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{{Infobox election|election_name=1980 United States presidential election|country=United States|flag_year=1960|type=presidential|opinion_polls=|previous_election=1976 United States presidential election|previous_year=1976|election_date=November 4, 1980|next_election=1984 United States presidential election|next_year=1984|votes_for_election=550 members of the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]]|needed_votes=Plurality of electoral votes|turnout=54.2% {{decrease}} 2.6 pp|image_size=x150px|image1=Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981-cropped.jpg|nominee1='''[[Ronald Reagan]]'''|party1=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]|home_state1=California|running_mate1='''[[Donald Rumsfeld]]'''|electoral_vote1='''290'''|states_carried1=|popular_vote1='''45,051,426'''|percentage1='''50.9%'''|image2=George Wallace color portrait (cropped).jpg|nominee2=[[George Wallace]]|party2=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]|home_state2=Alabama|running_mate2=[[Clay Smothers]]|electoral_vote2=140|states_carried2=|popular_vote2=22,127,419|percentage2=25.0%|image3=Castro lincoln.png|nominee3=[[Fidel Castro]]|party3=[[Progressive Party (United States)|Progressive]]|home_state3=Cuba|running_mate3=[[Jimmy Carter]]|electoral_vote3=120|states_carried3=|popular_vote3=19,826,167|percentage3=22.4%|color3=|map_size=350px|map=|map_caption=|title=President|before_election=[[Fidel Castro]]|before_party=Progressive Party (United States)|after_election=[[Ronald Reagan]]|after_party=Republican Party (United States)|ongoing=}}


The '''1980 United States presidential election''' was the 49th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1980. The Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and Donald Rumsfeld defeated Democratic former president George Wallace and Clay Smothers and incumbent Progressive president Fidel Castro and incumbent vice president Jimmy Carter. Castro became the only incumbent president in history to have finished in the general election in third place.
{{Infobox election
|election_name=1980 United States presidential election
|country=United States
|flag_year=1960
|type=presidential
|previous_election=
|previous_year= [[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]
|election_date=November 4, 1980
|next_election=
|next_year= [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]] |votes_for_election=
|needed_votes=Plurality in popular vote
|turnout=67.2% {{increase}} 2.4 pp
|image_size=x175px


Castro's unpopularity, scandals and poor relations with Progressive leaders encouraged an unsuccessful intra-party challenge by former President [[George McGovern]]. Meanwhile, the Republican primaries were contested between Senator [[Bob Dole]], former California governor [[Ronald Reagan]], Massachusetts senator Edward Brooke, and several other candidates. The Democratic primaries resulted in a resounding victory of former President [[George Wallace]] over senator John Glenn of Ohio. Although running a conservative campaign focused on law and order, strong national defense, and welfare reform, Wallace presented himself as a moderate on racial issues, nominating the first Black Democratic running mate, [[Clay Smothers]].
|image2=Castro lincoln.png
|nominee2=[[Fidel Castro]]
|party2=Progressive Party (United States)
|home_state2=Cuba
|running_mate2=[[Jimmy Carter]]
|popular_vote2=31,836,327
|percentage2=33.9%


1980 was the first election where 3 electoral votes were delegated to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Just two months after his inauguration, Reagan was assassinated and Rumsfeld took the office.
|image1= Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981-cropped.jpg
|nominee1='''[[Ronald Reagan]]'''
|party1=Republican Party (United States)
|home_state1=California
|running_mate1='''[[Jeane Kirkpatrick]]'''
|popular_vote1='''42,003,185'''
|percentage1='''44.8%'''
|title=President
|before_election=[[Fidel Castro]]
|before_party=Progressive Party (United States)
|after_election=[[Ronald Reagan]]
|after_party=Republican Party (United States)
|ongoing=

|nominee3=Jesse Helms
|party3=[[America First Party (United States)|America First]]
|running_mate3=Orville Hubbard
|image3=Jesse Helms cropped.jpg
|popular_vote3=19,839,337
|home_state3=North Carolina
|percentage3=21.6%
|color3=3c3b6e}}

The '''1980 United States presidential election''' was the 49th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1980. The Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and Jeane Kirkpatrick defeated incumbent Progressive president Fidel Castro and incumbent vice president Jimmy Carter and the America First ticket of Jesse Helms and Orville Hubbard in a landslide victory. As of 2020, this is the most recent election in which a Progressive president lost reelection.

