1980 United States presidential election in Arkansas explained

See main article: 1980 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	1980 United States presidential election in Arkansas
Country:	Arkansas
Flag Year:	1924
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1976 United States presidential election in Arkansas
Previous Year:	1976
Election Date:	November 4, 1980
Next Election:	1984 United States presidential election in Arkansas
Next Year:	1984
Image1:	Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981-cropped.jpg
Nominee1:	Ronald Reagan
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	California
Running Mate1:	George H. W. Bush
Electoral Vote1:	6
Popular Vote1:	403,164
Percentage1:	48.13%
Nominee2:	Jimmy Carter
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:	Georgia
Running Mate2:	Walter Mondale
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	398,041
Percentage2:	47.52%
Map Size:	250px
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 Arkansas took place on November 4, 1980. All fifty states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose six electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

The election was very close in Arkansas, with the state being won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan by only 0.6 points.^[1]

Despite incumbent Jimmy Carter having won the state four years earlier by 30 percent, Carter's perceived failures in office, including economic downturn in an election year, the Iran hostage crisis, and a riot by Cuban refugees who were temporarily placed in Fort Chaffee in western Arkansas, contributed to his defeat. While insignificant in the overall context of Reagan winning the Electoral College by a significant amount, some analysts have said the combined Democratic ticket in Arkansas in both the presidential and gubernatorial races would have won, if the riot had not occurred.

This is also the last time any candidate won the state with only a plurality as in 1992 it would be the only state in the nation besides the District of Columbia to give native son Bill Clinton a majority of the vote.^[2] This is the closest election in the state's history.

53% of white voters supported Reagan while 42% supported Carter.

