1980 United States presidential election in New York explained

See main article: 1980 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1980 United States presidential election in New York
Country:New York
Flag Image:Flag of New York (1909–2020).svg
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1976 United States presidential election in New York
Previous Year:1976
Next Election:1984 United States presidential election in New York
Next Year:1984
Election Date:November 4, 1980
Image1:Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981-cropped.jpg
Nominee1:Ronald Reagan
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Alliance1:Conservative
Home State1:California
Running Mate1:George H. W. Bush
Electoral Vote1:41
Popular Vote1:2,893,831
Percentage1:46.66%
Nominee2:Jimmy Carter
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Georgia
Running Mate2:Walter Mondale
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:2,728,372
Percentage2:43.99%
Image3:John B. Anderson in New Jersey (cropped).jpg
Nominee3:John B. Anderson
Party3:Liberal Party of New York
Home State3:Illinois
Running Mate3:Patrick Lucey
Electoral Vote3:0
Popular Vote3:467,801
Percentage3:7.54%
Map Size:400px
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 New York 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 41 electors to the Electoral College, which voted for President and Vice President.

New York was won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan, in a narrow victory against President of the United States Jimmy Carter, who failed to gain reelection against Reagan.[1] Also in the running was Independent candidate Congressman John B. Anderson of Illinois, who ran in New York as the Liberal Party candidate.

Reagan won the state with a plurality of 46.66% of the vote to Carter's 43.99%, a margin of 2.67%. Anderson finished in third, with 7.54%. New York's election results reflect the Republican Party's re-consolidation of base under what is popularly called the "Reagan Revolution,"[2] which sounded various overwhelming conservative electoral victories across the United States throughout the 1980s – and most evidently against the relatively unpopular President Carter during the 1980 presidential election. New York weighed in for this election as more Democratic than the national average by about 7%.

This election is notable in that while the highly populated regions of New York City, Buffalo and Albany turned out for Carter, and the sparsely populated upstate counties turned out for Reagan, the election in the state was tipped by the downstate suburban counties around NYC, which were won by Reagan. Most notably, Reagan won in the Long Island suburban counties of Nassau and Suffolk by bigger vote number margins than in all of the counties that Carter won in the state except Manhattan. Carter actually picked up plurality wins in two counties where he had lost in 1976 to Gerald Ford: namely Monroe County, home to the city of Rochester (thereby making Reagan the first-ever Republican to win the White House without carrying this county), and Niagara County. Despite these two county gains by Carter, it wasn't enough for him to retain the state that he had won four years earlier, as Carter's winning margin in New York City was considerably lower than what it had been in 1976. This fact, combined with the big vote number margins that Reagan won by in the densely populated downstate counties outside New York City, enabled Reagan to overtake Carter in the popular vote statewide.

Another major contributing factor to Reagan's victory over Carter was the relatively strong third party showing by independent candidate John B. Anderson, a former liberal Republican congressman who garnered 7.54% of the vote in the State – nearly twice the 4% margin by which Carter had won New York in 1976. Running on the ballot line of New York's Liberal Party, Anderson attracted the votes of many liberals and moderates who normally leaned Democratic but were dissatisfied with the policies of the Carter Administration, and with Rockefeller Republicans who viewed Reagan as too far to the right, thus splitting the left-leaning vote in New York State.

Primaries

1980 Democratic primary!Candidate!Votes!Delegates
Ted Kennedy582,757176
Jimmy Carter (incumbent)406,305123
Totals989,062299
1980 Republican primary*!Candidate!Delegates
Ronald Reagan73
George H. W. Bush6
John Anderson1
Uncommitted47
Totals127

Results

1980 United States presidential election in New York
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanRonald Reagan2,637,70042.53%
ConservativeRonald Reagan256,1314.13%
TotalRonald Reagan 2,893,83146.66%41
DemocraticJimmy Carter (Incumbent)2,728,37243.99%0
LiberalJohn B. Anderson467,801 7.54% 0
Free LibertarianEd Clark52,648 0.85% 0
Right to LifeEllen McCormack24,1590.39%0
Citizens PartyBarry Commoner23,186 0.37% 0
CommunistGus Hall7,414 0.12% 0
Socialist WorkersClifton DeBerry2,068 0.03% 0
Workers’ WorldDeirdre Griswold1,4160.02%0
Write-ins1,0640.02%0
Totals6,201,959100.0%41

