1980 United States presidential election in North Carolina

Main article: 1980 United States presidential election

1980 United States presidential election in North Carolina

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Nominee Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter Party Republican Democratic Home state California Georgia Running mate George H.W Bush Walter Mondale Electoral vote 13 0 Popular vote 915,018 875,635 Percentage 49.30% 47.18%

County results Congressional district results Reagan   40-50%   50-60%   60-70% Carter   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%

President before election Jimmy Carter Democratic Elected President Ronald Reagan Republican

The 1980 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 4, 1980, as part of the 1980 United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

North Carolina barely voted for the Republican nominee, Governor Ronald Reagan, over the Democratic nominee, President Jimmy Carter in a close battle. Independent John B. Anderson, won 2% of the vote from Reagan and Carter in the state. The final numbers were 49.30% for Reagan to 47.18% for Carter and 2.85% for Anderson. As of the 2020 presidential election ^[update] , this is the last election in which the following counties have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate: Cleveland, Currituck, Harnett, Lee, Person and Union. ^[1]

57% of white voters supported Reagan while 39% supported Carter. ^{[2] [3]}

Campaign

Predictions

Source	Rating	As of
The Times and Democrat [4]	Tossup	September 23, 1980
Bristol Herald Courier [5]	Likely D	October 5, 1980
Boca Raton News [6]	Likely D	October 12, 1980
Kansas City Star [7]	Likely D	October 12, 1980
Fort Worth Star-Telegram [8]	Lean D	October 31, 1980
The State [9]	Safe D	November 2, 1980
Daily Press [10]	Likely D	November 3, 1980

Results

1980 United States presidential election in North Carolina [11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Republican	Ronald Reagan	915,018	49.30%	13
	Democratic	Jimmy Carter (incumbent)	875,635	47.18%	0
	Independent	John B. Anderson	52,800	2.85%	0
	Libertarian	Edward Clark	9,677	0.52%	0
	Citizens	Barry Commoner	2,287	0.12%	0
	Socialist Workers	Clifton DeBerry	416	0.02%	0
Totals			1,855,833	100.0%	13
Voter turnout (Voting age/Registered voters)			54.52%/67.0%		—

