5% | 22 | ||
| Gallup[73] | July 7–10, 1978 | 43% | 52% | - | 1% | 4% | 9 | ||
| ABC-Harris[74] | May 14–20,[e] 1978 | 47% | 46% | - | - | 7% | 1 | ||
| Gallup[75] | Mar. 31 – Apr. 3, 1978 | 46% | 50% | - | 1% | 3% | 4 | ||
Reagan gained in former Democratic strongholds such as the South and white ethnics dubbed "Reagan Democrats",[76] and exuded upbeat optimism.[77]David Frum says Carter ran an attack-based campaign based on "despair and pessimism" which "cost him the election."[78] Carter emphasized his record as a peacemaker, and said Reagan's election would threatencivil rights and social programs that stretched back to theNew Deal. Reagan's platform also emphasized the importance of peace, as well as a prepared self-defense.[77]
Immediately after the conclusion of the primaries,[date missing] aGallup poll held that Reagan was ahead, with 58% of voters upset by Carter's handling of the presidency.[77] One analysis of the election has suggested that "Both Carter and Reagan were perceived negatively by a majority of the electorate."[79] While the three leading candidates (Reagan, Anderson and Carter) were religious Christians, Carter had the most support of evangelical Christians according to a Gallup poll.[77] However, in the end,Jerry Falwell'sMoral Majority lobbying group is credited with giving Reagan two-thirds of the white evangelical vote.[80] According to Carter: "that autumn [1980] a group headed by Jerry Falwell purchased $10 million in commercials on southern radio and TV to brand me as a traitor to the South and no longer a Christian."[81]
The election of 1980 was a key turning point in American politics. It signaled the new electoral power of thesuburbs and theSun Belt. Reagan's success as aconservative would initiate a realigning of the parties, asRockefeller-style Republicans andconservative Democrats would either leave politics or change party affiliations through the 1980s and 1990s to leave the parties much more ideologically polarized.[15] While duringBarry Goldwater's1964 campaign, many voters saw his warnings about a too-powerful government as hyperbolic and only 30% of the electorate agreed that government was too powerful, by 1980 a majority of Americans believed that government held too much power.[82]
Reagan promised a restoration of the nation's military strength, at the same time 60% of Americans polled felt defense spending was too low.[83] Reagan also promised an end to "trust me government" and to restore economic health by implementing asupply-side economic policy. Reagan promised abalanced budget within three years (which he said would be "the beginning of the end of inflation"), accompanied by a 30% reduction in tax rates over those same years. With respect to the economy, Reagan famously said, "A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."[77] Reagan also criticized the "windfall profit tax" that Carter and Congress enacted that year in regards to domestic oil production and promised to attempt to repeal it as president.[84] The tax was not a tax on profits, but on the difference between theprice control-mandated price and the market price.[85]
On the issue ofwomen's rights there was much division, with many feminists frustrated with Carter, the only major-party candidate who supported theEqual Rights Amendment. After a bitter Convention fight between Republican feminists and antifeminists the Republican Party dropped their forty-year endorsement of the ERA.[86] Reagan, however, announced his dedication to women's rights and his intention to, if elected, appoint women to his cabinet and the first female justice to theSupreme Court.[87] He also pledged to work with all 50 state governors to combat discrimination against women and to equalize federal laws as an alternative to the ERA.[77] Reagan was convinced to give an endorsement of women's rights in his nomination acceptance speech.
