1980 United States presidential election in Virginia

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1980 United States presidential election in Virginia
Flag of Virginia.svg
  1976 November 4, 1980 1984  
  Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981-cropped.jpg Carter cropped.jpg John B. Anderson in New Jersey (cropped).jpg
Nominee Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter John B. Anderson
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Home state California Georgia Illinois
Running mate George H. W. Bush Walter Mondale Patrick Lucey
Electoral vote1200
Popular vote989,609752,17495,418
Percentage53.03%40.31%5.11%

Virginia Presidential Election Results 1980.svg
County and Independent City Results

President before election

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

The 1980 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. Virginia voters chose twelve electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.

Contents

Virginia had voted Republican at all but one of the previous seven presidential elections, largely due to its large white Washington and Richmond suburbs that received large-scale in-migration from the traditionally Republican Northeast, [1] alongside the Shenandoah Valley, [2] being amongst the first traditionally Democratic areas of the former Confederacy to turn Republican at both the presidential level and in federal congressional elections. [3] After the collapse of the Byrd Organization and the expansion of the state's formerly small electorate via the Voting Rights Act, these trends intensified except in the heavily unionized coalfield portions of Southwest Virginia, where unlike elsewhere in the former Confederacy, many newly registered poor and working-class whites voted Democratic. In addition to voting Republican in six of seven presidential elections, the state's Congressional delegation would gain a Republican majority as early as the 91st Congress. Nevertheless, it was 1970 before significant GOP gains occurred in the state legislature, and it was generally acknowledged that President Nixon offered no support to down-ballot Republican candidates as he was carrying the state by a landslide margin against George McGovern, [4] who lost every county or city in the state except Charles City.

Campaign

Republican nominee, former California Governor Ronald Reagan and Democratic candidate and incumbent United States President Jimmy Carter of Georgia both campaigned in Virginia during early October. [5] Independent state Senator Harry F. Byrd Jr., who like his father had never previously endorsed a presidential candidate, would endorse Reagan in the middle of October, saying that Carter had a dismal record in controlling federal spending and the Soviet military build-up. [6]

59% of white voters supported Reagan while 33% supported Carter. [7] [8]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Kansas City Star [9] Lean ROctober 12, 1980
The Roanoke Times [10] Likely ROctober 26, 1980
Richmond Times-Dispatch [11] Likely ROctober 26, 1980
Daily Press [12] Likely RNovember 3, 1980

Results

1980 United States presidential election in Virginia [13]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Republican Ronald Reagan 989,60953.03%12
Democratic Jimmy Carter (inc.)752,17440.31%0
Independent John B. Anderson 95,4185.11%0
Independent Barry Commoner 14,0240.75%0
Libertarian Ed Clark 12,8210.69%0
Independent Clifton DeBerry 1,9860.11%0
Totals1,866,032100.00%12

