1980 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses

1980 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses

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60 delegates to the Democratic National Convention
Candidate Jimmy Carter Ted Kennedy Uncommitted Home state Georgia Massachusetts — Delegate count 31 23 2 State delegate estimate 3,796 (56.8%) 2,084 (30.1%) 418 (9.61%)
Carter:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Uncommitted:     40–50% Tie:     40–50%

The 1980 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses were held on January 21, 1980, for the purpose of electing delegates to the 1980 Democratic National Convention and selecting a candidate for president in the 1980 election. Although the January 21 precinct caucuses did not directly elect any delegates to the national convention, they were the first test of strength in the 1980 Democratic presidential primaries. President Jimmy Carter won the caucuses against U.S. senator Ted Kennedy, securing roughly 57 percent of the delegates elected to county conventions later in the year.

Carter ultimately received 31 of the 60 pledged delegates from Iowa.

Background

In 1976, a strong showing in the Iowa precinct caucuses by former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter raised his profile from obscurity into contention for the Democratic nomination; after winning a series of primaries in other states, he was nominated at the 1976 Democratic National Convention and defeated incumbent president Gerald Ford in the fall election.

Procedure

The Iowa precinct caucuses were held on January 21, in order to elect delegates to the county conventions. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} The March 8 county conventions elected delegates to state and congressional district conventions. ^[5] On April 19, the district conventions met to elect 34 of the state's 60 delegates to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. ^[6] On June 14, the state convention met to elect the remaining 16 national convention delegates. ^[7]

Although the precinct caucuses did not directly elect any delegates, they were the first test of strength in the 1980 Democratic presidential primaries.

Results

Incumbent President Jimmy Carter won by 31 delegates while U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy received 23 delegates. Uncommitted delegates won 418 and ultimately, 2 national convention delegates. ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]}

Iowa Democratic caucus, January 21, 1980

Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Actual delegate count
			Bound	Unbound	Total
Jimmy Carter	3,796	59.16%	31		31
Ted Kennedy	2,084	31.23%	23		23
Uncommitted	418	9.61%	2		2
Total	6,298	100.0%	56		56

District	Carter	Kennedy	Uncommitted
1	62.4%	30.0%	7.5%
2	55.4%	35.3%	9.2%
3	58.7%	31.2%	10.1%
4	55.7%	36.0%	8.3%
5	61.2%	28.3%	10.4%
6	62.2%	25.5%	12.3%

See also

• 1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries
• 1980 Republican Party presidential primaries
• 1980 United States presidential election
• 1980 Democratic National Convention
• 1980 Republican National Convention

References

1. "Iowa Vote: What Happened and Why". Washington Post. December 22, 2023. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved April 3, 2024.
2. "Jan 22, 1980, page 1 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
3. "Mar 10, 1980, page 3 - The Des Moines Register at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
4. "Jun 15, 1980, page 10 - The Des Moines Register at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
5. "COUNTY CONVENTIONS GIVE KENNEDY A TINY GAIN; CARTER STILL FAR AHEAD". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. March 10, 1980. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
6. "CONVENTIONS AFFIRM CARTER'S IOWA LEAD". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. April 20, 1980. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
7. "CARTER BACKERS SAIL TO NATIONAL SPOTS". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. June 15, 1980. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
8. "Here's a List of Iowa Caucus Winners Since 1972". ThoughtCo. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
9. "Article clipped from The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. February 3, 1980. p. 51. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
10. Times, Adam Clymer Special To the New York (January 23, 1980). "Candidates Shifting Tactics; Reagan to Step Up Drive BUSH UPSET IN IOWA STUNS REAGAN CAMP Republican Results Democratic Results". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 1, 2024.
11. Winebrenner, Hugh; Goldford, Dennis J. (2010). The Iowa Precinct Caucuses: The Making of a Media Event, Third Edition. University of Iowa Press. ISBN   978-1-58729-954-4.