1984 United States presidential election in Iowa explained

See main article: 1984 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1984 United States presidential election in Iowa
Country:Iowa
Flag Image:Flag of Iowa (1921-2018).svg
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1980 United States presidential election in Iowa
Previous Year:1980
Next Election:1988 United States presidential election in Iowa
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 Vote1:703,088
Percentage1:53.27%
Nominee2:Walter Mondale
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Minnesota
Running Mate2:Geraldine Ferraro
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:605,620
Percentage2:45.89%
Map Size:280px
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 Iowa took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and 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.

Iowa 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. The presidential election of 1984 was a very partisan election for Iowa, with over 99 percent of the electorate voting only for either the Democratic or Republican parties, though several parties appeared on the ballot.[1] While the majority of counties turned out for Reagan, the politically volatile state of Iowa was a relatively narrow victory for him, thanks in part to the Midwest Farm Crisis of the early 1980s. The relatively weak Republican trend for this election is highlighted with the loss of Des Moines's highly populated Polk County to Mondale.

Iowa weighed in for this election as 11 points more Democratic than the national average., this is the last election in which Scott County (Davenport), Black Hawk County (Waterloo), Linn County (Cedar Rapids), and Story County (Ames) voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[2] Iowa would not vote Republican again until 2004.

Reagan won the election in Iowa by a 7.4% margin. While a sound victory, this made Iowa 10.8% more Democratic than the nation, a signal of Iowa's increasingly liberal bent over the second half of the Cold War period. Of the four Republican landslides during the Cold War (1952, 1956, 1972, and 1984), this one featured the weakest Republican win in Iowa. Iowa had been a double-digit win for Republicans in the nationally close elections of 1960 and 1968, but in 1976 had gone for Ford by just a little over 1%. In 1980, Reagan won Iowa by a somewhat larger margin than he won the nation by, but by margin, his support in Iowa receded in 1984, as the long-time bellwether county of Palo Alto, which had last voted for a loser in 1892, switched to Mondale. Democrats would go on to carry the state in six of the next seven elections until Republican Donald Trump decisively won the state in 2016 and 2020.

Campaign

Governor Terry Branstad was the chair of Reagan's campaign in Iowa.[3]

Michael Triggs, Monty Bertelli, Herbert Blume, Richard Johnson, Larry Allen, Claudine Mansfield, Margaret Severino, and Grace Copley served as presidential electors for Reagan.

Results

1984 United States presidential election in Iowa
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanRonald Reagan (incumbent)703,088 53.27%8
DemocraticWalter Mondale605,62045.89%0
“Nominated By Petition”Lyndon LaRouche6,2480.47%0
LibertarianDavid Bergland1,844 0.14%0
Write-Ins1,0510.08%0
IndependentGerald Baker892 0.07%0
New Alliance PartyDennis Serrette463 0.04%0
Socialist Workers PartyMelvin Mason313 0.02%0
Communist PartyGus Hall2860.02%0
Totals1,319,805100.0%8

