1980 United States presidential election in North Carolina
← 1976 November 4, 1980 1984 →
 
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%
President before election

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

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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, 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]

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

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

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