By city/county

County/City [14] Ronald Reagan
Republican
Jimmy Carter
Democratic
John B. Anderson
Independent
Barry Commoner
Independent
Ed Clark
Libertarian
Clifton DeBerry
Independent
MarginTotal votes cast
#%#%#%#%#%#%#%
Accomack 5,37150.21%4,87245.54%2922.73%780.73%730.68%120.11%4994.67%10,698
Albemarle 10,42453.23%7,29337.24%1,4357.33%1400.71%2821.44%80.04%3,13115.99%19,582
Alexandria 17,86544.23%17,13442.42%4,54611.26%4581.13%3260.81%590.15%7311.81%40,388
Alleghany 2,18545.94%2,41150.69%1162.44%160.34%260.55%20.04%-226-4.75%4,756
Amelia 1,96953.20%1,64344.39%521.41%80.22%230.62%60.16%3268.81%3,701
Amherst 5,08857.56%3,47639.32%2082.35%200.23%450.51%30.03%1,61218.24%8,840
Appomattox 2,54860.42%1,49235.38%852.02%641.52%230.55%50.12%1,05625.04%4,217
Arlington 30,85446.15%26,50239.64%8,04212.03%6520.98%7441.11%670.10%4,3526.51%66,861
Augusta 11,01164.32%5,20230.39%5393.15%2541.48%1000.58%140.08%5,80933.93%17,120
Bath 92145.89%99949.78%703.49%10.05%160.80%00.00%-78-3.89%2,007
Bedford 6,60855.81%4,72139.87%3362.84%900.76%660.56%190.16%1,88715.94%11,840
Bedford City 1,14547.26%1,14947.42%753.10%321.32%200.83%20.08%-4-0.16%2,423
Bland 1,27854.50%1,00242.73%351.49%160.68%110.47%30.13%27611.77%2,345
Botetourt 4,40851.24%3,69842.99%3293.82%861.00%710.83%100.12%7108.25%8,602
Bristol 3,43252.68%2,88944.34%1602.46%30.05%310.48%00.00%5438.34%6,515
Brunswick 2,31039.39%3,43058.49%701.19%220.38%260.44%60.10%-1,120-19.10%5,864
Buchanan 4,55442.85%5,76854.27%950.89%1671.57%370.35%80.08%-1,214-11.42%10,629
Buckingham 1,86447.51%1,93349.27%771.96%220.56%200.51%70.18%-69-1.76%3,923
Buena Vista 94245.09%1,03149.35%592.82%381.82%120.57%70.34%-89-4.26%2,089
Campbell 9,59265.16%4,47330.39%3962.69%1671.13%750.51%180.12%5,11934.77%14,721
Caroline 2,07140.18%2,92456.73%1162.25%150.29%270.52%10.02%-853-16.55%5,154
Carroll 5,90561.29%3,43735.68%1831.90%370.38%630.65%90.09%2,46825.61%9,634
Charles City 50623.74%1,56473.39%391.83%70.33%100.47%50.23%-1,058-49.65%2,131
Charlotte 2,32251.26%2,10846.53%591.30%250.55%80.18%80.18%2144.73%4,530
Charlottesville 5,90740.56%6,86647.15%1,3779.46%250.55%80.18%80.18%-959-6.59%14,562
Chesapeake 17,88848.47%17,15546.49%1,1893.22%2451.68%1481.02%190.13%7331.98%36,904
Chesterfield 37,90870.71%13,06024.36%2,1824.07%930.17%3530.66%170.03%24,84846.35%53,613
Clarke 1,87657.44%1,15635.39%1775.42%140.43%401.22%30.09%72022.05%3,266
Clifton Forge 71639.23%1,01255.45%683.73%3881.05%2160.59%680.18%-296-16.22%1,825
Colonial Heights 5,01270.96%1,69223.96%2193.10%211.15%60.33%20.11%3,32047.00%7,063
Covington 1,18737.68%1,81357.56%1013.21%991.40%380.54%30.04%-626-19.88%3,150
Craig 76843.17%94653.18%412.30%50.28%181.01%10.06%-178-10.01%1,779
Culpeper 4,31259.43%2,51934.72%2313.18%1271.75%550.76%110.15%1,79324.71%7,255
Cumberland 1,51550.10%1,35544.81%511.69%742.45%190.63%100.33%1605.29%3,024
Danville 10,66561.43%6,13835.35%2961.70%1981.14%560.32%90.05%4,52726.08%17,362
Dickenson 3,68746.12%4,17752.25%770.96%160.20%310.39%70.09%-490-6.13%7,995
Dinwiddie 3,36948.01%3,47549.52%1071.52%270.38%300.43%100.14%-106-1.51%7,018
Emporia 98851.95%85544.95%412.16%70.37%80.42%30.16%1337.00%1,902
Essex 1,58152.93%1,28042.85%762.54%260.87%200.67%40.13%30110.08%2,987
Fairfax 137,62057.41%73,73430.76%24,60510.26%1,5570.65%1,9330.81%2560.11%63,88626.65%239,705
Fairfax City 4,47555.91%2,61432.66%80010.00%420.52%650.81%80.10%1,86123.25%8,004
Falls Church 2,48552.23%1,70335.79%49710.45%1130.97%930.80%150.13%78216.44%4,758
Fauquier 6,78258.11%4,11935.30%5484.70%1130.97%930.80%150.13%2,66322.81%11,670
Floyd 2,44756.60%1,64237.98%1313.03%591.36%420.97%20.05%80518.62%4,323