Carter was criticized by his own aides for not having a "grand plan" for the recovery of the economy, nor did he ever make any campaign promises; he often criticized Reagan's economic recovery plan, but did not create one of his own in response.[77]
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In August, after theRepublican National Convention, Ronald Reagan gave a campaign speech at the annualNeshoba County Fair on the outskirts ofPhiladelphia, Mississippi, where three civil rights workers weremurdered in 1964. He was the first presidential candidate ever to campaign at the fair.[88] Reagan famously announced, "Programs like education and others should be turned back to the states and local communities with the tax sources to fund them. I believe instates' rights. I believe in people doing as much as they can at the community level and the private level."[77] Reagan also stated, "I believe we have distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended to be given in theConstitution to that federal establishment." He went on to promise to "restore to states and local governments the power that properly belongs to them."[89] President Carter criticized Reagan for injecting "hate and racism" by the "rebirth ofcode words like 'states' rights'".[90]
Two days later, Reagan appeared at theUrban League convention in New York, where he said, "I am committed to the protection and enforcement of the civil rights of black Americans. This commitment is interwoven into every phase of the plans I will propose."[77] He then said that he would develop "enterprise zones" to help with urban renewal.[77]
The media's main criticism of Reagan centered on his gaffes. When Carter kicked off his general election campaign inTuscumbia, Reagan—referring to the Southern U.S. as a whole—claimed that Carter had begun his campaign in the birthplace of theKu Klux Klan. In doing so, Reagan seemed to insinuate that the KKK represented the South, which caused many Southern governors to denounce Reagan's remarks.[91] Additionally, Reagan was widely ridiculed by Democrats for saying that trees caused pollution; he later said that he meant only certain types of pollution and his remarks had been misquoted.[92]
Meanwhile, Carter was burdened by a continued weak economy and theIran hostage crisis.[83] Inflation, high interest rates, and unemployment continued through the course of the campaign, and the ongoing hostage crisis in Iran became, according toDavid Frum inHow We Got Here: The '70s, a symbol of American impotence during the Carter years.[83] John Anderson's independent candidacy, aimed at eliciting support from liberals, especially former supporters ofTed Kennedy, was also seen as hurting Carter more than Reagan,[77] especially in reliably Democratic states such as Massachusetts and New York.
| No. | Date | Host | Location | Panelists | Moderator | Participants | Viewership (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Sunday, September 21, 1980 | Baltimore Convention Center | Baltimore,Maryland | Carol Loomis Daniel Greenberg Charles Corddry Lee May Jane Bryant Quinn Soma Golden | Bill Moyers | Former Governor Ronald Reagan Congressman John Anderson | n/a |
| P1a | Tuesday, October 28, 1980 | Public Auditorium | Cleveland,Ohio | Marvin Stone Harry Ellis William Hilliard Barbara Walters | Howard K. Smith | Former Governor Ronald Reagan President Jimmy Carter | 80.6[93] |
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Reagan-Carter presidential debate, October 28, 1980 onYouTube |
TheLeague of Women Voters, which had sponsored the 1976 Ford/Carter debate series, announced that it would do so again for the next cycle in the spring of 1979. Carter steadfastly refused to participate in a debate if Anderson was included, and Reagan refused to debate without him. A League-sponsored debate was held on September 21, 1980, in theBaltimore Convention Center. Of Carter's refusal to debate, Reagan said: "He [Carter] knows that he couldn't win a debate even if it were held in theRose Garden before an audience of Administration officials with the questions being asked byJody Powell".[94] Anderson, who many thought would handily dispatch Reagan, managed only a narrow win, according to many in the media at that time, with Reagan putting up a much stronger performance than expected. Despite the narrow win in the debate, Anderson, who had been as high as 20% in some polls, and at the time of the debate was over 10%, dropped to about 5% soon after. Anderson failed to substantively engage Reagan enough on their social issue differences and on Reagan's advocation of supply-side economics. Instead, Anderson started off by criticizing Carter: "Governor Reagan is not responsible for what has happened over the last four years, nor am I. The man who should be here tonight to respond to those charges chose not to attend," to which Reagan added: "It's a shame now that there are only two of us here debating, because the two that are here are in more agreement than disagreement."[95] In one moment in the debate, Reagan commented on a rumor that Anderson had invited SenatorTed Kennedy to be his running mate by asking the candidate directly, "John, would you really prefer Teddy Kennedy to me?"[96]
As September turned into October, the situation remained essentially the same. Reagan insisted Anderson be allowed to participate in a three-way debate, while Carter remained steadfastly opposed to this. As the standoff continued, the second debate was canceled, as was the vice presidential debate.