New York City results

1980 presidential election in New York CityManhattanThe BronxBrooklynQueensStaten IslandTotal
DemocraticJimmy Carter275,742181,090288,893269,14737,3061,052,17854.87%
62.40%64.02%55.44%47.98%33.72%
Republican-
Conservative
Ronald Reagan115,91186,843200,306251,33364,885719,27837.51%
26.23%30.70%38.43%44.81%58.64%
LiberalJohn B. Anderson38,59711,28624,34132,5667,055113,8455.94%
8.73%3.99%4.67%5.81%6.38%
Citizens PartyBarry Commoner5,3616852,2661,88922510,4260.54%
1.21%0.24%0.43%0.34%0.20%
Free LibertarianRoger MacBride2,7189912,0392,4825618,7910.46%
0.62%0.35%0.39%0.44%0.51%
Right to LifeEllen McCormack8629951,6152,2275186,2170.32%
0.20%0.35%0.31%0.40%0.47%
CommunistGus Hall1,9976691,222945594,8920.26%
0.45%0.24%0.23%0.17%0.05%
Socialist WorkersClifton DeBerry451204279258321,2240.06%
0.10%0.07%0.05%0.05%0.03%
Workers’ WorldDeirdre Griswold259841317665560.03%
0.06%0.03%0.03%0.01%0.01%
TOTAL441,901282,847521,109560,923110,6511,917,431100.00%