Results

Results by county

County^[3]	Ronald Reagan Republican		Jimmy Carter Democratic		John B. Anderson Anderson Coalition		Ed Clark Libertarian		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Arkansas		3,409		42.69%		4,303		53.89%		193		2.42%		16		0.20%		64		0.80%		-894		-11.20%		7,985
	Ashley		3,960		45.27%		4,552		52.03%		130		1.49%		45		0.51%		61		0.70%		-592		-6.76%		8,748
	Baxter		9,684		63.93%		4,789		31.62%		494		3.26%		132		0.87%		48		0.32%		4,895		32.31%		15,147
	Benton		18,830		63.96%		9,231		31.36%		1,018		3.46%		303		1.03%		58		0.20%		9,599		32.60%		29,440
	Boone		6,778		56.07%		4,576		37.86%		429		3.55%		159		1.32%		146		1.21%		2,202		18.21%		12,088
	Bradley		1,650		33.74%		3,139		64.19%		66		1.35%		24		0.49%		11		0.22%		-1,489		-30.45%		4,890
	Calhoun		896		37.40%		1,438		60.02%		52		2.17%		9		0.38%		1		0.04%		-542		-22.62%		2,396
	Carroll		4,273		55.29%		2,977		38.52%		298		3.86%		135		1.75%		45		0.58%		1,296		16.77%		7,728
	Chicot		2,239		38.76%		3,445		59.64%		26		0.45%		64		1.11%		2		0.03%		-1,206		-20.88%		5,776
	Clark		2,743		29.97%		6,122		66.89%		215		2.35%		59		0.64%		14		0.15%		-3,379		-36.92%		9,153
	Clay		3,091		42.17%		3,985		54.37%		121		1.65%		126		1.72%		7		0.10%		-894		-12.20%		7,330
	Cleburne		4,042		48.38%		4,021		48.13%		204		2.44%		82		0.98%		6		0.07%		21		0.25%		8,355
	Cleveland		1,124		36.76%		1,856		60.69%		36		1.18%		33		1.08%		9		0.29%		-732		-23.93%		3,058
	Columbia		5,259		52.76%		4,445		44.60%		107		1.07%		131		1.31%		25		0.25%		814		8.16%		9,967
	Conway		4,145		45.11%		4,698		51.13%		232		2.52%		102		1.11%		12		0.13%		-553		-6.02%		9,189
	Craighead		11,010		51.31%		9,231		43.02%		708		3.30%		283		1.32%		224		1.04%		1,779		8.29%		21,456
	Crawford		8,542		66.22%		3,948		30.61%		245		1.90%		131		1.02%		33		0.26%		4,594		35.61%		12,899
	Crittenden		6,248		45.20%		7,022		50.80%		185		1.34%		224		1.62%		144		1.04%		-774		-5.60%		13,823
	Cross		2,895		44.59%		3,471		53.47%		89		1.37%		35		0.54%		2		0.03%		-576		-8.88%		6,492
	Dallas		1,596		35.16%		2,838		62.52%		74		1.63%		25		0.55%		6		0.13%		-1,242		-27.36%		4,539
	Desha		2,057		34.07%		3,748		62.08%		77		1.28%		47		0.78%		108		1.79%		-1,691		-28.01%		6,037
	Drew		2,272		36.74%		3,757		60.75%		117		1.89%		32		0.52%		6		0.10%		-1,485		-24.01%		6,184
	Faulkner		7,544		44.19%		8,528		49.95%		769		4.50%		181		1.06%		51		0.30%		-984		-5.76%		17,073
	Franklin		3,448		53.66%		2,716		42.27%		197		3.07%		61		0.95%		4		0.06%		732		11.39%		6,426
	Fulton		2,101		49.35%		2,037		47.85%		83		1.95%		30		0.70%		6		0.14%		64		1.50%		4,257
	Garland		15,739		52.96%		12,515		42.11%		1,042		3.51%		250		0.84%		171		0.58%		3,224		10.85%		29,717
	Grant		2,007		38.04%		3,078		58.34%		102		1.93%		55		1.04%		34		0.64%		-1,071		-20.30%		5,276
	Greene		4,514		41.64%		5,996		55.31%		219		2.02%		106		0.98%		6		0.06%		-1,482		-13.67%		10,841
	Hempstead		3,852		44.65%		4,671		54.14%		72		0.83%		31		0.36%		2		0.02%		-819		-9.49%		8,628
	Hot Spring		3,561		32.92%		6,897		63.76%		244		2.26%		87		0.80%		28		0.26%		-3,336		-30.84%		10,817
	Howard		2,386		47.12%		2,564		50.63%		63		1.24%		28		0.55%		23		0.45%		-178		-3.51%		5,064
	Independence		5,076		45.63%		5,683		51.08%		276		2.48%		69		0.62%		21		0.19%		-607		-5.45%		11,125
	Izard		2,266		43.13%		2,750		52.34%		160		3.05%		54		1.03%		24		0.46%		-484		-9.21%		5,254
	Jackson		3,191		39.49%		4,651		57.55%		174		2.15%		51		0.63%		14		0.17%		-1,460		-18.06%		8,081
	Jefferson		10,697		35.60%		17,292		57.55%		802		2.67%		625		2.08%		630		2.10%		-6,595		-21.95%		30,046
	Johnson		3,619		47.39%		3,709		48.57%		187		2.45%		93		1.22%		28		0.37%		-90		-1.18%		7,636
	Lafayette		1,756		46.50%		1,947		51.56%		47		1.24%		21		0.56%		5		0.13%		-191		-5.06%		3,776
	Lawrence		3,245		46.60%		3,547		50.94%		117		1.68%		51		0.73%		3		0.04%		-302		-4.34%		6,963
	Lee		1,711		35.09%		3,103		63.64%		47		0.96%		12		0.25%		3		0.06%		-1,392		-28.55%		4,876
	Lincoln		1,243		32.29%		2,517		65.39%		56		1.45%		30		0.78%		3		0.08%		-1,274		-33.10%		3,849
	Little River		2,272		45.22%		2,631		52.37%		41		0.82%		43		0.86%		37		0.74%		-359		-7.15%		5,024
	Logan		4,511		50.61%		4,098		45.98%		166		1.86%		117		1.31%		21		0.24%		413		4.63%		8,913