With two weeks to go to the election, the Reagan campaign decided at that point that the best thing to do was to accede to all of President Carter's demands. The final debate, featuring only Carter and Reagan, was rescheduled for October 28 inCleveland,Ohio. The showdown ranked among the highest ratings of anytelevision program in the previous decade. Debate topics included the Iranian hostage crisis and nuclear arms. Carter's campaign sought to portray Reagan as a reckless "war hawk", as well as a "dangerous right-wing radical". But it was President Carter's reference to his consultation with 12-year-old daughterAmy concerning nuclear weapons policy that became the focus of post-debate analysis and fodder for late-night televisionjokes. President Carter said he had asked Amy what the most important issue in that election was and she said, "the control ofnuclear arms." A famous political cartoon, published the day after Reagan's landslide victory, showed Amy Carter sitting in Jimmy's lap with her shoulders shrugged asking "the economy? the hostage crisis?"[citation needed]
When President Carter criticized Reagan's record, which included voting againstMedicare andSocial Security benefits, former Governor Reagan audibly sighed and replied: "There you go again".[97]
In his closing remarks, Reagan asked viewers: "Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do you feel that our security is as safe, that we're as strong as we were four years ago? And if you answer all of those questions 'yes', why then, I think your choice is very obvious as to whom you will vote for. If you don't agree, if you don't think that this course that we've been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have".[98]
After trailing Carter by eight points among registered voters (and by three points among likely voters) right before their debate, Reagan moved into a three-point lead among likely voters immediately afterward.[99]
In September 1980, formerWatergate scandal prosecutorLeon Jaworski accepted a position as honorary chairman ofDemocrats for Reagan.[83] Five months earlier, Jaworski had harshly criticized Reagan as an "extremist"; he said after accepting the chairmanship, "I would rather have a competent extremist than an incompetent moderate."[83]
Former Democratic SenatorEugene McCarthy of Minnesota (who in1968 had challengedLyndon B. Johnson from the left, causing the then-President to all but abdicate) endorsed Reagan.[100]
Three days before the election, theNational Rifle Association of America endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time in its history, backing Reagan.[101] Reagan had received the California Rifle and Pistol Association's Outstanding Public Service Award. Carter had appointedAbner J. Mikva, a fervent proponent ofgun control, to a federal judgeship and had supported the Alaska Lands Bill, closing 40,000,000 acres (160,000 km2) to hunting.[102]
Anderson had received endorsements from:
Carter had received endorsements from:
Commoner had received endorsements from:
DeBerry had received endorsements from:
Reagan had received endorsements from:
The election was held on November 4, 1980.[139] Ronald Reagan and running mateGeorge H. W. Bush defeated the Carter-Mondale ticket by almost 10 percentage points in the popular vote. The electoral college vote was a landslide, with 489 votes (representing 44 states) for Reagan and 49 for Carter (representing six states and Washington, D.C.).Republicans also gained control of the Senate for the first time since 1954.[140]
NBC News projected Reagan as the winner at 8:15 pm EST (5:15 PST), before voting was finished in the West, based onexit polls; it was the first time a broadcast network used exit polling to project a winner, and it took the other broadcast networks by surprise. Carter conceded defeat at 9:50 pm EST.[141][142] Some of Carter's advisors urged him to wait until 11:00 pm EST to allow poll results from the West Coast to come in, but Carter decided to concede earlier in order to avoid the impression that he was sulking.Speaker of the HouseTip O'Neill angrily accused Carter of weakening the party's performance in theSenate elections by doing this.[143]
John Anderson won 6.6% of the popular vote but no states.[144] He had the most support inNew England, fueled by liberal and moderate Republicans who felt Reagan was too far to the right, and with voters who normally leaned Democratic but were dissatisfied with the Carter administration's policies. His best showing was inMassachusetts, where he won 15% of the vote.
Anderson performed worst in theSouth, receiving under 2% of the vote in South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. He said he was accused ofspoiling the election by receiving votes that might have otherwise been cast for Carter,[144] but 37% of Anderson voters polled preferred Reagan as their second choice.[145]Libertarian Party nomineeEd Clark received 921,299 popular votes (1.06%).
