1980 United States presidential election in Minnesota explained

See main article: 1980 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1980 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Country:Minnesota
Flag Year:1957
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1976 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Previous Year:1976
Next Election:1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Next Year:1984
Turnout:72.14%[1]
Election Date:November 4, 1980
Image1:Carter cropped.jpg
Nominee1:Jimmy Carter
Party1:Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Home State1:Georgia
Running Mate1:Walter Mondale
Electoral Vote1:10
Popular Vote1:954,174
Percentage1:46.50%
Nominee2:Ronald Reagan
Party2:Republican Party of Minnesota
Home State2:California
Running Mate2:George H. W. Bush
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:873,241
Percentage2:42.56%
Image3:John B. Anderson in New Jersey (cropped).jpg
Nominee3:John B. Anderson
Color3:DDDDBB
Party3:Anderson Coalition
Home State3:Illinois
Running Mate3:Patrick Lucey
Electoral Vote3:0
Popular Vote3:174,990
Percentage3:8.53%
Map Size:320px
President
Before Election:Jimmy Carter
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Ronald Reagan
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1980 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 1980, as part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose ten representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice-president.

After having leaned strongly Republican until the 1930s, Minnesota had become one of the most Democratic states in the country during the 1970s: in 1972 it was George McGovern’s second-best state in his disastrous landslide loss and more than one-seventh of the 130 counties he won nationally lay within the state. In 1974, Governor Wendell Anderson won every county in the state in a landslide gubernatorial triumph during the aftermath of Watergate.

Late in February, Carter won the state’s Democratic Party caucus over Ted Kennedy,[2] and defeated 1976 challenger Reagan did the same for the Republicans.[3] At the beginning of the campaign in July, Reagan aimed to focus on the problem of Carter and his lack of leadership in the industrial strongholds of the Midwest like Minnesota,[4] although by August polls were suggesting Carter was strong in the state despite John Anderson’s third-party candidacy.[5] However, by the middle of October Minnesota was once again rated as a “tossup”.[6]

Incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter carried the state by 80,933 votes over former California Governor Ronald Reagan. This gave him one of just seven victories in the election (the others being Maryland, West Virginia, Hawaii, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia and his home state of Georgia). Carter became the first Democrat to win Minnesota consecutively since Franklin D. Roosevelt, who won the state every year from 1932 to 1944. Despite Carter's win in Minnesota, Reagan became the first Republican to carry Mahnomen County since Warren G. Harding in 1920.[7]

Nationally, Reagan won the election with 489 electoral votes and 50.75% of the popular vote. Minnesota was the only state not to back Reagan in either of his presidential campaigns, casting its electoral votes in favor of Walter Mondale (a Minnesota native) in 1984.

Results

1980 United States presidential election in Minnesota[8]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic (DFL)Jimmy Carter (incumbent)954,17446.50%10
RepublicanRonald Reagan873,24142.56%0
Anderson CoalitionJohn B. Anderson174,990 8.53%0
LibertarianEd Clark31,592 1.54% 0
CitizensBarry Commoner8,4070.41%0
AmericanNo Candidate6,139 0.30% 0
CommunistGus Hall1,1840.03%0
Socialist WorkersClifton DeBerry7110.03%0
Workers WorldDeirdre Griswold6980.03%0
SocialistDavid McReynolds5360.03%0
Write-insWrite-ins2810.01%0
Invalid or blank votes
Totals2,079,451100.00%10
Voter turnout75%