Fluvanna 1,60550.41%1,42444.72%1083.39%170.53%280.88%20.06%1815.69%3,184
Franklin 4,99345.02%5,68551.26%3042.74%400.36%630.57%50.05%-692-6.24%11,090
Franklin City 1,04542.55%1,32453.91%622.52%50.20%150.61%50.20%-279-11.36%2,456
Frederick 7,29367.61%2,94827.33%4554.22%260.24%620.57%30.03%4,34540.28%10,787
Fredericksburg 2,50250.36%2,17443.76%2454.93%90.18%340.68%40.08%3286.60%4,968
Galax 1,18851.81%1,06146.27%311.35%30.13%60.26%40.17%1275.54%2,293
Giles 2,97842.91%3,62752.26%2113.04%540.78%630.91%70.10%-649-9.35%6,940
Gloucester 4,26153.96%3,13839.74%3544.48%760.96%560.71%120.15%1,12314.22%7,897
Goochland 2,42349.68%2,29046.96%1132.32%110.23%320.66%80.16%1332.72%4,877
Grayson 3,49453.37%2,87543.91%1061.62%260.40%390.60%70.11%6199.46%6,547
Greene 1,70260.55%92532.91%1053.74%471.67%220.78%100.36%77727.64%2,811
Greensville 1,58341.66%2,14256.37%391.03%180.47%120.32%60.16%-559-14.71%3,800
Halifax 5,08851.73%4,52846.03%1251.27%570.58%300.31%80.08%5605.70%9,836
Hampton 17,02345.08%18,51749.03%1,5984.23%3290.87%2340.62%640.17%-1,494-3.95%37,765
Hanover 14,26270.02%5,38326.43%5892.89%320.16%990.49%30.01%8,87943.59%20,368
Harrisonburg 3,38858.45%1,89632.71%4036.95%611.05%390.67%90.16%1,49225.74%5,796
Henrico 50,50566.85%21,02327.83%2,9563.91%5950.79%4220.56%500.07%29,48239.02%75,551
Henry 8,25846.44%8,80049.49%3552.00%2471.39%1030.58%200.11%-542-3.05%17,783
Highland 75158.76%48738.11%251.96%100.78%50.39%00.00%26420.65%1,278
Hopewell 4,42356.19%3,10239.41%1782.26%971.23%570.72%150.19%1,32116.78%7,872
Isle of Wight 3,52645.30%3,95150.76%1972.53%350.45%640.82%110.14%-425-5.46%7,784
James City 4,28953.29%3,06838.12%5516.85%710.88%550.68%140.17%1,22115.17%8,048
King and Queen 94944.14%1,12852.47%432.00%50.23%210.98%40.19%-179-8.33%2,150
King George 1,78453.54%1,31839.56%1855.55%70.21%351.05%30.09%46613.98%3,332
King William 2,03656.54%1,44640.16%802.22%140.39%240.67%10.03%59016.38%3,601
Lancaster 2,78061.01%1,56734.39%1062.33%691.51%240.53%110.24%1,21326.62%4,557
Lee 4,41747.10%4,75850.74%1371.46%280.30%330.35%40.04%-341-3.64%9,377
Lexington 95645.90%96346.23%1296.19%160.77%190.91%00.00%-7-0.33%2,083
Loudoun 12,07658.93%6,69432.67%1,3126.40%2010.98%1660.81%430.21%5,38226.26%20,492
Louisa 2,63346.14%2,80949.23%1602.80%380.67%581.02%80.14%-176-3.09%5,706
Lunenburg 2,04549.44%1,95847.34%591.43%551.33%80.19%110.27%872.10%4,136
Lynchburg 15,24562.44%7,78331.88%8543.50%3731.53%1280.52%340.14%7,46230.56%24,417
Madison 1,95955.64%1,35138.37%1564.43%270.77%270.77%10.03%60817.27%3,521
Manassas 3,00960.76%1,56531.60%3186.42%230.46%310.63%60.12%1,44429.16%4,952
Manassas Park 72958.13%44735.65%524.15%70.56%191.52%00.00%28222.48%1,254
Martinsville 3,43348.82%3,33747.45%1622.30%701.00%220.31%80.11%961.37%7,032
Mathews 2,20459.31%1,30034.98%1483.98%371.00%190.51%80.22%90424.33%3,716
Mecklenburg 4,85354.45%3,79042.52%1421.59%810.91%320.36%150.17%1,06311.93%8,913
Middlesex 1,81054.13%1,39541.72%902.69%250.75%150.45%90.27%41512.41%3,344
Montgomery 8,22247.41%7,45542.98%1,4008.07%930.54%1610.93%130.07%7674.43%17,344
Nelson 1,86641.50%2,41053.60%1433.18%350.78%410.91%10.02%-544-12.10%4,496
New Kent 1,73957.30%1,20439.67%682.24%90.30%150.49%00.00%53517.63%3,035
Newport News 22,42347.73%22,06646.97%2,0684.40%1140.24%2680.57%430.09%3570.76%46,982
Norfolk 27,50640.93%35,11852.26%3,3334.96%6230.93%4880.73%1320.20%-7,612-11.33%67,200
Northampton 2,16545.65%2,36349.82%1142.40%531.12%340.72%140.30%-198-4.17%4,743
Northumberland 2,59860.00%1,55135.82%1092.52%420.97%200.46%100.23%1,04724.18%4,330
Norton 57240.86%76254.43%423.00%120.86%110.79%10.07%-190-13.57%1,400