Results by county

1980 United States presidential election in North Carolina by county ^[12]

County	Ronald Reagan Republican		Jimmy Carter Democratic		John B. Anderson Independent		Edward E. Clark Libertarian		Various candidates Other parties		Margin
	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#
Mitchell	68.93%	4,322	28.15%	1,765	2.33%	146	0.51%	32	0.08%	5	40.78%	2,557
Avery	67.14%	3,480	29.46%	1,527	2.84%	147	0.42%	22	0.14%	7	37.68%	1,953
Randolph	64.72%	19,881	32.90%	10,107	1.83%	563	0.47%	145	0.07%	23	31.82%	9,774
Yadkin	65.08%	7,530	33.28%	3,850	1.18%	136	0.43%	50	0.03%	4	31.81%	3,680
Davie	63.79%	6,302	33.29%	3,289	2.26%	223	0.64%	63	0.03%	3	30.50%	3,013
Wilkes	62.74%	14,462	35.51%	8,184	1.22%	282	0.44%	102	0.08%	19	27.24%	6,278
Henderson	61.19%	13,573	34.16%	7,578	4.06%	901	0.44%	97	0.15%	33	27.03%	5,995
Catawba	60.39%	22,873	36.63%	13,873	2.29%	866	0.64%	242	0.06%	24	23.76%	9,000
Clay	60.19%	2,136	37.31%	1,324	1.49%	53	0.79%	28	0.23%	8	22.88%	812
Rowan	59.66%	18,566	37.50%	11,671	2.27%	707	0.50%	155	0.06%	20	22.16%	6,895
Davidson	59.56%	22,794	38.10%	14,579	1.77%	679	0.53%	202	0.04%	15	21.47%	8,215
Cabarrus	59.19%	15,143	38.18%	9,768	2.20%	562	0.38%	96	0.06%	16	21.01%	5,375
Caldwell	58.11%	12,965	39.17%	8,738	1.97%	440	0.61%	135	0.14%	32	18.95%	4,227
Alexander	57.39%	6,376	40.92%	4,546	1.23%	137	0.40%	44	0.05%	6	16.47%	1,830
Nash	56.34%	11,043	41.75%	8,184	1.49%	293	0.38%	74	0.04%	7	14.59%	2,859
Wayne	56.31%	12,860	41.98%	9,586	1.41%	322	0.27%	62	0.03%	7	14.34%	3,274
Gaston	55.61%	25,139	42.07%	19,016	1.82%	823	0.44%	201	0.06%	25	13.55%	6,123
Lenoir	55.50%	9,832	42.60%	7,546	1.48%	263	0.32%	57	0.09%	16	12.91%	2,286
Polk	53.86%	3,021	42.34%	2,375	2.85%	160	0.87%	49	0.07%	4	11.52%	646
Ashe	54.72%	5,643	43.26%	4,461	1.49%	154	0.46%	47	0.07%	7	11.46%	1,182
Stokes	54.92%	7,275	43.52%	5,764	1.14%	151	0.38%	50	0.05%	6	11.41%	1,511
New Hanover	53.48%	17,243	42.40%	13,670	3.45%	1,114	0.56%	182	0.11%	35	11.08%	3,573
Moore	53.71%	10,158	42.74%	8,084	2.98%	563	0.48%	91	0.09%	17	10.97%	2,074
Stanly	54.54%	9,734	43.62%	7,784	1.39%	248	0.39%	69	0.07%	12	10.93%	1,950
Cherokee	54.37%	3,849	43.99%	3,114	1.13%	80	0.47%	33	0.04%	3	10.38%	735
Iredell	53.70%	14,926	43.42%	12,067	2.25%	624	0.57%	158	0.07%	19	10.29%	2,859
Graham	54.25%	1,961	44.48%	1,608	1.00%	36	0.17%	6	0.11%	4	9.76%	353
Watauga	51.42%	6,149	42.00%	5,022	5.39%	645	0.88%	105	0.31%	37	9.42%	1,127
McDowell	53.55%	5,680	44.34%	4,703	1.65%	175	0.41%	44	0.04%	4	9.21%	977
Transylvania	52.59%	4,826	43.67%	4,008	2.99%	274	0.63%	58	0.12%	11	8.91%	818
Alamance	53.06%	18,077	44.15%	15,042	2.23%	760	0.48%	164	0.07%	25	8.91%	3,035
Onslow	52.95%	8,861	44.04%	7,371	2.39%	400	0.54%	90	0.08%	14	8.90%	1,490
Guilford	51.93%	53,291	43.38%	44,516	3.92%	4,019	0.62%	636	0.16%	168	8.55%	8,775
Carteret	52.37%	7,733	43.92%	6,485	3.12%	460	0.49%	73	0.11%	16	8.45%	1,248
Lincoln	52.37%	9,009	45.32%	7,796	1.74%	299	0.49%	85	0.07%	12	7.05%	1,213
Macon	52.34%	4,727	45.45%	4,105	1.69%	153	0.43%	39	0.08%	7	6.89%	622
Beaufort	51.95%	6,773	46.21%	6,024	1.43%	186	0.38%	49	0.04%	5	5.75%	749
Dare	49.92%	2,794	44.29%	2,479	4.65%	260	0.89%	50	0.25%	14	5.63%	315
Surry	51.86%	10,065	46.31%	8,987	1.32%	256	0.47%	92	0.04%	8	5.55%	1,078
Burke	50.97%	12,956	45.95%	11,680	2.20%	558	0.66%	169	0.21%	54	5.02%	1,276
Craven	50.97%	8,554	46.36%	7,781	2.12%	356	0.48%	81	0.07%	11	4.61%	773
Forsyth	49.98%	42,389	45.83%	38,870	3.42%	2,897	0.62%	527	0.15%	128	4.15%	3,519
Johnston	51.26%	10,444	47.12%	9,601	1.33%	271	0.27%	54	0.03%	6	4.14%	843
Buncombe	48.80%	26,124	46.40%	24,837	4.02%	2,153	0.56%	299	0.22%	119	2.40%	1,287
Wilson	49.86%	8,329	48.14%	8,042	1.45%	243	0.43%	71	0.11%	19	1.72%	287
Mecklenburg	47.80%	68,384	46.83%	66,995	4.59%	6,560	0.67%	956	0.12%	168	0.97%	1,389
Pitt	48.60%	12,816	47.74%	12,590	3.14%	827	0.38%	101	0.14%	37	0.86%	226
Wake	47.21%	49,768	46.49%	49,003	5.17%	5,455	0.70%	741	0.43%	449	0.73%	765
