1980 United States presidential election in Iowa
← 1976 November 4, 1980 1984 →
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter John B. Anderson
Party Republican Democratic Independent

(Nominated By Petition)

Home state California Georgia Illinois
Running mate George H. W. Bush Walter Mondale Patrick Lucey
Electoral vote 8 0 0
Popular vote 676,026 508,672 115,633
Percentage 51.31% 38.60% 8.78%
County Results
President before election

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

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The 1980 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. Voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Iowa was won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan (R) by a comfortable margin of about 13 points.[1] As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last presidential election in which a Republican has won Iowa by more than 10 points, as well as the last time a Republican won Polk County,[2] home to Iowa's capital and most populated city, Des Moines. It was also the last time until Donald Trump in 2016 that a Republican presidential candidate won the following counties: Boone, Cerro Gordo, Lee, Webster and Worth.[2]

With Carter losing Iowa twice, he became the fifth American president and currently the last of 4 Democrats to have ever held office without winning the state in an election.

Caucus Results

1980 Democratic Caucus Results
Candidate SDE Delegates
Jimmy Carter 1,840 35
Ted Kennedy 995 19
Uncommitted 304 0
Totals 3,139 54

Note: SDE stands for 'State Delegate Equivalents' which (until 2020) was the closest thing to a popular vote available for the Democratic Caucus.

1980 Republican Caucus Results
Candidate Votes Delegates
George H.W. Bush 33,530 15
Ronald Reagan 31,348 15
Howard Baker 16,216 8
John Connally 9,861 0
Phil Crane 7,135 0
John Anderson 4,585 0
Uncommitted 1,800 0
Robert Dole 1,576 0
Totals 106,051 38

Results

Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Ronald Reagan of California George H. W. Bush Republican 8 676,026 51.31%
Jimmy Carter Walter Mondale Democratic 0 508,672 38.60%
John B. Anderson Patrick Lucey Independent 0 115,633 8.78%
Edward E. Clark David Koch Libertarian 0 13,123 1.00%
Barry Commoner LaDonna Harris Citizens 0 2,273 0.17%
David McReynolds Diane Drufenbrock Socialist 0 534 0.04%
— — Write-ins 0 519 0.04%
Gus Hall Angela Davis Communist 0 298 0.02%
Clifton DeBerry Matilde Zimmermann Socialist Workers 0 244 0.02%
Percy Greaves Jr. Frank Varnum American 0 189 0.01%
Benjamin Bubar Earl Dodge Statesman 0 150 0.01%