Results by county

County[9] Jimmy Carter
DFL
Ronald Reagan
Republican
John B. Anderson
Anderson Coalition
Ed Clark
Libertarian
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
%%%%%%
Aitkin3,67747.94%3,39644.28%3804.95%1632.13%540.70%2813.66%7,670
Anoka45,53251.83%33,10037.68%6,8287.77%1,6311.86%7520.86%12,43214.15%87,843
Becker5,22139.75%6,84852.14%8666.59%1511.15%480.37%-1,627-12.39%13,134
Beltrami7,43247.83%6,48141.71%1,2548.07%2531.63%1170.75%9516.12%15,537
Benton5,27244.75%5,51346.79%6465.48%2131.81%1381.17%-241-2.04%11,782
Big Stone1,81444.34%1,95047.67%2496.09%561.37%220.54%-136-3.33%4,091
Blue Earth10,93041.82%11,96645.78%2,69810.32%3271.25%2170.83%-1,036-3.96%26,138
Brown4,91534.80%8,05157.01%8425.96%2561.81%580.41%-3,136-22.21%14,122
Carlton8,82259.48%4,76032.09%8835.95%2791.88%890.60%4,06227.39%14,833
Carver6,62135.83%9,90953.62%1,4968.09%3331.80%1220.66%-3,288-17.79%18,481
Cass4,71741.07%6,11953.28%4343.78%1781.55%370.32%-1,402-12.21%11,485
Chippewa3,16439.08%4,25252.51%5326.57%1171.44%320.40%-1,088-13.43%8,097
Chisago6,24049.83%5,01740.06%9397.50%2642.11%630.50%1,2239.77%12,523
Clay8,94039.72%10,44746.41%2,77312.32%2210.98%1270.56%-1,507-6.69%22,508
Clearwater1,95547.26%1,91946.39%1854.47%601.45%180.44%360.87%4,137
Cook87138.44%1,14750.62%1828.03%482.12%180.79%-276-12.18%2,266
Cottonwood2,95837.70%4,25854.26%5356.82%770.98%190.24%-1,300-16.56%7,847
Crow Wing9,32343.01%10,84450.03%1,0464.83%3671.69%970.45%-1,521-7.02%21,677
Dakota43,43345.84%40,70842.96%8,5889.06%1,5261.61%5000.53%2,7252.88%94,755
Dodge2,69838.00%3,90054.93%3675.17%921.30%430.61%-1,202-16.93%7,100
Douglas5,53038.28%7,77853.85%8445.84%2261.56%670.46%-2,248-15.57%14,445
Faribault3,62034.54%6,20659.21%5255.01%1051.00%250.24%-2,586-24.67%10,481
Fillmore4,01035.45%6,45257.04%6505.75%1571.39%430.38%-2,442-21.59%11,312
Freeborn8,21246.17%8,47547.65%8084.54%2251.27%650.37%-263-1.48%17,785
Goodhue8,56642.31%9,32946.07%1,9649.70%2881.42%1010.50%-763-3.76%20,248
Grant1,82242.65%2,05448.08%3337.79%541.26%90.21%-232-5.43%4,272
Hennepin239,59247.41%194,89838.57%56,39011.16%6,6471.32%7,8451.55%44,6948.84%505,372
Houston3,21833.94%5,58258.88%4775.03%1491.57%550.58%-2,364-24.94%9,481
Hubbard2,84037.80%4,17255.53%3654.86%1051.40%310.41%-1,332-17.73%7,513
Isanti5,45750.49%4,48041.45%6415.93%1791.66%520.48%9779.04%10,809
Itasca12,13454.59%8,36837.65%1,0804.86%4872.19%1590.72%3,76616.94%22,228
Jackson3,06243.35%3,39148.00%4636.55%1231.74%250.35%-329-4.65%7,064
Kanabec2,65448.18%2,50045.39%2694.88%681.23%170.31%1542.79%5,508
Kandiyohi8,03844.42%8,48046.86%1,2446.87%2761.53%570.32%-442-2.44%18,095
Kittson1,40739.33%1,87552.42%2436.79%361.01%160.45%-468-13.09%3,577
Koochiching4,18150.68%3,43341.61%4966.01%1101.33%300.36%7489.07%8,250
Lac qui Parle2,45741.62%2,98150.50%3345.66%1121.90%190.32%-524-8.88%5,903
Lake3,86455.75%2,41434.83%4436.39%1602.31%500.72%1,45020.92%6,931
Lake of the Woods76338.15%1,05252.60%1286.40%442.20%130.65%-289-14.45%2,000
Le Sueur5,16144.40%5,47847.12%7316.29%1871.61%680.58%-317-2.72%11,625
Lincoln1,64039.80%2,12251.49%2957.16%481.16%160.39%-482-11.69%4,121
Lyon5,62643.58%5,85245.33%1,1298.74%2371.84%670.52%-226-1.75%12,911
Mahnomen1,17544.59%1,27548.39%1535.81%230.87%90.34%-100-3.80%2,635
Marshall2,63638.91%3,63853.70%3975.86%801.18%240.35%-1,002-14.79%6,775
Martin4,30134.98%7,05757.40%7516.11%1481.20%370.30%-2,756-22.42%12,294
McLeod4,98735.53%7,81955.71%8526.07%3082.19%690.49%-2,832-20.18%14,035
Meeker4,23841.98%5,03249.85%6686.62%1241.23%330.33%-794-7.87%10,095
Mille Lacs4,44349.30%3,86042.83%5506.10%1261.40%340.38%5836.47%9,013
Morrison6,93049.44%6,29644.91%5593.99%1741.24%590.42%6344.53%14,018
Mower10,53851.85%7,90838.91%1,4657.21%2811.38%1330.65%2,63012.94%20,325