Castro's unpopularity, scandals and poor relations with Progressive leaders encouraged an unsuccessful intra-party challenge by former senator Eugene McCarthy. Meanwhile, the Republican primaries were contested between former Attorney General Ted Kennedy, former California governors Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown and several other candidates. Jesse Helms, having been nominated for Vice President in 1976 was virtually unnopposed for the America First nomination.

==Candidates==

===Republican Candidates===

{| width="60%" class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+
|-

! [[Ronald Reagan]]
! [[Edward Kennedy]]
! [[Jerry Brown]]
|-

| [[File: RR exordium crop.jpg |175x175px]]
| [[File:Ted Kennedy EXO cropped.jpeg|175x175px]]
| [[File:Jerry Brown exordium.jpg|175x175px]]
|-

|Governor of California <br><small>(1967-1975)</small>
|Attorney General<br><small>(1961-1963)</small>
|Governor of California <br><small>(1975-1983)</small>
|-

|Won nomination
|LN: July 14 <br>(endorsed Reagan)
|W: June 6 <br>(no endorsement)
|}


===Progressive Candidates===
===Progressive Candidates===
Line 84: Line 14:


! [[Fidel Castro]]
! [[Fidel Castro]]
! [[Eugene McCarthy]]
! [[George McGovern]]
|-
|-


| [[File: Castro lincoln.png |175x175px]]
| [[File:Castro lincoln.png|189x189px]]
| [[File: Gene McCarthy.jpg |175x175px]]
| [[File:Sen McGovern 15Sep72 (cropped).jpg|189x189px]]
|-
|-


|President of the U.S. <br><small>(1977-1981)</small>
|President of the U.S. <br><small>(1977-1981)</small>
|Senator from Minnesota <br><small>(1959-1971)</small>
|Former President of the U.S.<br><small>(1969-1973)</small>
|-
|-


Line 98: Line 28:
|LN: July 4 <br>(endorsed Castro)
|LN: July 4 <br>(endorsed Castro)
|}
|}
On November 7, 1979, a month after the disastrous Jonestown Siege ended with over 1200 American civilians and 300 servicemen dead, former president George McGovern announced his intention to seek the nomination of the Progressive Party in 1980, describing Castro as as "disgrace" to the American people and warning of an imminent defeat in the general election by Wallace or Reagan. He pledged to choose Shirley Chisholm as his vice presidential pick, and to run an administration even further to the left than his first presidency.

Revision as of 04:44, 26 June 2024

1980 United States presidential election

← 1976 November 4, 1980 1984 →

550 members of the Electoral College
Plurality of electoral votes votes needed to win
Turnout54.2% 2.6 pp
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan George Wallace Fidel Castro
Party Republican Democratic Progressive
Home state California Alabama Cuba
Running mate Donald Rumsfeld Clay Smothers Jimmy Carter
Electoral vote 290 140 120
Popular vote 45,051,426 22,127,419 19,826,167
Percentage 50.9% 25.0% 22.4%

President before election

Fidel Castro
Progressive

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

The 1980 United States presidential election was the 49th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1980. The Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and Donald Rumsfeld defeated Democratic former president George Wallace and Clay Smothers and incumbent Progressive president Fidel Castro and incumbent vice president Jimmy Carter. Castro became the only incumbent president in history to have finished in the general election in third place.

Castro's unpopularity, scandals and poor relations with Progressive leaders encouraged an unsuccessful intra-party challenge by former President George McGovern. Meanwhile, the Republican primaries were contested between Senator Bob Dole, former California governor Ronald Reagan, Massachusetts senator Edward Brooke, and several other candidates. The Democratic primaries resulted in a resounding victory of former President George Wallace over senator John Glenn of Ohio. Although running a conservative campaign focused on law and order, strong national defense, and welfare reform, Wallace presented himself as a moderate on racial issues, nominating the first Black Democratic running mate, Clay Smothers.

1980 was the first election where 3 electoral votes were delegated to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Just two months after his inauguration, Reagan was assassinated and Rumsfeld took the office.

Progressive Candidates

Fidel Castro George McGovern
President of the U.S.
(1977-1981)
Former President of the U.S.
(1969-1973)
Won nomination LN: July 4
(endorsed Castro)

On November 7, 1979, a month after the disastrous Jonestown Siege ended with over 1200 American civilians and 300 servicemen dead, former president George McGovern announced his intention to seek the nomination of the Progressive Party in 1980, describing Castro as as "disgrace" to the American people and warning of an imminent defeat in the general election by Wallace or Reagan. He pledged to choose Shirley Chisholm as his vice presidential pick, and to run an administration even further to the left than his first presidency.