Results by county

County[3] Ronald Reagan
Republican 		Jimmy Carter
Democratic 		John B. Anderson
Nominated By Petition 		Ed Clark
Libertarian 		Barry Commoner
Citizens 		Various candidates
Other parties 		Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Adair 2,821 60.16% 1,454 31.01% 356 7.59% 48 1.02% 8 0.17% 2 0.04% 1,367 29.15% 4,689
Adams 1,779 59.62% 940 31.50% 214 7.17% 45 1.51% 2 0.07% 4 0.13% 839 28.12% 2,984
Allamakee 4,000 60.73% 2,170 32.95% 343 5.21% 54 0.82% 11 0.17% 8 0.12% 1,830 27.78% 6,586
Appanoose 3,544 52.68% 2,769 41.16% 353 5.25% 50 0.74% 5 0.07% 7 0.10% 775 11.52% 6,728
Audubon 2,523 57.96% 1,546 35.52% 251 5.77% 25 0.57% 4 0.09% 4 0.09% 977 22.44% 4,353
Benton 5,329 50.11% 4,223 39.71% 948 8.91% 116 1.09% 6 0.06% 13 0.12% 1,106 10.40% 10,635
Black Hawk 29,627 46.49% 27,443 43.07% 5,847 9.18% 535 0.84% 121 0.19% 149 0.23% 2,184 3.42% 63,722
Boone 5,732 47.42% 5,126 42.41% 1,081 8.94% 120 0.99% 16 0.13% 12 0.10% 606 5.01% 12,087
Bremer 6,706 59.25% 3,527 31.16% 970 8.57% 97 0.86% 13 0.11% 5 0.04% 3,179 28.09% 11,318
Buchanan 5,041 53.50% 3,605 38.26% 689 7.31% 76 0.81% 6 0.06% 5 0.05% 1,436 15.24% 9,422
Buena Vista 5,272 54.49% 3,468 35.84% 771 7.97% 144 1.49% 8 0.08% 13 0.13% 1,804 18.65% 9,676
Butler 4,730 65.90% 1,990 27.73% 392 5.46% 56 0.78% 5 0.07% 4 0.06% 2,740 38.17% 7,177
Calhoun 3,633 57.41% 2,150 33.98% 407 6.43% 122 1.93% 4 0.06% 12 0.19% 1,483 23.43% 6,328
Carroll 5,017 51.53% 3,885 39.90% 736 7.56% 84 0.86% 7 0.07% 8 0.08% 1,132 11.63% 9,737
Cass 5,391 66.34% 2,176 26.78% 475 5.85% 70 0.86% 3 0.04% 11 0.14% 3,215 39.56% 8,126
Cedar 4,398 56.41% 2,589 33.21% 697 8.94% 83 1.06% 18 0.23% 12 0.15% 1,809 23.20% 7,797
Cerro Gordo 11,189 49.01% 9,363 41.02% 2,024 8.87% 185 0.81% 31 0.14% 36 0.16% 1,826 7.99% 22,828
Cherokee 4,087 54.49% 2,719 36.25% 599 7.99% 81 1.08% 2 0.03% 12 0.16% 1,368 18.24% 7,500
Chickasaw 3,929 52.86% 2,935 39.49% 500 6.73% 60 0.81% 2 0.03% 7 0.09% 994 13.37% 7,433
Clarke 2,417 54.88% 1,614 36.65% 310 7.04% 59 1.34% 1 0.02% 3 0.07% 803 18.23% 4,404
Clay 4,479 51.11% 3,179 36.27% 991 11.31% 101 1.15% 7 0.08% 7 0.08% 1,300 14.84% 8,764
Clayton 5,115 55.56% 3,297 35.81% 669 7.27% 106 1.15% 9 0.10% 10 0.11% 1,818 19.75% 9,206
Clinton 13,025 51.66% 9,698 38.47% 2,140 8.49% 260 1.03% 35 0.14% 53 0.21% 3,327 13.19% 25,211
Crawford 4,883 61.02% 2,500 31.24% 509 6.36% 97 1.21% 10 0.12% 3 0.04% 2,383 29.78% 8,002
Dallas 6,296 48.57% 5,310 40.96% 1,200 9.26% 128 0.99% 16 0.12% 14 0.11% 986 7.61% 12,964
Davis 2,003 50.97% 1,689 42.98% 200 5.09% 32 0.81% 2 0.05% 4 0.10% 314 7.99% 3,930
Decatur 2,212 47.67% 2,048 44.14% 318 6.85% 50 1.08% 7 0.15% 5 0.11% 164 3.53% 4,640
Delaware 4,316 55.38% 2,671 34.27% 727 9.33% 62 0.80% 16 0.21% 2 0.03% 1,645 21.11% 7,794
Des Moines 9,158 44.85% 9,977 48.87% 1,041 5.10% 183 0.90% 29 0.14% 29 0.14% -819 -4.02% 20,417
Dickinson 4,028 54.13% 2,620 35.21% 687 9.23% 86 1.16% 11 0.15% 10 0.13% 1,408 18.92% 7,442
Dubuque 18,649 44.90% 18,689 44.99% 3,708 8.93% 368 0.89% 67 0.16% 58 0.14% -40 -0.09% 41,539
Emmet 3,062 53.49% 2,153 37.61% 446 7.79% 55 0.96% 4 0.07% 4 0.07% 909 15.88% 5,724
Fayette 6,374 55.32% 4,377 37.98% 647 5.61% 100 0.87% 10 0.09% 15 0.13% 1,997 17.34% 11,523