Murray2,71443.87%3,00448.56%3595.80%881.42%210.34%-290-4.69%6,186
Nicollet5,40039.64%6,43647.25%1,51911.15%2011.48%660.48%-1,036-7.61%13,622
Nobles4,70345.37%4,70645.40%6576.34%1781.72%1211.17%-3-0.03%10,365
Norman2,25346.17%2,19244.92%3697.56%460.94%200.41%611.25%4,880
Olmsted13,98334.18%22,70455.50%3,6388.89%4381.07%1480.36%-8,721-21.32%40,911
Otter Tail9,10834.85%15,09157.74%1,5385.88%3311.27%700.27%-5,983-22.89%26,138
Pennington3,10141.81%3,71550.09%4656.27%690.93%660.89%-614-8.28%7,416
Pine5,12152.86%3,89940.25%4674.82%1521.57%480.50%1,22212.61%9,687
Pipestone2,39238.31%3,20751.37%5618.99%721.15%110.18%-815-13.06%6,243
Polk7,15140.53%9,03651.21%1,2076.84%1630.92%870.49%-1,885-10.68%17,644
Pope2,52741.07%3,15951.34%3545.75%751.22%380.62%-632-10.27%6,153
Ramsey124,77453.61%78,86033.88%23,2229.98%3,6501.57%2,2380.96%45,91419.73%232,744
Red Lake1,31848.69%1,22345.18%1164.29%311.15%190.70%953.51%2,707
Redwood2,95230.44%5,99361.79%5485.65%1511.56%550.57%-3,041-31.35%9,699
Renville4,05838.85%5,54453.08%6536.25%1551.48%340.33%-1,486-14.23%10,444
Rice9,53146.10%8,16839.51%2,41411.68%3501.69%2101.02%1,3636.59%20,673
Rock2,08936.57%3,16455.38%3976.95%540.95%90.16%-1,075-18.81%5,713
Roseau2,61641.41%3,35853.16%2594.10%550.87%290.46%-742-11.75%6,317
St. Louis69,40360.52%33,40729.13%8,7197.60%2,2021.92%9430.82%35,99631.39%114,674
Scott9,11545.49%9,01845.00%1,4757.36%3561.78%740.37%970.49%20,038
Sherburne6,22945.73%6,03544.31%9857.23%3002.20%710.52%1941.42%13,620
Sibley2,52132.99%4,46058.36%5096.66%1211.58%310.41%-1,939-25.37%7,642
Stearns21,86242.43%24,88848.31%3,5556.90%8611.67%3560.69%-3,026-5.88%51,522
Steele5,09535.68%7,80554.66%1,0877.61%2401.68%520.36%-2,710-18.98%14,279
Stevens2,55939.52%3,28350.69%5248.09%741.14%360.56%-724-11.17%6,476
Swift3,24547.56%2,94343.13%5117.49%1021.49%220.32%3024.43%6,823
Todd4,97541.08%6,45153.27%4513.72%1941.60%400.33%-1,476-12.19%12,111
Traverse1,25841.52%1,57451.95%1595.25%280.92%110.36%-316-10.43%3,030
Wabasha3,71239.27%4,98652.75%5495.81%1651.75%410.43%-1,274-13.48%9,453
Wadena2,63537.10%4,08957.57%2653.73%971.37%170.24%-1,454-20.47%7,103
Waseca3,53538.01%4,80151.62%7778.35%1631.75%250.27%-1,266-13.61%9,301
Washington25,63446.69%22,71841.38%5,0509.20%1,1832.15%3170.58%2,9165.31%54,902
Watonwan2,44237.07%3,62955.09%4156.30%801.21%210.32%-1,187-18.02%6,587
Wilkin1,49636.43%2,22454.15%3187.74%581.41%110.27%-728-17.72%4,107
Winona9,81442.85%10,33245.11%1,7807.77%5732.50%4041.76%-518-2.26%22,903
Wright12,38345.88%12,29345.54%1,6926.27%5261.95%970.36%900.34%26,991
Yellow Medicine2,83338.18%4,00453.95%4566.14%1111.50%170.23%-1,171-15.77%7,421
Totals954,17446.50%873,24142.56%174,9908.53%31,5921.54%17,9560.88%80,9333.94%2,051,953

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State. www.sos.state.mn.us. en. 2017-07-22.
  2. ‘Carter Beats Kennedy In Minnesota Voting; Reagan Takes a Lead: Carter Runaway Was Expected’; The New York Times, February 27, 1980, p. A18
  3. ‘Carter and Reagan Win in Minnesota’; The Boston Globe, February 27, 1980, p. 1
  4. ‘Reagan to Attack “Failed Presidency”: Reagan to Make Carter the Issue in Democratic Strongholds’; The Washington Post, 19 July 1980, p. A1
  5. Cattani, richard J.; ‘Carter, Reagan hustle to bolster bids in key states’; The Christian Science Monitor; September 22, 1980
  6. ‘Campaign Report: Associated Press-NBC Poll Says Reagan Leads Carter’; The New York Times, October 14, 1980, p. D22
  7. Menendez, Albert J. The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 228-232
  8. Web site: 1980 Presidential Election Results – Minnesota . 2014-01-23 . Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas.
  9. Web site: Our Campaigns. MN US President Race, November 04, 1980.