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The three major Democratic candidates in early 1980 were incumbent President Jimmy Carter, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Governor Jerry Brown of California. Brown withdrew on April 2. Carter and Kennedy faced off in 34 primaries.
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1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries. ← 1976. January 21 to June 3, 1980. 1984 →. 3,346 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. 1,674 delegates votes needed to win. Candidate. Jimmy Carter.
Date(daily Totals)ContestTotalpledged DelegatesJanuary 21IowaCaucuses3,220 SDs0 (of 50)February 10MaineCaucuses2,247 SDs33,3260 (of 50)February 26MinnesotaCaucuses0 (of 75)February 26New HampshirePrimary111,93019 (of 19)- Jimmy Carter
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- Overview
- General election campaign
The general election campaign between Carter and Reagan seemed more an exercise in shadowboxing than a serious discussion of the issues that concerned the voters: double-digit inflation, rising unemployment, the crisis in Iran, the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Carter’s unpopular stances on the need for energy conservation, and doubts about his competence and that of the people around him. Reagan stressed the communist threat abroad and the dire effects that "big government" was having on the country’s economy, but he never clearly spelled out his remedies beyond calling for a massive cut in income taxes. Meanwhile, Carter spent most of the campaign attempting to paint his opponent as an extremist who would divide the nation and tend to shoot from the hip in international relations. In addition to Carter and Reagan, the campaign was contested by Anderson, who declared himself an independent candidate for president after being defeated in every Republican primary.
The Reagan and Carter camps had extensive negotiations about holding a debate, but until late in the campaign none was held. The candidates finally met in a nationally televised confrontation a week before the election. When they finished, it seemed to many observers that Carter had won on "substance" while Reagan, with his easygoing diffidence and moderate tone, had dispelled fears that he was the "dangerous" fanatic portrayed by Carter.
When the votes were counted on November 4, Reagan was the victor by a landslide, making major inroads into the traditional Democratic coalition (and building a legion of so-called Reagan Democrats) and winning every region of the country. Carter carried only six states and the District of Columbia. Reagan won just over 50 percent of the vote, while Carter captured 41 percent. (Anderson finished with 7 percent of the vote.) In the electoral college, the scale of Reagan’s victory was dramatic—489 to 49. Carter became the first elected incumbent to be defeated for reelection as president since Herbert Hoover lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Reagan, at age 69, became the oldest president-elect in the country’s history. So quick and decisive was the verdict of the voters that Carter delivered his concession speech even before the polls had closed on the West Coast. "I promised you four years ago that I would never lie to you," the president told his supporters on election night, "so I can’t stand here and say it doesn’t hurt [to lose]."
For the results of the previous election, see United States presidential election of 1976. For the results of the subsequent election, see United States presidential election of 1984.
The general election campaign between Carter and Reagan seemed more an exercise in shadowboxing than a serious discussion of the issues that concerned the voters: double-digit inflation, rising unemployment, the crisis in Iran, the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Carter’s unpopular stances on the need for energy conservation, and doubts about his competence and that of the people around him. Reagan stressed the communist threat abroad and the dire effects that "big government" was having on the country’s economy, but he never clearly spelled out his remedies beyond calling for a massive cut in income taxes. Meanwhile, Carter spent most of the campaign attempting to paint his opponent as an extremist who would divide the nation and tend to shoot from the hip in international relations. In addition to Carter and Reagan, the campaign was contested by Anderson, who declared himself an independent candidate for president after being defeated in every Republican primary.
The Reagan and Carter camps had extensive negotiations about holding a debate, but until late in the campaign none was held. The candidates finally met in a nationally televised confrontation a week before the election. When they finished, it seemed to many observers that Carter had won on "substance" while Reagan, with his easygoing diffidence and moderate tone, had dispelled fears that he was the "dangerous" fanatic portrayed by Carter.
When the votes were counted on November 4, Reagan was the victor by a landslide, making major inroads into the traditional Democratic coalition (and building a legion of so-called Reagan Democrats) and winning every region of the country. Carter carried only six states and the District of Columbia. Reagan won just over 50 percent of the vote, while Carter captured 41 percent. (Anderson finished with 7 percent of the vote.) In the electoral college, the scale of Reagan’s victory was dramatic—489 to 49. Carter became the first elected incumbent to be defeated for reelection as president since Herbert Hoover lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Reagan, at age 69, became the oldest president-elect in the country’s history. So quick and decisive was the verdict of the voters that Carter delivered his concession speech even before the polls had closed on the West Coast. "I promised you four years ago that I would never lie to you," the president told his supporters on election night, "so I can’t stand here and say it doesn’t hurt [to lose]."
For the results of the previous election, see United States presidential election of 1976. For the results of the subsequent election, see United States presidential election of 1984.
Nov 21, 2023 · The main candidates in the 1980 presidential election in the United States were Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. Other candidates for this election include John B. Anderson, Edward E....
- How many votes did Reagan get in 1980?Reagan got 489 electoral votes, almost ten times more than Carter won. However, Reagan only won around fifty percent of the popular vote.
- Who did Reagan run against in 1980?In the primaries, Reagan ran against George H.W. Bush. In the final election, he ran against presidential incumbent Jimmy Carter.
- What was Ronald Reagan's campaign theme in 1980?Ronald Reagan's major campaign theme in 1980 was "Let's make America great again." He combined forces with George H. W. Bush, his former opponent,...
Jimmy Carter. Democratic nominee. Jimmy Carter. The 1980 Democratic presidential primaries were how voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1980 U.S. presidential election .
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Jan 17, 2019 · So in 1980, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, the last of three charismatic brothers who would seek the presidency, took on incumbent President Jimmy Carter, a former peanut farmer and Georgia...
The 1980 presidential election pitted incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter against his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent.