Carter's loss was the worst performance by an incumbent president since Herbert Hoover lost to Franklin Roosevelt by a margin of 18% in1932, and his 49 Electoral College votes were the fewest won by an incumbent sinceWilliam Howard Taft won eight in1912. Carter was the first incumbent Democrat to serve only one full term sinceJames Buchanan, and the last untilJoe Biden. This was the third and most recent presidential election in which the incumbent Democrat lost reelection, after 1840 and 1888. This was the first time since 1840 that an incumbent Democrat lost the popular vote. Reagan had the most lopsided Electoral College victory for a first-time president-elect, with the exception of George Washington's unanimous victory in 1788.[146]
This election was the last time a Republican won the presidency without winning Georgia. It was the first time Massachusetts voted for a Republican candidate since 1956. Carter did not win any states won byGerald Ford in1976. This election and the 1976 election are one of only two pairs of consecutive elections in which the incumbent president was defeated, the other being the1888 and1892 elections. This is the first time since1896 that a party was voted out after a single four-year term.
This election began an ongoing pattern in whichRust Belt states Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin voted for the same presidential candidate, with the sole exception of1988.[147]
Reagan won 53% of the vote in reliably DemocraticSouth Boston, one example of the so-calledReagan Democrat.[82] Survey research and post-election polling indicated that the landslide result had been more a repudiation of Carter than an embrace of Reagan. But the public was aware that Reagan would move the nation in a more conservative direction, and was apparently willing to give it a chance to avoid four more years of Carter.[148]
At age 69, Reagan was the oldest non-incumbent to win a presidential election. Thirty-six years later, in2016, this record was surpassed byDonald Trump at age 70,[149] andfour years later byJoe Biden at age 77,[150] andanother four years after byDonald Trump again at age 78.
| Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Popular vote | Electoral vote | Running mate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Percentage | Vice-presidential candidate | Home state | Electoral vote | ||||
| Ronald Reagan | Republican | California | 43,903,230 | 50.75% | 489 | George H. W. Bush | Texas | 489 |
| Jimmy Carter (incumbent) | Democratic | Georgia | 35,481,115 | 41.01% | 49 | Walter Mondale (incumbent) | Minnesota | 49 |
| John B. Anderson | Independent | Illinois | 5,719,850 | 6.61% | 0 | Patrick Lucey | Wisconsin | 0 |
| Ed Clark | Libertarian | California | 921,128 | 1.06% | 0 | David Koch | Kansas | 0 |
| Barry Commoner | Citizens | Missouri | 233,052 | 0.27% | 0 | LaDonna Harris | Oklahoma | 0 |
| Gus Hall | Communist | New York | 44,933 | 0.05% | 0 | Angela Davis | California | 0 |
| John Rarick | American Independent | Louisiana | 40,906 | 0.05% | 0 | Eileen Shearer | California | 0 |
| Clifton DeBerry | Socialist Workers | California | 38,738 | 0.04% | 0 | Matilde Zimmermann | New York | 0 |
| Ellen McCormack | Right to Life | New York | 32,320 | 0.04% | 0 | Carroll Driscoll | New Jersey | 0 |
| Maureen Smith | Peace and Freedom | California | 18,116 | 0.02% | 0 | Elizabeth Cervantes Barron | California | 0 |
| Other | 77,290 | 0.09% | — | Other | — | |||
| Total | 86,509,678 | 100% | 538 | 538 | ||||
| Needed to win | 270 | 270 | ||||||
Source (popular vote):Leip, David."1980 Presidential Election Results".Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. RetrievedAugust 7, 2005.
Source (electoral vote):"Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996".National Archives and Records Administration. RetrievedAugust 7, 2005.