Floyd 4,665 51.16% 3,634 39.86% 728 7.98% 66 0.72% 5 0.05% 20 0.22% 1,031 11.30% 9,118
Franklin 3,290 57.90% 1,920 33.79% 406 7.15% 56 0.99% 3 0.05% 7 0.12% 1,370 24.11% 5,682
Fremont 2,693 65.19% 1,203 29.12% 191 4.62% 43 1.04% 1 0.02% 0 0.00% 1,490 36.07% 4,131
Greene 3,154 53.11% 2,210 37.21% 510 8.59% 55 0.93% 5 0.08% 5 0.08% 944 15.90% 5,939
Grundy 4,644 66.10% 1,869 26.60% 440 6.26% 56 0.80% 10 0.14% 7 0.10% 2,775 39.50% 7,026
Guthrie 3,214 58.29% 1,866 33.84% 384 6.96% 44 0.80% 3 0.05% 3 0.05% 1,348 24.45% 5,514
Hamilton 4,745 57.40% 2,741 33.16% 679 8.21% 82 0.99% 11 0.13% 8 0.10% 2,004 24.24% 8,266
Hancock 3,681 60.42% 1,918 31.48% 462 7.58% 17 0.28% 8 0.13% 6 0.10% 1,763 28.94% 6,092
Hardin 5,329 53.72% 3,757 37.87% 730 7.36% 89 0.90% 3 0.03% 12 0.12% 1,572 15.85% 9,920
Harrison 4,502 63.83% 2,152 30.51% 311 4.41% 81 1.15% 1 0.01% 6 0.09% 2,350 33.32% 7,053
Henry 4,430 52.35% 3,317 39.20% 629 7.43% 70 0.83% 11 0.13% 5 0.06% 1,113 13.15% 8,462
Howard 2,975 53.35% 2,214 39.71% 336 6.03% 42 0.75% 5 0.09% 4 0.07% 761 13.64% 5,576
Humboldt 3,575 60.60% 1,840 31.19% 394 6.68% 77 1.31% 7 0.12% 6 0.10% 1,735 29.41% 5,899
Ida 2,825 64.88% 1,235 28.36% 254 5.83% 37 0.85% 1 0.02% 2 0.05% 1,590 36.52% 4,354
Iowa 4,153 55.21% 2,606 34.65% 667 8.87% 84 1.12% 5 0.07% 7 0.09% 1,547 20.56% 7,522
Jackson 4,479 51.17% 3,518 40.19% 622 7.11% 106 1.21% 16 0.18% 13 0.15% 961 10.98% 8,754
Jasper 8,286 48.84% 7,258 42.78% 1,221 7.20% 152 0.90% 28 0.17% 21 0.12% 1,028 6.06% 16,966
Jefferson 4,099 56.16% 2,577 35.31% 505 6.92% 99 1.36% 9 0.12% 10 0.14% 1,522 20.85% 7,299
Johnson 13,642 31.73% 20,122 46.80% 8,101 18.84% 508 1.18% 403 0.94% 221 0.51% -6,480 -15.07% 42,997
Jones 4,506 50.56% 3,521 39.50% 759 8.52% 114 1.28% 4 0.04% 9 0.10% 985 11.06% 8,913
Keokuk 3,145 52.64% 2,390 40.00% 369 6.18% 62 1.04% 1 0.02% 8 0.13% 755 12.64% 5,975
Kossuth 5,568 54.26% 3,810 37.13% 775 7.55% 94 0.92% 10 0.10% 5 0.05% 1,758 17.13% 10,262
Lee 8,793 48.14% 8,204 44.92% 1,047 5.73% 183 1.00% 21 0.11% 17 0.09% 589 3.22% 18,265
Linn 36,254 46.35% 31,950 40.84% 8,773 11.22% 994 1.27% 107 0.14% 146 0.19% 4,304 5.51% 78,224
Louisa 2,530 55.19% 1,700 37.09% 291 6.35% 57 1.24% 4 0.09% 2 0.04% 830 18.10% 4,584
Lucas 2,593 52.61% 1,989 40.35% 291 5.90% 49 0.99% 6 0.12% 1 0.02% 604 12.26% 4,929
Lyon 4,349 70.05% 1,431 23.05% 375 6.04% 48 0.77% 2 0.03% 3 0.05% 2,918 47.00% 6,208
Madison 3,320 51.79% 2,496 38.93% 505 7.88% 72 1.12% 7 0.11% 11 0.17% 824 12.86% 6,411
Mahaska 5,650 54.52% 3,968 38.29% 603 5.82% 106 1.02% 21 0.20% 15 0.14% 1,682 16.23% 10,363
Marion 6,665 49.30% 5,490 40.61% 1,232 9.11% 108 0.80% 10 0.07% 13 0.10% 1,175 8.69% 13,518
Marshall 10,707 54.56% 7,114 36.25% 1,541 7.85% 188 0.96% 37 0.19% 39 0.20% 3,593 18.31% 19,626
Mills 3,581 69.09% 1,244 24.00% 281 5.42% 60 1.16% 6 0.12% 11 0.21% 2,337 45.09% 5,183
Mitchell 3,401 58.00% 2,040 34.79% 361 6.16% 49 0.84% 5 0.09% 8 0.14% 1,361 23.21% 5,864
Monona 3,268 61.85% 1,660 31.42% 275 5.20% 69 1.31% 6 0.11% 6 0.11% 1,608 30.43% 5,284
Monroe 2,003 48.65% 1,866 45.32% 216 5.25% 22 0.53% 4 0.10% 6 0.15% 137 3.33% 4,117