Nottoway 2,81350.13%2,59346.21%1132.01%631.12%220.39%70.12%2203.92%5,611
Orange 3,38154.90%2,42039.30%2413.91%540.88%580.94%40.06%96115.60%6,158
Page 4,29760.20%2,60736.52%1612.26%270.38%410.57%50.07%1,69023.68%7,138
Patrick 3,43656.12%2,38238.90%1051.71%1542.52%350.57%110.18%1,05417.22%6,123
Petersburg 5,00137.67%7,93159.73%2541.91%210.16%630.47%70.05%-2,930-22.06%13,277
Pittsylvania 12,02259.28%7,65337.74%2501.23%2751.36%540.27%260.13%4,36921.54%20,280
Poquoson 2,33868.78%87725.80%1584.65%50.15%210.62%00.00%1,46142.98%3,399
Portsmouth 13,66038.00%20,90058.14%1,1243.13%790.22%1710.48%150.04%-7,240-20.14%35,949
Powhatan 2,93364.18%1,48432.47%982.14%90.20%390.85%70.15%1,44931.71%4,570
Prince Edward 2,77449.55%2,55345.61%1372.45%821.46%410.73%110.20%2213.94%5,598
Prince George 3,38957.56%2,31039.23%1302.21%120.20%400.68%70.12%1,07918.33%5,888
Prince William 23,06158.95%12,78732.69%2,6766.84%2260.58%3130.80%560.14%10,27426.26%39,119
Pulaski 5,74747.73%5,76947.92%3432.85%920.76%810.67%80.07%-22-0.19%12,040
Radford 1,96444.01%2,22549.85%2335.22%180.40%210.47%20.04%-261-5.84%4,463
Rappahannock 1,17949.81%1,05544.57%994.18%110.46%210.89%20.08%1245.24%2,367
Richmond 1,56762.81%85434.23%491.96%80.32%140.56%30.12%71328.58%2,495
Richmond City 34,62939.76%47,97555.08%3,5024.02%3300.38%6250.72%450.05%-13,346-15.32%87,106
Roanoke 17,18255.76%12,11439.31%1,2864.17%450.15%1800.58%70.02%5,06816.45%30,814
Roanoke City 15,16443.39%18,13951.91%1,3503.86%750.21%2070.59%110.03%-2,975-8.52%34,946
Rockbridge 2,78449.04%2,47543.60%2965.21%621.09%540.95%60.11%3095.44%5,677
Rockingham 11,39763.82%5,29429.64%7714.32%2331.30%1430.80%210.12%6,10334.18%17,859
Russell 4,77843.94%5,76453.01%1251.15%1591.46%380.35%100.09%-986-9.07%10,874
Salem 4,86251.78%4,09143.57%3593.82%170.18%500.53%100.11%7718.21%9,389
Scott 4,74450.54%4,31445.96%1531.63%1451.54%270.29%40.04%4304.58%9,387
Shenandoah 7,51767.10%3,13728.00%3853.44%590.53%950.85%100.09%4,38039.10%11,203
Smyth 6,03350.86%5,33544.98%2241.89%1901.60%640.54%150.13%6985.88%11,861
South Boston 1,61560.97%97136.66%511.93%50.19%60.23%10.04%64424.31%2,649
Southampton 2,99745.50%3,34750.81%1632.47%240.36%490.74%70.11%-350-5.31%6,587
Spotsylvania 5,38553.82%4,03940.37%4644.64%290.29%720.72%160.16%1,34613.45%10,005
Stafford 7,10658.85%4,21134.87%6235.16%280.23%1000.83%70.06%2,89523.98%12,075
Staunton 4,81960.79%2,65833.53%3113.92%891.12%420.53%80.10%2,16127.26%7,927
Suffolk 7,17942.82%9,06454.07%3602.15%560.33%980.58%80.05%-1,885-11.25%16,765
Surry 96234.10%1,75662.25%632.23%90.32%240.85%70.25%-794-28.15%2,821
Sussex 1,66438.94%2,44757.27%862.01%310.73%260.61%190.44%-783-18.33%4,273
Tazewell 7,02148.67%7,00348.55%2251.56%1100.76%610.42%50.03%180.12%14,425
Virginia Beach 47,93660.50%24,89531.42%4,8306.10%6900.87%7640.96%1200.15%23,04129.08%79,235
Warren 3,86155.79%2,59737.53%2974.29%1041.50%460.66%150.22%1,26418.26%6,920
Washington 8,40253.87%6,39040.97%3822.45%3202.05%790.51%240.15%2,01212.90%15,597
Waynesboro 3,69761.84%1,92632.22%2554.27%721.20%230.38%50.08%1,77129.62%5,978
Westmoreland 2,51050.31%2,27145.52%1332.67%440.88%240.48%70.14%2394.79%4,989
Williamsburg 1,34445.51%1,19940.60%34011.51%411.39%260.88%30.10%1454.91%2,953
Winchester 4,24064.02%2,00630.29%3204.83%180.27%340.51%50.08%2,23433.73%6,623
Wise 5,76743.89%6,77951.59%2581.96%2672.03%500.38%200.15%-1,012-7.70%13,141
Wythe 4,75854.28%3,67741.95%1641.87%951.08%610.70%110.13%1,08112.33%8,766
York 6,74455.58%4,53237.35%7235.96%360.30%950.78%30.02%2,21218.23%12,133
Totals989,60953.03%752,17440.31%95,4185.11%14,0240.75%12,8210.69%1,9860.11%237,43512.72%1,866,032