Results by county

County[4] Ronald Reagan
Republican
Walter Mondale
Democratic
Lyndon LaRouche
Nominated By Petition
David Bergland
Libertarian
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" %
Adair2,61556.61%1,97942.84%80.17%60.13%110.24%63613.77%4,619
Adams1,70657.64%1,22141.25%190.64%100.34%40.14%48516.39%2,960
Allamakee3,99762.91%2,28235.91%510.80%30.05%210.33%1,71527.00%6,354
Appanoose3,41250.48%3,28948.66%370.55%60.09%150.22%1231.82%6,759
Audubon2,30654.97%1,85444.20%260.62%40.10%50.12%45210.77%4,195
Benton5,56652.13%4,99346.76%820.77%110.10%260.24%5735.37%10,678
Black Hawk32,26250.23%31,46748.99%2820.44%740.12%1480.23%7951.24%64,233
Boone5,74646.80%6,48552.82%220.18%40.03%200.16%-739-6.02%12,277
Bremer6,89562.37%4,08436.94%440.40%130.12%190.17%2,81125.43%11,055
Buchanan4,96554.25%4,12945.12%250.27%120.13%210.23%8369.13%9,152
Buena Vista5,19355.22%4,10943.69%430.46%330.35%270.29%1,08411.53%9,405
Butler4,57066.00%2,32333.55%210.30%30.04%70.10%2,24732.45%6,924
Calhoun3,31156.14%2,54143.08%310.53%90.15%60.10%77013.06%5,898
Carroll5,02149.83%4,96049.22%650.65%90.09%220.22%610.61%10,077
Cass5,05367.10%2,41732.09%350.46%120.16%140.19%2,63635.01%7,531
Cedar4,61759.59%3,08639.83%210.27%160.21%80.10%1,53119.76%7,748
Cerro Gordo11,21448.86%11,57050.41%1180.51%180.08%300.13%-356-1.55%22,950
Cherokee4,04654.16%3,34944.83%460.62%60.08%230.31%6979.33%7,470
Chickasaw3,66152.93%3,18646.06%480.69%60.09%160.23%4756.87%6,917
Clarke2,26252.35%2,03046.98%120.28%100.23%70.16%2325.37%4,321
Clay4,45053.51%3,77445.38%570.69%90.11%260.31%6768.13%8,316
Clayton5,02958.80%3,44640.29%540.63%80.09%160.19%1,58318.51%8,553
Clinton13,91454.77%11,24044.25%1500.59%330.13%670.26%2,67410.52%25,404
Crawford4,55256.53%3,39642.17%821.02%90.11%140.17%1,15614.36%8,053
Dallas6,08047.85%6,56451.66%170.13%150.12%310.24%-484-3.81%12,707
Davis1,95646.77%2,18752.30%190.45%20.05%180.43%-231-5.53%4,182
Decatur2,10449.60%2,09849.46%150.35%40.09%210.50%60.14%4,242
Delaware4,76959.61%3,15839.47%450.56%40.05%250.31%1,61120.14%8,001
Des Moines9,55945.85%11,17353.59%530.25%290.14%360.17%-1,614-7.74%20,850
Dickinson4,06456.68%3,02542.19%580.81%90.13%140.20%1,03914.49%7,170
Dubuque19,23946.37%21,87652.72%2340.56%500.12%920.22%-2,637-6.35%41,491
Emmet2,94651.46%2,74647.97%260.45%40.07%30.05%2003.49%5,725
Fayette6,50557.56%4,67741.38%690.61%160.14%350.31%1,82816.18%11,302
Floyd4,34150.75%4,15448.57%390.46%70.08%120.14%1872.18%8,553
Franklin3,12956.43%2,34942.36%480.87%30.05%160.29%78014.07%5,545
Fremont2,68664.77%1,42634.39%250.60%30.07%70.17%1,26030.38%4,147
Greene2,57946.44%2,83150.97%1182.12%130.23%130.23%-252-4.53%5,554
Grundy4,52769.45%1,91529.38%550.84%70.11%140.21%2,61240.07%6,518
Guthrie2,78351.89%2,51746.93%440.82%60.11%130.24%2664.96%5,363
Hamilton4,27955.61%3,33043.27%420.55%150.19%290.38%94912.34%7,695
Hancock3,36256.62%2,53942.76%220.37%50.08%100.17%82313.86%5,938
Hardin5,19553.38%4,47746.00%290.30%110.11%200.21%7187.38%9,732
Harrison4,35263.24%2,49536.25%210.31%20.03%120.17%1,85726.99%6,882
Henry4,51656.77%3,37742.45%270.34%150.19%200.25%1,13914.32%7,955
Howard2,71855.49%2,13543.59%190.39%60.12%200.41%58311.90%4,898
Humboldt3,39657.92%2,40641.04%450.77%60.10%100.17%99016.88%5,863
Ida2,61862.30%1,55937.10%180.43%20.05%50.12%1,05925.20%4,202
Iowa4,35260.02%2,81538.82%630.87%70.10%140.19%1,53721.20%7,251
Jackson4,81151.51%4,40047.11%810.87%190.20%290.31%4114.40%9,340
Jasper8,57651.36%8,02348.04%500.30%200.12%300.18%5533.32%16,699
Jefferson4,72761.19%2,96138.33%90.12%130.17%150.19%1,76622.86%7,725
Johnson18,67741.46%26,00057.72%540.12%1270.28%1860.41%-7,323-16.26%45,044
Jones4,90755.82%3,82543.51%270.31%120.14%200.23%1,08212.31%8,791