Montgomery 4,115 67.97% 1,556 25.70% 301 4.97% 65 1.07% 5 0.08% 12 0.20% 2,559 42.27% 6,054
Muscatine 7,829 51.69% 5,597 36.96% 1,522 10.05% 160 1.06% 21 0.14% 16 0.11% 2,232 14.73% 15,145
O'Brien 4,937 63.61% 2,210 28.48% 536 6.91% 63 0.81% 8 0.10% 7 0.09% 2,727 35.13% 7,761
Osceola 2,177 62.45% 1,051 30.15% 234 6.71% 20 0.57% 2 0.06% 2 0.06% 1,126 32.30% 3,486
Page 5,618 71.93% 1,772 22.69% 356 4.56% 49 0.63% 5 0.06% 10 0.13% 3,846 49.24% 7,810
Palo Alto 3,025 50.69% 2,463 41.27% 412 6.90% 60 1.01% 4 0.07% 4 0.07% 562 9.42% 5,968
Plymouth 6,515 62.97% 2,965 28.66% 756 7.31% 92 0.89% 8 0.08% 10 0.10% 3,550 34.31% 10,346
Pocahontas 3,194 56.17% 1,959 34.45% 397 6.98% 113 1.99% 7 0.12% 16 0.28% 1,235 21.72% 5,686
Polk 64,156 44.63% 61,984 43.12% 15,819 11.00% 1,301 0.90% 309 0.21% 189 0.13% 2,172 1.51% 143,758
Pottawattamie 20,222 60.96% 10,709 32.29% 1,870 5.64% 319 0.96% 17 0.05% 33 0.10% 9,513 28.67% 33,170
Poweshiek 4,598 50.52% 3,529 38.77% 821 9.02% 72 0.79% 66 0.73% 16 0.18% 1,069 11.75% 9,102
Ringgold 1,884 57.95% 1,150 35.37% 191 5.88% 25 0.77% 1 0.03% 0 0.00% 734 22.58% 3,251
Sac 3,725 59.47% 1,976 31.55% 467 7.46% 89 1.42% 1 0.02% 6 0.10% 1,749 27.92% 6,264
Scott 34,701 51.09% 26,391 38.85% 5,760 8.48% 832 1.22% 143 0.21% 99 0.15% 8,310 12.24% 67,926
Shelby 4,147 64.03% 1,892 29.21% 372 5.74% 54 0.83% 7 0.11% 5 0.08% 2,255 34.82% 6,477
Sioux 10,768 76.01% 2,698 19.04% 610 4.31% 64 0.45% 17 0.12% 10 0.07% 8,070 56.97% 14,167
Story 15,829 42.36% 13,529 36.20% 7,252 19.41% 503 1.35% 184 0.49% 74 0.20% 2,300 6.16% 37,371
Tama 4,840 56.27% 3,049 35.45% 593 6.89% 98 1.14% 8 0.09% 14 0.16% 1,791 20.82% 8,602
Taylor 2,715 64.44% 1,226 29.10% 240 5.70% 28 0.66% 1 0.02% 3 0.07% 1,489 35.34% 4,213
Union 3,372 56.40% 2,182 36.49% 368 6.15% 46 0.77% 3 0.05% 8 0.13% 1,190 19.91% 5,979
Van Buren 2,142 58.21% 1,311 35.63% 183 4.97% 36 0.98% 2 0.05% 6 0.16% 831 22.58% 3,680
Wapello 7,475 42.31% 8,923 50.50% 1,050 5.94% 176 1.00% 27 0.15% 17 0.10% -1,448 -8.19% 17,668
Warren 7,360 47.43% 6,610 42.59% 1,369 8.82% 131 0.84% 22 0.14% 27 0.17% 750 4.84% 15,519
Washington 3,967 52.01% 2,877 37.72% 703 9.22% 67 0.88% 4 0.05% 9 0.12% 1,090 14.29% 7,627
Wayne 2,221 54.12% 1,627 39.64% 218 5.31% 36 0.88% 2 0.05% 0 0.00% 594 14.48% 4,104
Webster 10,438 49.63% 9,001 42.80% 1,386 6.59% 154 0.73% 28 0.13% 23 0.11% 1,437 6.83% 21,030
Winnebago 3,808 58.77% 2,208 34.08% 417 6.44% 35 0.54% 4 0.06% 7 0.11% 1,600 24.69% 6,479
Winneshiek 5,033 54.10% 3,201 34.40% 938 10.08% 81 0.87% 39 0.42% 12 0.13% 1,832 19.70% 9,304
Woodbury 23,553 54.43% 15,930 36.81% 3,184 7.36% 489 1.13% 41 0.09% 78 0.18% 7,623 17.62% 43,275
Worth 2,247 52.13% 1,721 39.93% 301 6.98% 31 0.72% 5 0.12% 5 0.12% 526 12.20% 4,310
Wright 3,936 55.07% 2,645 37.01% 497 6.95% 57 0.80% 4 0.06% 8 0.11% 1,291 18.06% 7,147
Totals 676,026 51.31% 508,672 38.60% 115,633 8.78% 13,123 1.00% 2,273 0.17% 1,934 0.15% 167,354 12.71% 1,317,661

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

References

  1. ^ "1980 Presidential General Election Results - Iowa". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ "IA US President Race, November 04, 1980". Our Campaigns.
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