Rutherford	49.29%	8,363	49.01%	8,315	1.20%	203	0.46%	78	0.04%	7	0.28%	48
Cumberland	47.63%	21,540	48.80%	22,073	2.79%	1,261	0.65%	293	0.13%	61	-1.18%	-533
Rockingham	47.64%	11,205	49.77%	11,708	1.97%	463	0.55%	130	0.07%	16	-2.14%	-503
Alleghany	46.29%	1,995	51.00%	2,198	2.11%	91	0.56%	24	0.05%	2	-4.71%	-203
Union	45.77%	9,012	51.16%	10,073	2.47%	487	0.52%	102	0.07%	14	-5.39%	-1,061
Lee	45.84%	4,847	51.31%	5,426	2.37%	251	0.38%	40	0.09%	10	-5.48%	-579
Sampson	46.06%	8,097	51.71%	9,090	1.75%	308	0.33%	58	0.14%	25	-5.65%	-993
Cleveland	46.08%	10,828	52.00%	12,219	1.42%	333	0.47%	111	0.03%	8	-5.92%	-1,391
Brunswick	45.35%	5,897	52.00%	6,761	2.04%	265	0.55%	71	0.07%	9	-6.64%	-864
Montgomery	45.74%	3,587	52.65%	4,129	1.26%	99	0.32%	25	0.03%	2	-6.91%	-542
Jackson	44.47%	4,140	52.17%	4,857	2.64%	246	0.54%	50	0.18%	17	-7.70%	-717
Currituck	44.06%	1,668	52.30%	1,980	2.56%	97	0.98%	37	0.11%	4	-8.24%	-312
Yancey	44.57%	3,363	53.14%	4,010	1.46%	110	0.41%	31	0.42%	32	-8.57%	-647
Harnett	44.70%	7,284	53.95%	8,791	1.01%	165	0.26%	42	0.08%	13	-9.25%	-1,507
Madison	44.02%	2,629	53.62%	3,202	1.81%	108	0.35%	21	0.20%	12	-9.59%	-573
Pasquotank	43.39%	3,340	53.62%	4,128	2.33%	179	0.48%	37	0.18%	14	-10.24%	-788
Person	43.55%	3,281	54.57%	4,111	1.38%	104	0.45%	34	0.05%	4	-11.02%	-830
Durham	40.24%	19,276	52.12%	24,969	6.37%	3,052	0.57%	274	0.70%	333	-11.88%	-5,693
Greene	43.44%	2,221	55.45%	2,835	0.66%	34	0.39%	20	0.06%	3	-12.01%	-614
Vance	43.15%	4,217	55.40%	5,415	1.03%	101	0.36%	35	0.06%	6	-12.26%	-1,198
Perquimans	42.40%	1,210	54.66%	1,560	2.21%	63	0.60%	17	0.14%	4	-12.26%	-350
Chatham	41.00%	5,414	54.10%	7,144	3.64%	481	0.75%	99	0.51%	67	-13.10%	-1,730
Edgecombe	42.09%	5,916	56.52%	7,945	1.05%	148	0.26%	36	0.08%	11	-14.44%	-2,029
Haywood	41.33%	7,217	56.20%	9,814	2.00%	349	0.38%	66	0.09%	16	-14.87%	-2,597
Swain	41.39%	1,457	56.45%	1,987	1.99%	70	0.14%	5	0.03%	1	-15.06%	-530
Halifax	41.19%	6,033	57.10%	8,364	1.23%	180	0.38%	56	0.10%	15	-15.91%	-2,331
Duplin	41.34%	5,403	57.57%	7,524	0.83%	109	0.24%	32	0.01%	1	-16.23%	-2,121
Pamlico	39.55%	1,504	58.48%	2,224	1.26%	48	0.53%	20	0.18%	7	-18.93%	-720
Camden	38.94%	813	58.05%	1,212	2.16%	45	0.57%	12	0.29%	6	-19.11%	-399
Chowan	38.91%	1,424	58.63%	2,146	1.94%	71	0.44%	16	0.08%	3	-19.73%	-722
Hyde	38.95%	807	58.93%	1,221	1.79%	37	0.24%	5	0.10%	2	-19.98%	-414
Orange	32.39%	9,261	53.26%	15,226	11.77%	3,364	1.05%	300	1.53%	438	-20.86%	-5,965
Franklin	38.63%	3,508	59.76%	5,427	1.15%	104	0.42%	38	0.04%	4	-21.13%	-1,919
Washington	38.57%	1,943	59.72%	3,008	1.35%	68	0.30%	15	0.06%	3	-21.14%	-1,065
Jones	38.60%	1,401	60.55%	2,198	0.50%	18	0.30%	11	0.06%	2	-21.96%	-797
Granville	37.99%	3,513	60.08%	5,556	1.44%	133	0.31%	29	0.18%	17	-22.09%	-2,043
Pender	37.79%	3,018	60.51%	4,832	1.29%	103	0.33%	26	0.09%	7	-22.71%	-1,814
Caswell	37.32%	2,156	61.09%	3,529	1.14%	66	0.36%	21	0.09%	5	-23.77%	-1,373
Columbus	34.64%	5,522	64.06%	10,212	0.93%	148	0.35%	55	0.03%	5	-29.42%	-4,690
Martin	34.59%	2,564	64.09%	4,750	1.09%	81	0.22%	16	0.01%	1	-29.49%	-2,186
Richmond	33.69%	3,911	63.88%	7,416	1.93%	224	0.42%	49	0.08%	9	-30.19%	-3,505
Tyrrell	34.01%	466	64.74%	887	1.02%	14	0.22%	3	0.00%	0	-30.73%	-421
Scotland	31.45%	2,133	65.56%	4,446	2.29%	155	0.60%	41	0.10%	7	-34.10%	-2,313
Hertford	30.59%	1,854	67.69%	4,102	1.32%	80	0.33%	20	0.07%	4	-37.10%	-2,248
Bladen	30.70%	2,745	68.27%	6,104	0.72%	64	0.29%	26	0.02%	2	-37.57%	-3,359
Bertie	30.10%	1,695	68.59%	3,863	0.80%	45	0.28%	16	0.23%	13	-38.49%	-2,168
Warren	29.13%	1,582	69.06%	3,750	1.36%	74	0.28%	15	0.17%	9	-39.93%	-2,168
Anson	27.77%	1,968	70.16%	4,973	1.57%	111	0.32%	23	0.18%	13	-42.40%	-3,005
Robeson	27.89%	6,982	70.39%	17,618	1.32%	331	0.29%	72	0.11%	27	-42.49%	-10,636
Gates	27.60%	957	70.23%	2,435	1.76%	61	0.32%	11	0.09%	3	-42.63%	-1,478
Northampton	26.92%	1,847	71.90%	4,933	0.90%	62	0.23%	16	0.04%	3	-44.98%	-3,086
Hoke	25.24%	1,168	72.95%	3,376	1.21%	56	0.45%	21	0.15%	7	-47.71%	-2,208