Keokuk2,91351.50%2,64946.84%641.13%20.04%280.50%2644.66%5,656
Kossuth4,87249.64%4,83849.30%780.79%100.10%160.16%340.34%9,814
Lee8,75649.17%8,91250.04%740.42%290.16%380.21%-156-0.87%17,809
Linn41,06151.12%38,52847.97%1720.21%1730.22%3810.47%2,5333.15%80,315
Louisa2,62357.36%1,92742.14%100.22%40.09%90.20%69615.22%4,573
Lucas2,63051.72%2,42247.63%160.31%50.10%120.24%2084.09%5,085
Lyon4,17874.05%1,40124.83%490.87%80.14%60.11%2,77749.22%5,642
Madison3,16850.60%3,06748.99%90.14%60.10%110.18%1011.61%6,261
Mahaska6,08659.13%4,10739.90%650.63%90.09%260.25%1,97919.23%10,293
Marion7,25953.24%6,31346.30%400.29%120.09%100.07%9466.94%13,634
Marshall10,83954.63%8,80944.40%1230.62%260.13%430.22%2,03010.23%19,840
Mills3,99472.80%1,43426.14%290.53%110.20%180.33%2,56046.66%5,486
Mitchell3,14454.74%2,53144.07%450.78%90.16%140.24%61310.67%5,743
Monona2,74655.37%2,15943.54%410.83%40.08%90.18%58711.83%4,959
Monroe1,92744.91%2,34254.58%70.16%30.07%120.28%-415-9.67%4,291
Montgomery4,22471.23%1,66128.01%270.46%80.13%100.17%2,56343.22%5,930
Muscatine9,06959.79%5,98639.46%750.49%160.11%220.15%3,08320.33%15,168
O'Brien5,00866.16%2,47932.75%590.78%120.16%110.15%2,52933.41%7,569
Osceola2,28565.98%1,14633.09%280.81%10.03%30.09%1,13932.89%3,463
Page5,87675.06%1,91424.45%240.31%60.08%80.10%3,96250.61%7,828
Palo Alto2,71546.73%3,01851.94%711.22%10.02%50.09%-303-5.21%5,810
Plymouth6,48264.65%3,46434.55%540.54%130.13%140.14%3,01830.10%10,027
Pocahontas2,62750.64%2,48147.82%240.46%410.79%150.29%1462.82%5,188
Polk71,41348.30%75,41351.01%5400.37%2440.17%2380.16%-4,000-2.71%147,848
Pottawattamie21,52763.11%12,32936.14%1790.52%330.10%440.13%9,19826.97%34,112
Poweshiek4,71553.04%4,10346.16%380.43%70.08%260.29%6126.88%8,889
Ringgold1,51248.51%1,59351.11%100.32%20.06%00.00%-81-2.60%3,117
Sac3,29857.57%2,36341.25%410.72%90.16%180.31%93516.32%5,729
Scott38,03453.41%32,55045.71%3850.54%1220.17%1210.17%5,4847.70%71,212
Shelby4,20064.25%2,29135.05%310.47%70.11%80.12%1,90929.20%6,537
Sioux11,66581.61%2,58518.09%250.17%50.03%130.09%9,08063.52%14,293
Story19,80451.56%18,27747.58%1070.28%940.24%1280.33%1,5273.98%38,410
Tama4,88254.30%4,06145.17%250.28%60.07%160.18%8219.13%8,990
Taylor2,49662.06%1,49937.27%130.32%30.07%110.27%99724.79%4,022
Union3,58354.49%2,87543.72%340.52%120.18%721.09%70810.77%6,576
Van Buren2,13856.73%1,60642.61%190.50%10.03%50.13%53214.12%3,769
Wapello7,09839.88%10,54559.24%860.48%310.17%400.22%-3,447-19.36%17,800
Warren8,27749.95%8,17149.31%840.51%130.08%250.15%1060.64%16,570
Washington4,61359.37%3,07939.63%460.59%140.18%180.23%1,53419.74%7,770
Wayne2,06151.26%1,92747.92%140.35%80.20%110.27%1343.34%4,021
Webster9,61948.58%9,93050.15%2061.04%250.13%220.11%-311-1.57%19,802
Winnebago3,61657.27%2,66942.27%160.25%20.03%110.17%94715.00%6,314
Winneshiek5,27757.96%3,72440.90%780.86%70.08%190.21%1,55317.06%9,105
Woodbury23,00254.31%18,95144.75%2960.70%420.10%590.14%4,0519.56%42,350
Worth1,98546.53%2,26353.05%90.21%50.12%40.09%-278-6.52%4,266
Wright3,67554.81%2,98044.44%310.46%90.13%100.15%69510.37%6,705
Totals703,08853.27%605,62045.89%6,2480.47%1,8440.14%3,0050.23%97,4687.38%1,319,805

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1984 Presidential General Election Results – Iowa . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2013-11-11.
  2. 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. News: January 30, 1984 . Branstad to head Reagan campaign . 2 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240213174649/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-nonpareil/140871558/ . February 13, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  4. Web site: IA US President Race, November 06, 1984. Our Campaigns.