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Results by congressional district

Reagan won 9 of 10 congressional districts. Carter and Reagan each won a district won by the other party. [15]

DistrictReaganCarterRepresentative
1st 50%44% Paul Trible
2nd 51%41% G. William Whitehurst
3rd 55%40% Thomas J. Bliley Jr.
4th 46%50% Robert W. Daniel jr.
5th 56%40% Dan Daniel
6th 53%42% M. Caldwell Butler
7th 57%36% J. Kenneth Robinson
8th 56%33% Herbert E. Harris
Stanford Parris
9th 49%47% Will Wampler
10th 54%34% Joseph L. Fisher
Frank R. Wolf

Analysis

Virginia was ultimately won by Reagan with a substantially larger majority than predicted by the Roanoke Times a week before the poll. Reagan received 53.03 percent of the vote to Carter's 40.31 percent and Independent Representative John B. Anderson of Illinois’s 5.11 percent, which was still Anderson's second-best performance in a former Confederate state. [16] The national election was ultimately won by Reagan with 50.75 percent of the vote. [17] In this election, Virginia voted 2.98 points to the right of the nation at-large.

As of the 2020 presidential election , this is the last occasion when Franklin County, Isle of Wight County, Craig County, Louisa County and Pulaski County have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. It is also the last time Arlington County and Alexandria City have voted for a Republican presidential candidate. [18]

References

  1. Heinemann, Ronald L. (2008). Old Dominion, New Commonwealth: A History of Virginia, 1607-2007. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 357. ISBN   978-0813927695.
  2. Phillips, Kevin P. (1969). The Emerging Republican Majority. pp. 260–266. ISBN   0870000586.
  3. Atkinson, Frank B. (2006). The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the Rise of Two-party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   9780742552098.
  4. Evans, Rowland; Novak, Robert (October 16, 1972). "Consider Virginia: McGovern, Nixon Creating a No-Party System in South". The Miami Herald . pp. 7–A.
  5. Wharton, Elizabeth (October 3, 1980). "Carter, Reagan Stump Virginia". Ukiah Daily Journal . Ukiah, California. p. 2.
  6. "Byrd Says He'll Vote for Reagan". Daily Press . Newport News, Virginia. October 15, 1980. p. 3.
  7. Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  8. Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
  9. Mears, Walter R. (October 26, 1980). "Carter–Reagan Race Tightens Near Finish". Kansas City Star . pp. 1A, 14A.
  10. Beagle, Ben (October 26, 1980). "Survey Says Reagan Leading by 9% in Virginia". The Roanoke Times. Roanoke, Virginia. pp. 1, 3.
  11. "Survey Says Reagan is 68 Votes Short". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. October 26, 1980. p. A-2.
  12. "Down by the Wire: State by State, It's Just too Close to Call". Daily Press. Victorville, California. November 3, 1980. p. B-1.
  13. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1980" (PDF). clerk.house.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2022.
  14. "1980 President General Election". Virginia Department of State: Historical Elections Database. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  15. Politics in America (Report). Congressional Quarterly, inc. 1981. pp. 1234–1251.
  16. "1980 Presidential General Election Results — Virginia". uselectionatlas.org. Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  17. "1980 Presidential General Election Data — National". uselectionatlas.org. Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  18. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016

Works cited