| Reagan | 50.75% | |||
| Carter | 41.01% | |||
| Anderson | 6.61% | |||
| Clark | 1.06% | |||
| Commoner | 0.27% | |||
| Others | 0.30% | |||
| Reagan | 90.89% | |||
| Carter | 9.11% | |||
Source:[151]
| States/districts won byReagan/Bush | |
| States/districts won byCarter/Mondale | |
| † | At-large results (Maine used the Congressional District Method) |
| Ronald Reagan Republican | Jimmy Carter Democratic | John Anderson Independent | Ed Clark Libertarian | Margin | Margin Swing[f] | State Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | electoral votes | # | % | electoral votes | # | % | electoral votes | # | % | electoral votes | # | % | electoral votes | # | % | % | # | |
| Alabama | 9 | 654,192 | 48.75 | 9 | 636,730 | 47.45 | - | 16,481 | 1.23 | - | 13,318 | 0.99 | - | 17,462 | 1.30 | 14.41 | 1,341,929 | AL |
| Alaska | 3 | 86,112 | 54.35 | 3 | 41,842 | 26.41 | - | 11,155 | 7.04 | - | 18,479 | 11.66 | - | 44,270 | 27.94 | 5.69 | 158,445 | AK |
| Arizona | 6 | 529,688 | 60.61 | 6 | 246,843 | 28.24 | - | 76,952 | 8.81 | - | 18,784 | 2.15 | - | 282,845 | 32.36 | 15.79 | 873,945 | AZ |
| Arkansas | 6 | 403,164 | 48.13 | 6 | 398,041 | 47.52 | - | 22,468 | 2.68 | - | 8,970 | 1.07 | - | 5,123 | 0.61 | 30.62 | 837,582 | AR |
| California | 45 | 4,524,858 | 52.69 | 45 | 3,083,661 | 35.91 | - | 739,833 | 8.62 | - | 148,434 | 1.73 | - | 1,441,197 | 16.78 | 15.00 | 8,587,063 | CA |
| Colorado | 7 | 652,264 | 55.07 | 7 | 367,973 | 31.07 | - | 130,633 | 11.03 | - | 25,744 | 2.17 | - | 284,291 | 24.00 | 12.53 | 1,184,415 | CO |
| Connecticut | 8 | 677,210 | 48.16 | 8 | 541,732 | 38.52 | - | 171,807 | 12.22 | - | 8,570 | 0.61 | - | 135,478 | 9.63 | 4.46 | 1,406,285 | CT |
| Delaware | 3 | 111,252 | 47.21 | 3 | 105,754 | 44.87 | - | 16,288 | 6.91 | - | 1,974 | 0.84 | - | 5,498 | 2.33 | 7.74 | 235,668 | DE |
| D.C. | 3 | 23,313 | 13.41 | - | 130,231 | 74.89 | 3 | 16,131 | 9.28 | - | 1,104 | 0.63 | - | -106,918 | -61.49 | 3.63 | 173,889 | DC |
| Florida | 17 | 2,046,951 | 55.52 | 17 | 1,419,475 | 38.50 | - | 189,692 | 5.14 | - | 30,524 | 0.83 | - | 627,476 | 17.02 | 22.30 | 3,687,026 | FL |
| Georgia | 12 | 654,168 | 40.95 | - | 890,733 | 55.76 | 12 | 36,055 | 2.26 | - | 15,627 | 0.98 | - | -236,565 | -14.81 | 18.97 | 1,597,467 | GA |
| Hawaii | 4 | 130,112 | 42.90 | - | 135,879 | 44.80 | 4 | 32,021 | 10.56 | - | 3,269 | 1.08 | - | -5,767 | -1.90 | 0.63 | 303,287 | HI |
| Idaho | 4 | 290,699 | 66.46 | 4 | 110,192 | 25.19 | - | 27,058 | 6.19 | - | 8,425 | 1.93 | - | 180,507 | 41.27 | 18.51 | 437,431 | ID |
| Illinois | 26 | 2,358,049 | 49.65 | 26 | 1,981,413 | 41.72 | - | 346,754 | 7.30 | - | 38,939 | 0.82 | - | 376,636 | 7.93 | 5.96 | 4,749,721 | IL |
