1979 United States elections

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1979 United States elections
1977          1978         1979         1980          1981
Off-year elections
Election dayNovember 6
Congressional special elections
Seats contested2
Net seat changeRepublican +1
Gubernatorial elections
Seats contested3
Net seat changeRepublican +1
1979 United States gubernatorial elections results map.svg
1979 gubernatorial election results map
Legend
  Democratic hold
  Republican gain

  No election

The 1979 United States elections were held on November 6, 1979. This off-year election primarily involved local, state, and congressional elections.

Contents

Background

The 1979 elections occurred in the final year of President Jimmy Carter's first and only term. Minor gains occurred for the Republican party as a result of increasing stagflation.

Congressional Elections

Two special elections were held to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives. The most notable race was that for California's eleventh district, whose previous representative had been shot and killed by members of the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. [1]

DistrictIncumbentThis race
MemberPartyFirst electedResultsCandidates
California 11 Leo Ryan Democratic 1972 Incumbent member-elect was murdered November 18, 1978.
New member elected April 3, 1979.
Republican gain.
  • Green check.svgY William Royer (Republican) 57.3%
  • G. W. Holsinger [2] (Democratic) 41.1%
  • Nicholas Waeil Kudrovzeff (American Independent) 0.8%
  • Wilson Branch (Peace & Freedom) 0.8%
Wisconsin 6 William A. Steiger Republican 1966 Incumbent member-elect died December 4, 1978.
New member elected April 3, 1979.
Republican hold. [3]

Gubernatorial Elections

Three states held gubernatorial elections in 1979.

StateIncumbentFirst electedResultCandidates
Kentucky [4] Julian Carroll (Democratic)1974 [lower-alpha 1] Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.
Louisiana Edwin Edwards (Democratic) 1972 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Republican gain.
Mississippi Cliff Finch (Democratic) 1975 Incumbent term-limited.
New governor elected.
Democratic hold.

State Legislative Elections

State legislative elections were also held in various states across the country. These elections determined the control of state legislatures, which would play a crucial role in the redistricting process following the 1980 census.

Local Elections

In addition to state and congressional races, numerous local elections were held. These elections included mayoral races, city council elections, and referenda on key issues such as taxation and public services.

Notes

  1. Carroll took office after his predecessor (Wendell Ford) resigned.

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References

  1. United States Congress. "Ryan, Leo Joseph, (1925–1978)". United States Congress. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  2. Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1979). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 901, 919. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 21, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Mayor Feinstein Apparent Winner In San Francisco Runoff Election". The New York Times. December 12, 1979. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  5. Annual Report of the Election Department. Boston [Election Dept.] 1980. p. 82.