Results by county

CountyRonald Reagan
Republican/Conservative
Jimmy Carter
Democratic
John B. Anderson
Liberal
Ed Clark[3]
Free Libertarian
Ellen McCormack
Right to Life
Barry Commoner
Citizens
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%
Albany52,35436.27%74,42951.56%14,56310.09%1,7231.19%6420.44%5020.35%1510.10%−22,075−15.29%144,364
Allegany10,42359.09%5,87933.33%9735.52%2751.56%440.25%250.14%210.12%4,54425.76%17,640
Bronx86,84330.70%181,09064.02%11,2863.99%9910.35%9950.35%6850.24%9570.34%−94,247−33.32%282,847
Broome39,27543.99%37,01341.46%11,38812.76%9691.09%3230.36%2060.23%1060.12%2,2622.53%89,280
Cattaraugus17,22252.65%12,91739.49%1,8485.65%4771.46%1490.46%420.13%540.17%4,30513.16%32,709
Cayuga17,94554.78%11,70835.74%2,5397.75%3601.10%1110.34%470.14%460.14%6,23719.04%32,756
Chautauqua30,08151.20%22,87138.93%4,6998.00%8151.39%1420.24%720.12%760.13%7,21012.27%58,756
Chemung19,67452.87%14,56539.14%2,4656.62%3270.88%1210.33%380.10%190.05%5,10913.73%37,209
Chenango10,40053.08%6,91735.31%1,9089.74%2611.33%570.29%370.19%120.06%3,48317.77%19,592
Clinton13,12048.79%11,49842.76%1,9047.08%1930.72%950.35%600.22%200.07%1,6226.03%26,890
Columbia13,94653.08%9,50036.16%2,2048.39%3781.44%1250.48%860.33%350.13%4,44616.92%26,274
Cortland9,88554.77%6,17634.22%1,6038.88%2491.38%490.27%550.30%310.17%3,70920.55%18,048
Delaware10,60955.36%6,33333.05%1,8659.73%2521.31%350.18%520.27%180.09%4,27622.31%19,164
Dutchess53,61657.65%28,61630.77%8,8249.49%1,1291.21%3880.42%2750.30%1590.17%25,00026.88%93,007
Erie169,20940.24%215,28351.20%29,5807.03%3,8530.92%1,3810.33%7670.18%4000.10%−46,074−10.96%420,473
Essex9,02553.16%6,44337.95%1,2137.14%2041.20%450.27%310.18%170.10%2,58215.21%16,978
Franklin7,62046.77%7,28144.69%1,1827.26%880.54%800.49%300.18%110.07%3392.08%16,292
Fulton11,44853.19%8,10537.66%1,5667.28%2801.30%720.33%300.14%210.10%3,34315.53%21,522
Genesee11,65047.57%10,67743.60%1,6516.74%3461.41%970.40%290.12%390.16%9733.97%24,489
Greene11,28657.88%6,48833.28%1,3386.86%2201.13%1150.59%290.15%220.11%4,79824.60%19,498
Hamilton2,03863.10%92528.64%1765.45%521.61%160.50%200.62%30.09%1,11334.46%3,230
Herkimer14,10550.58%11,49741.23%1,8306.56%3211.15%730.26%400.14%220.08%2,6089.35%27,888
Jefferson16,45549.67%13,27140.06%2,8348.55%3871.17%850.26%710.21%250.08%3,1849.61%33,128
Kings200,30638.43%288,89355.44%24,3414.67%2,0390.39%1,6150.31%2,2660.43%1,6490.32%−88,587−17.01%521,109
Lewis4,93750.26%3,97340.45%7167.29%1501.53%320.33%40.04%100.10%9649.81%9,822
Livingston11,19349.85%9,03040.22%1,6947.54%4001.78%630.28%470.21%270.12%2,1639.63%22,454
Madison13,36955.85%7,84332.77%2,1228.86%4441.85%770.32%530.22%290.12%5,52623.08%23,937
Monroe128,61541.93%142,42346.43%29,1189.49%4,3351.41%9800.32%8460.28%4160.14%−13,808−4.50%306,733
Montgomery11,91749.48%9,64540.04%2,0808.64%3091.28%720.30%380.16%270.11%2,2729.44%24,088
Nassau333,56755.95%207,60234.81%44,7587.51%3,4630.58%3,7950.64%2,2570.38%7120.12%125,96521.14%596,154
New York115,91126.23%275,74262.40%38,5978.73%2,7180.62%8620.20%5,3611.21%2,7100.61%−159,831−36.17%441,901
Niagara38,76044.86%40,40546.77%6,0146.96%8160.94%2850.33%720.08%560.06%−1,645−1.91%86,409
Oneida51,96849.59%44,29242.26%6,9296.61%1,1071.06%3080.29%980.09%970.09%7,6767.33%104,799
Onondaga97,88750.62%73,45337.99%18,8059.72%1,9080.99%6950.36%3520.18%2720.14%24,43412.63%193,372
Ontario17,03647.98%14,47740.77%3,1478.86%6061.71%1330.37%660.19%410.12%2,5597.21%35,506
Orange51,26856.67%30,02233.18%7,6568.46%9481.05%3020.33%1510.17%1230.14%21,24623.49%90,470
Orleans7,53651.58%5,76739.47%9776.69%2521.72%410.28%200.14%180.12%1,76912.11%14,611
Oswego22,81653.63%15,34336.07%3,3337.83%8101.90%1180.28%650.15%560.13%7,47317.56%42,541
Otsego11,81449.42%8,79536.79%2,87412.02%2991.25%470.20%510.21%270.11%3,01912.63%23,907
Putnam20,19363.46%8,69127.31%2,3407.35%2940.92%1460.46%1120.35%430.14%11,50236.15%31,819
Queens251,33344.81%269,14747.98%32,5665.81%2,4820.44%2,2270.40%1,8890.34%1,2790.23%−17,814−3.17%560,923
Rensselaer32,00545.89%29,88042.84%6,4439.24%9551.37%2700.39%1300.19%640.09%2,1253.05%69,747
Richmond64,88558.64%37,30633.72%7,0556.38%5610.51%5180.47%2250.20%1010.09%27,57924.92%110,651
Rockland59,06856.26%35,27733.60%8,7098.29%8790.84%4840.46%4270.41%1510.14%23,79122.66%104,993
Saratoga34,18452.30%23,64136.17%6,2019.49%9571.46%1940.30%1280.20%570.09%10,54316.13%65,362
Schenectady32,00345.37%29,93242.44%7,14610.13%9471.34%2060.29%2020.29%980.14%2,0712.93%70,534
Schoharie6,38252.05%4,71538.45%9407.67%1651.35%300.24%170.14%130.11%1,66713.60%12,262
Schuyler3,83855.17%2,51436.14%4766.84%791.14%140.20%260.37%100.14%1,32419.03%6,957
Seneca7,17452.40%5,01036.60%1,2058.80%1991.45%530.39%340.25%150.11%2,16415.80%13,690
St. Lawrence18,43746.53%17,00642.92%3,5448.94%3190.81%1640.41%1150.29%390.10%1,4313.61%39,624
Steuben22,41858.73%12,82633.60%2,2575.91%4671.22%1210.32%540.14%270.07%9,59225.13%38,170
Suffolk256,29457.00%149,94533.35%34,7437.73%3,5980.80%2,8270.63%1,6760.37%5730.13%106,34923.65%449,655
Sullivan15,08955.44%9,55335.10%2,0957.70%2971.09%1040.38%190.07%610.22%5,53620.34%27,218
Tioga10,29153.56%6,69034.82%1,8519.63%2611.36%520.27%330.17%360.19%3,60118.74%19,214
Tompkins12,44841.96%11,97040.35%4,08113.76%3051.03%490.17%7642.58%510.17%4781.61%29,668
Ulster36,70955.01%22,17933.24%5,9958.98%8681.30%1840.28%6400.96%1510.23%14,53021.77%66,726
Warren13,26459.28%6,97131.15%1,7667.89%2661.19%590.26%350.16%160.07%6,29328.13%22,377
Washington12,83558.59%7,14432.61%1,5016.85%3371.54%480.22%290.13%120.05%5,69125.98%21,906
Wayne16,49850.74%12,59038.72%2,6238.07%6281.93%850.26%550.17%330.10%3,90812.02%32,512
Westchester198,55254.37%130,13635.64%30,1198.25%2,6390.72%1,5870.43%1,5550.43%5780.16%68,41618.73%365,166
Wyoming8,10855.72%5,23435.97%8555.88%2661.83%580.40%170.12%140.10%2,87419.75%14,552
Yates4,69455.99%2,82833.73%6908.23%1251.49%140.17%280.33%50.06%1,86622.26%8,384
Totals2,893,83146.66%2,728,37243.99%467,8017.54%52,6480.85%24,1590.39%23,1860.37%11,9620.19%165,4592.67%6,201,959