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Clay
• Rowan
• Caldwell
• Alexander
• Nash
• Wayne
• Gaston
• Polk
• Ashe
• Stokes
• New Hanover
• Stanly
• Cherokee
• Iredell
• Graham
• McDowell
• Transylvania
• Alamance
• Onslow
• Guilford
• Lincoln
• Carteret
• Macon
• Beaufort
• Dare
• Surry
• Burke
• Craven
• Forsyth
• Johnston
• Buncombe
• Wilson
• Mecklenburg
• Pitt
• Rutherford

References

1. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
2. Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
3. Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
4. "Visit Might Put Reagan "Over the Top" in S.C.". The Times and Democrat . Orangeburg, South Carolina. The Associated Press. September 23, 1980. p. 9b.
5. Pettys, Dick (October 5, 1980). "Dixie Remains Political Background with No "Home Turf Odds" for Carter". Bristol Herald Courier . Bristol, Virginia. p. 5A.
6. Tyson, Remer (October 12, 1980). "Long Shot Strategy: Reagan's Efforts in South Paying Off". Boca Raton News . p. 12A.
7. Mears, Walter R. (October 26, 1980). "Carter–Reagan Race Tightens Near Finish". Kansas City Star . pp. 1A, 14A.
8. Pettys, Dick (October 31, 1980). "Reagan Quietly Undermining Carter's '76 Support". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . The Associated Press. p. 8A.
9. Stucker, Jan (November 2, 1980). "Carter in the Carolinas — A Tale of Two States". The State . Columbia, South Carolina. p. B1.
10. "Down by the Wire: State by State, It's Just too Close to Call". Daily Press. Victorville, California. November 3, 1980. p. B-1.
11. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1980 Presidential General Election Results – North Carolina
12. "NC US President Race, November 04, 1980". Our Campaigns.

Works cited

• Black, Earl; Black, Merle (1992). The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected. Harvard University Press. ISBN   0674941306.