	Lonoke		5,619		48.50%		5,605		48.38%		246		2.12%		84		0.73%		31		0.27%		14		0.12%		11,585
	Madison		3,180		54.50%		2,434		41.71%		126		2.16%		75		1.29%		20		0.34%		746		12.79%		5,835
	Marion		3,059		57.11%		2,046		38.20%		160		2.99%		84		1.57%		7		0.13%		1,013		18.91%		5,356
	Miller		6,770		52.40%		5,996		46.41%		105		0.81%		40		0.31%		10		0.08%		774		5.99%		12,921
	Mississippi		7,170		43.67%		8,908		54.26%		234		1.43%		88		0.54%		17		0.10%		-1,738		-10.59%		16,417
	Monroe		2,027		41.98%		2,686		55.62%		82		1.70%		28		0.58%		6		0.12%		-659		-13.64%		4,829
	Montgomery		1,585		43.88%		1,878		51.99%		86		2.38%		38		1.05%		25		0.69%		-293		-8.11%		3,612
	Nevada		1,697		38.22%		2,631		59.26%		50		1.13%		46		1.04%		16		0.36%		-934		-21.04%		4,440
	Newton		2,423		60.08%		1,436		35.61%		100		2.48%		57		1.41%		17		0.42%		987		24.47%		4,033
	Ouachita		4,329		35.46%		7,152		58.58%		248		2.03%		110		0.90%		369		3.02%		-2,823		-23.12%		12,208
	Perry		1,459		45.79%		1,606		50.41%		73		2.29%		43		1.35%		5		0.16%		-147		-4.62%		3,186
	Phillips		4,270		38.31%		6,642		59.59%		163		1.46%		44		0.39%		27		0.24%		-2,372		-21.28%		11,146
	Pike		1,916		46.77%		2,094		51.11%		58		1.42%		23		0.56%		6		0.15%		-178		-4.34%		4,097
	Poinsett		4,040		44.01%		4,894		53.31%		153		1.67%		83		0.90%		10		0.11%		-854		-9.30%		9,180
	Polk		3,993		58.51%		2,617		38.35%		139		2.04%		69		1.01%		6		0.09%		1,376		20.16%		6,824
	Pope		7,217		50.72%		6,364		44.72%		471		3.31%		153		1.08%		25		0.18%		853		6.00%		14,230
	Prairie		1,855		47.63%		1,928		49.50%		64		1.64%		35		0.90%		13		0.33%		-73		-1.87%		3,895
	Pulaski		52,125		46.15%		54,839		48.56%		4,657		4.12%		1,003		0.89%		313		0.28%		-2,714		-2.41%		112,937
	Randolph		2,579		43.50%		3,070		51.78%		125		2.11%		144		2.43%		11		0.19%		-491		-8.28%		5,929
	St. Francis		4,485		42.77%		5,816		55.46%		132		1.26%		51		0.49%		3		0.03%		-1,331		-12.69%		10,487
	Saline		8,330		42.60%		10,368		53.02%		643		3.29%		191		0.98%		23		0.12%		-2,038		-10.42%		19,555
	Scott		2,228		48.16%		2,236		48.34%		92		1.99%		60		1.30%		10		0.22%		-8		-0.18%		4,626
	Searcy		2,459		58.79%		1,536		36.72%		101		2.41%		70		1.67%		17		0.41%		923		22.07%		4,183
	Sebastian		23,403		63.46%		10,141		27.50%		1,023		2.77%		902		2.45%		1,410		3.82%		13,262		35.96%		36,879
	Sevier		2,502		45.52%		2,854		51.92%		97		1.76%		39		0.71%		5		0.09%		-352		-6.40%		5,497
	Sharp		3,420		53.30%		2,774		43.24%		160		2.49%		56		0.87%		6		0.09%		646		10.06%		6,416
	Stone		1,793		45.11%		1,968		49.51%		133		3.35%		66		1.66%		15		0.38%		-175		-4.40%		3,975
	Union		9,401		55.10%		6,852		40.16%		313		1.83%		337		1.98%		160		0.94%		2,549		14.94%		17,063
	Van Buren		3,090		49.11%		2,968		47.17%		153		2.43%		67		1.06%		14		0.22%		122		1.94%		6,292
	Washington		20,788		58.69%		12,276		34.66%		1,737		4.90%		485		1.37%		135		0.38%		8,512		24.03%		35,421
	White		8,079		46.66%		8,750		50.54%		309		1.78%		125		0.72%		50		0.29%		-671		-3.88%		17,313
	Woodruff		1,204		32.06%		2,452		65.28%		74		1.97%		21		0.56%		5		0.13%		-1,248		-33.22%		3,756
	Yell		3,187		44.65%		3,702		51.87%		181		2.54%		61		0.85%		6		0.08%		-515		-7.22%		7,137
Totals	403,164	48.13%	398,041	47.52%	22,468	2.68%	8,970	1.07%	4,939	0.59%	5,123	0.61%	837,582

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Boone
• Carroll
• Cleburne
• Columbia
• Craighead
• Crawford
• Franklin
• Garland
• Fulton
• Logan
• Lonoke
• Madison
• Marion
• Miller
• Newton
• Polk
• Pope
• Searcy
• Sharp
• Union
• Van Buren
• Washington

See also

• United States presidential elections in Arkansas
• Presidency of Ronald Reagan

Works cited

• Book: Black . Earl . Earl Black (political scientist) . Black . Merle . Merle Black . The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected . . 1992 . 0674941306.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1980 Presidential General Election Results – Arkansas. May 20, 2015. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
2. Web site: Moyer . Justin . The forgotten story of how refugees almost ended Bill Clinton's career . Washington Post . en.
3. Web site: AR US President Race, November 04, 1980. Our Campaigns.