| Indiana | 13 | 1,255,656 | 56.01 | 13 | 844,197 | 37.65 | - | 111,639 | 4.98 | - | 19,627 | 0.88 | - | 411,459 | 18.35 | 10.73 | 2,242,033 | IN |
| Iowa | 8 | 676,026 | 51.31 | 8 | 508,672 | 38.60 | - | 115,633 | 8.78 | - | 13,123 | 1.00 | - | 167,354 | 12.70 | 11.69 | 1,317,661 | IA |
| Kansas | 7 | 566,812 | 57.85 | 7 | 326,150 | 33.29 | - | 68,231 | 6.96 | - | 14,470 | 1.48 | - | 240,662 | 24.56 | 17.01 | 979,795 | KS |
| Kentucky | 9 | 635,274 | 49.07 | 9 | 616,417 | 47.61 | - | 31,127 | 2.40 | - | 5,531 | 0.43 | - | 18,857 | 1.46 | 8.65 | 1,294,627 | KY |
| Louisiana | 10 | 792,853 | 51.20 | 10 | 708,453 | 45.75 | - | 26,345 | 1.70 | - | 8,240 | 0.53 | - | 84,400 | 5.45 | 11.23 | 1,548,591 | LA |
| Maine † | 2 | 238,522 | 45.61 | 2 | 220,974 | 42.25 | - | 53,327 | 10.20 | - | 5,119 | 0.98 | - | 17,548 | 3.36 | 2.52 | 523,011 | ME |
| Maine-1 | 1 | 126,274 | 45.96 | 1 | 117,613 | 42.80 | – | 30,889 | 11.24 | – | Unknown | Unknown | – | 8,661 | 3.15 | 1.83 | 274,776 | ME1 |
| Maine-2 | 1 | 112,248 | 47.15 | 1 | 103,361 | 43.42 | – | 22,438 | 9.43 | – | Unknown | Unknown | – | 8,887 | 3.73 | 3.46 | 238,047 | ME2 |
| Maryland | 10 | 680,606 | 44.18 | - | 726,161 | 47.14 | 10 | 119,537 | 7.76 | - | 14,192 | 0.92 | - | -45,555 | -2.96 | 3.11 | 1,540,496 | MD |
| Massachusetts | 14 | 1,057,631 | 41.90 | 14 | 1,053,802 | 41.75 | - | 382,539 | 15.15 | - | 22,038 | 0.87 | - | 3,829 | 0.15 | 15.82 | 2,524,298 | MA |
| Michigan | 21 | 1,915,225 | 48.99 | 21 | 1,661,532 | 42.50 | - | 275,223 | 7.04 | - | 41,597 | 1.06 | - | 253,693 | 6.49 | 1.10 | 3,909,725 | MI |
| Minnesota | 10 | 873,241 | 42.56 | - | 954,174 | 46.50 | 10 | 174,990 | 8.53 | - | 31,592 | 1.54 | - | -80,933 | -3.94 | 8.93 | 2,051,953 | MN |
| Mississippi | 7 | 441,089 | 49.42 | 7 | 429,281 | 48.09 | - | 12,036 | 1.35 | - | 5,465 | 0.61 | - | 11,808 | 1.32 | 3.20 | 892,620 | MS |
| Missouri | 12 | 1,074,181 | 51.16 | 12 | 931,182 | 44.35 | - | 77,920 | 3.71 | - | 14,422 | 0.69 | - | 142,999 | 6.81 | 10.44 | 2,099,824 | MO |
| Montana | 4 | 206,814 | 56.82 | 4 | 118,032 | 32.43 | - | 29,281 | 8.05 | - | 9,825 | 2.70 | - | 88,782 | 24.39 | 16.95 | 363,952 | MT |
| Nebraska | 5 | 419,937 | 65.53 | 5 | 166,851 | 26.04 | - | 44,993 | 7.02 | - | 9,073 | 1.42 | - | 253,086 | 39.49 | 18.75 | 640,854 | NE |
| Nevada | 3 | 155,017 | 62.54 | 3 | 66,666 | 26.89 | - | 17,651 | 7.12 | - | 4,358 | 1.76 | - | 88,351 | 35.64 | 31.28 | 247,885 | NV |
| New Hampshire | 4 | 221,705 | 57.74 | 4 | 108,864 | 28.35 | - | 49,693 | 12.94 | - | 2,067 | 0.54 | - | 112,841 | 29.39 | 18.11 | 383,999 | NH |
| New Jersey | 17 | 1,546,557 | 51.97 | 17 | 1,147,364 | 38.56 | - | 234,632 | 7.88 | - | 20,652 | 0.69 | - | 399,193 | 13.42 | 11.26 | 2,975,684 | NJ |
| New Mexico | 4 | 250,779 | 54.97 | 4 | 167,826 | 36.78 | - | 29,459 | 6.46 | - | 4,365 | 0.96 | - | 82,953 | 18.18 | 15.71 | 456,237 | NM |
