1984 United States presidential election in Connecticut explained

See main article: 1984 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1984 United States presidential election in Connecticut
Country:Connecticut
Type:presidential
Previous Election:1980 United States presidential election in Connecticut
Previous Year:1980
Next Election:1988 United States presidential election in Connecticut
Next Year:1988
Election Date:November 6, 1984
Image1:Ronald Reagan presidential portrait (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:Ronald Reagan
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:California
Running Mate1:George H. W. Bush
Electoral Vote1:8
Popular Vote1:890,877
Percentage1:60.73%
Nominee2:Walter Mondale
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Minnesota
Running Mate2:Geraldine Ferraro
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:569,597
Percentage2:38.83%
President
Before Election:Ronald Reagan
Before Party:Republican Party (United States)
After Election:Ronald Reagan
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1984 United States presidential election in Connecticut took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States. Connecticut was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency.

Connecticut weighed in for this election as 2% more Republican than the national average., this is the last election in which Hartford County voted for the Republican candidate. This is also the final time that a Republican presidential candidate was able to win every county in the state or win by a double-digit margin. Reagan won Connecticut by a 22% margin and with slightly over 60% of the vote, making it 3.7% more Republican than the nation overall amid his national landslide. Since 1896, Connecticut had generally leaned Republican, voting for losing Republican candidates in 1916, 1932, 1948, and 1976 (but also voting for Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and for John F. Kennedy, as he only narrowly won in 1960). The basis for Republican strength in Connecticut had been suburban Fairfield County, where Reagan approached 2/3 of the vote. However, Reagan also took New Haven County—the swing county amongst the state's three largest—by twenty points, and won Hartford County—generally the most Democratic-friendly of the state's three largest counties—by double digits.

After 1996, all of Connecticut's large counties would become reliably Democratic, and the state with them. Reagan's 890,877 votes were the most received by a Republican presidential candidate in the state's history.

To date, this is the last time that the cities of Meriden, Norwich, and West Haven, as well as the towns of Ashford, Cornwall, East Hartford, Hamden, Manchester, Newington, Portland, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Windham, and Windsor voted Republican.

Results

1984 United States presidential election in Connecticut
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanRonald Reagan (incumbent)890,877 60.77%8
DemocraticWalter Mondale569,59738.83%0
Communist PartyGus Hall4,8260.33%0
New Alliance PartyDennis Serrette1,374 0.09%0
Write-Ins2260.02%0
Totals1,466,900100.0%3

By county

CountyRonald Reagan
Republican
Walter Mondale
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
%%%%
Fairfield257,31965.78%132,25333.81%1,6070.41%125,06631.97%391,179
Hartford208,21055.02%168,60944.56%1,5860.42%39,60110.46%378,405
Litchfield52,58366.21%26,56433.45%2690.34%26,01932.76%79,416
Middlesex39,58059.32%26,91540.34%2270.34%12,66518.98%66,722
New Haven212,16659.81%140,94539.74%1,6010.45%71,22120.07%354,712
New London63,12161.59%38,85737.91%5090.50%24,26423.68%102,487
Tolland32,98161.88%20,10337.72%2140.40%12,87824.16%53,298
Windham24,91761.59%15,35137.95%1870.46%9,56623.64%40,455
Totals890,87760.73%569,59738.83%6,4260.44%321,28021.90%1,466,900

Counties flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Reagan won all 6 congressional districts, including three held by Democrats.

DistrictReaganMondaleRepresentative
53%47%Barbara B. Kennelly
61%39%Sam Gejdenson
59%41%Bruce Morrison
63%37%Stewart McKinney
67%33%William R. Ratchford
John G. Rowland
63%37%Nancy Johnson

See also