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Analysis

In the heavily populated, and very liberal, five boroughs of New York City, Carter still won overall, and Reagan made only modest gains in vote share over Gerald Ford's 1976 showing of 33%, with Reagan taking 37.5% in NYC in 1980. While Carter still won in 4 of the 5 boroughs, Carter bled considerable support in New York City to Anderson, with Carter's NYC vote percentage dropping from 66% in 1976 to only 55% in 1980. Since Democratic victories in New York State in that era depended on running up massive margins in New York City to overcome the rest of the state's Republican lean, the reduced vote number margin in New York City from vote-splitting would prove fatal to Carter's chances in 1980. While Reagan only bled about 1% off Republican base support in the state (winning a plurality in a 3-way-race with 46.66% while Gerald Ford had lost the state in a two-man race with 47.52% in 1976), Carter bled 8% off his 1976 support, falling from a 51.95% majority win in 1976 to a losing 43.99% in 1980, with most of these lost Democratic base votes going to Anderson instead.

1980 remains the last election in which a Republican presidential nominee has won traditionally rock-ribbed GOP Tompkins County in upstate New York, home to the college town of Ithaca, where Cornell University and Ithaca College are located.[4] From the Republican Party's founding in 1854 all the way up to 1976, Tompkins County had been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections and had only gone Democratic in the landslides of 1912 and 1964,[5] with Franklin D. Roosevelt never topping 40% in the county in a presidential election. With the Republican Party nationally being increasingly taken over by its conservative wing, the GOP's fortunes quickly began to fade in the county in the 1980s. Reagan narrowly won Tompkins County in 1980 with a plurality of 42% to Carter's 40%, while Anderson took nearly 14%, making it Anderson's strongest county in the state. Four years later in 1984, Tompkins County would vote against Reagan, and by 2004 had become the most Democratic county in all of upstate New York in giving 64.19% of the vote to John Kerry. Tompkins County later gave Barack Obama 70.09% of the vote in 2008, and Joe Biden 73.51% of the vote in 2020.

1980 remains the last election where any presidential candidate would get at least 40 electoral votes from New York. After the 1980 census, the state's electoral votes would drop from 41 electoral votes to 36 votes.

Along with Maine, Michigan, Mississippi and Vermont, New York was one of the few states in which President Carter won counties that had gone to Ford in the previous presidential election, as Carter flipped both Monroe and Niagara counties.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1980 Presidential General Election Results – New York . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2013-04-27.
  2. News: A historic victory. A changed nation. Now, can Obama deliver? . Jerry Lanson . Christian Science Monitor . 2008-11-06 . 2013-04-27.
  3. Web site: NY US President Race, November 04, 1980. Our Campaigns.
  4. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016.
  5. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 261–265, .