| New York | 41 | 2,893,831 | 46.66 | 41 | 2,728,372 | 43.99 | - | 467,801 | 7.54 | - | 52,648 | 0.85 | - | 165,459 | 2.67 | 7.10 | 6,201,959 | NY |
| North Carolina | 13 | 915,018 | 49.30 | 13 | 875,635 | 47.18 | - | 52,800 | 2.85 | - | 9,677 | 0.52 | - | 39,383 | 2.12 | 13.17 | 1,855,833 | NC |
| North Dakota | 3 | 193,695 | 64.23 | 3 | 79,189 | 26.26 | - | 23,640 | 7.84 | - | 3,743 | 1.24 | - | 114,506 | 37.97 | 32.12 | 301,545 | ND |
| Ohio | 25 | 2,206,545 | 51.51 | 25 | 1,752,414 | 40.91 | - | 254,472 | 5.94 | - | 49,033 | 1.14 | - | 454,131 | 10.60 | 10.87 | 4,283,603 | OH |
| Oklahoma | 8 | 695,570 | 60.50 | 8 | 402,026 | 34.97 | - | 38,284 | 3.33 | - | 13,828 | 1.20 | - | 293,544 | 25.53 | 24.32 | 1,149,708 | OK |
| Oregon | 6 | 571,044 | 48.33 | 6 | 456,890 | 38.67 | - | 112,389 | 9.51 | - | 25,838 | 2.19 | - | 114,154 | 9.66 | 9.49 | 1,181,516 | OR |
| Pennsylvania | 27 | 2,261,872 | 49.59 | 27 | 1,937,540 | 42.48 | - | 292,921 | 6.42 | - | 33,263 | 0.73 | - | 324,332 | 7.11 | 9.47 | 4,561,501 | PA |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 154,793 | 37.20 | - | 198,342 | 47.67 | 4 | 59,819 | 14.38 | - | 2,458 | 0.59 | - | -43,549 | -10.47 | 0.81 | 416,072 | RI |
| South Carolina | 8 | 441,207 | 49.57 | 8 | 427,560 | 48.04 | - | 14,150 | 1.59 | - | 4,975 | 0.56 | - | 13,647 | 1.53 | 14.57 | 890,083 | SC |
| South Dakota | 4 | 198,343 | 60.53 | 4 | 103,855 | 31.69 | - | 21,431 | 6.54 | - | 3,824 | 1.17 | - | 94,488 | 28.83 | 27.35 | 327,703 | SD |
| Tennessee | 10 | 787,761 | 48.70 | 10 | 783,051 | 48.41 | - | 35,991 | 2.22 | - | 7,116 | 0.44 | - | 4,710 | 0.29 | 13.29 | 1,617,616 | TN |
| Texas | 26 | 2,510,705 | 55.28 | 26 | 1,881,147 | 41.42 | - | 111,613 | 2.46 | - | 37,643 | 0.83 | - | 629,558 | 13.86 | 17.03 | 4,541,637 | TX |
| Utah | 4 | 439,687 | 72.77 | 4 | 124,266 | 20.57 | - | 30,284 | 5.01 | - | 7,226 | 1.20 | - | 315,421 | 52.20 | 23.41 | 604,222 | UT |
| Vermont | 3 | 94,598 | 44.37 | 3 | 81,891 | 38.41 | - | 31,760 | 14.90 | - | 1,900 | 0.89 | - | 12,707 | 5.96 | -5.24 | 213,207 | VT |
| Virginia | 12 | 989,609 | 53.03 | 12 | 752,174 | 40.31 | - | 95,418 | 5.11 | - | 12,821 | 0.69 | - | 237,435 | 12.72 | 11.38 | 1,866,032 | VA |
| Washington | 9 | 865,244 | 49.66 | 9 | 650,193 | 37.32 | - | 185,073 | 10.62 | - | 29,213 | 1.68 | - | 215,051 | 12.34 | 8.46 | 1,742,394 | WA |
| West Virginia | 6 | 334,206 | 45.30 | - | 367,462 | 49.81 | 6 | 31,691 | 4.30 | - | 4,356 | 0.59 | - | -33,256 | -4.51 | 11.63 | 737,715 | WV |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 1,088,845 | 47.90 | 11 | 981,584 | 43.18 | - | 160,657 | 7.07 | - | 29,135 | 1.28 | - | 107,261 | 4.72 | 6.40 | 2,273,221 | WI |
| Wyoming | 3 | 110,700 | 62.64 | 3 | 49,427 | 27.97 | - | 12,072 | 6.83 | - | 4,514 | 2.55 | - | 61,273 | 34.67 | 15.18 | 176,713 | WY |
| TOTALS: | 538 | 43,903,230 | 50.75 | 489 | 35,480,115 | 41.01 | 49 | 5,719,850 | 6.61 | - | 921,128 | 1.06 | - | 8,423,115 | 9.74 | 11.80 | 86,509,678 | US |
Maine allowed its electoral votes to be split between candidates. Two electoral votes were awarded to the winner of the statewide race and one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district. Reagan won all four votes.[152]
Margin of victory less than 1% (30 electoral votes):
Margin of victory less than 5% (135 electoral votes):
Margin of victory more than 5%, but less than 10% (113 electoral votes):
Counties with highest percentage of the vote (Republican)
Counties with highest percentage of the vote (Democratic)
Counties with highest percentage of the vote (Other)
| The 1980 presidential vote by demographic subgroup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic subgroup | Carter | Reagan | Anderson | % of total vote | |||
| Total vote | 41 | 51 | 7 | 100 | |||
| Ideology | |||||||
| Liberals | 60 | 28 | 11 | 17 | |||
| Moderates | 43 | 49 | 8 | 46 | |||
| Conservatives | 23 | 73 | 3 | 33 | |||
| Party | |||||||
| Democrats | 67 | 27 | 6 | 43 | |||
| Republicans | 11 | 85 | 4 | 28 | |||
| Independents | 31 | 55 | 12 | 23 | |||
| Sex | |||||||
| Men | 38 | 55 | 7 | 51 | |||
| Women | 46 | 47 | 7 | 49 | |||
| Race | |||||||
| White | 36 | 56 | 8 | 88 | |||
| Black | 83 | 14 | 3 | 10 | |||
| Hispanic | 56 | 37 | 7 | 2 | |||
| Age | |||||||
| 18–21 years old | 45 | 44 | 11 | 6 | |||
| 22–29 years old | 44 | 44 | 11 | 17 | |||
| 30–44 years old | 38 | 55 | 7 | 31 | |||
| 45–59 years old | 39 | 55 | 6 | 23 | |||
| 60 and older | 41 | 55 | 4 | 18 | |||
| Family income | |||||||
| Under $10,000 | 52 | 42 | 6 | 13 | |||
| $10,000–15,000 | 48 | 43 | 8 | 14 | |||
| $15,000–25,000 | 39 | 54 | 7 | 30 | |||
| $25,000–50,000 | 33 | 59 | 8 | 24 | |||
| Over $50,000 | 26 | 66 | 8 | 5 | |||
| Region | |||||||
| East | 44 | 48 | 8 | 32 | |||
| Midwest | 42 | 52 | 6 | 20 | |||
| South | 45 | 52 | 3 | 27 | |||
| West | 36 | 54 | 9 | 11 | |||
| Union households | |||||||
| Union | 48 | 45 | 7 | 26 | |||
| Non-union | 36 | 56 | 8 | 62 | |||
Source:CBS News andThe New York Times exit poll from theRoper Center for Public Opinion Research (15,201 surveyed)[153]
In 1986, it was revealed that Philippine leaderFerdinand Marcos had allegedly donated money to both Carter's and Reagan's campaigns.[154]
I viewed his leadership and administration with no small amount of frustration and concern, and in 1980 I crossed party lines and voted for Ronald Reagan for president.
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