United States gubernatorial elections, 1980

The United States gubernatorial elections of 1980 were held on November 4, 1980 in thirteen states. The Republican party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

had a net gain of four seats in this election which coincided with the election

United States presidential election, 1980

The United States presidential election of 1980 featured a contest between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, as well as Republican Congressman John B. Anderson, who ran as an independent...

of Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

and large Republican gains in the Senate

United States Senate elections, 1980

The 1980 U.S. Senate elections coincided with Ronald Reagan's election to the Presidency. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter pulled in many Democratic voters and gave a huge boost to Republican senate candidates....

Election results

A bolded state name features an article about the specific election.

State	Incumbent	Party	Status	Opposing Candidates
Arkansas Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1980 The Arkansas gubernatorial election of 1980 was only that state’s third election since Reconstruction when a Republican candidate won governorship, and the first in which an incumbent was defeated....	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Defeated, 48.1%	Frank D. White Frank D. White Frank Durward White was the 41st Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He served a single two-year term from 1981 to 1983. He is one of only two people to have defeated President Bill Clinton in an election. Frank Durward White (June 4, 1933 – May 21, 2003) was... (Republican) 51.9%
Delaware Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...	Pierre S. du Pont, IV Pierre S. du Pont, IV Pierre Samuel "Pete" du Pont IV is an American lawyer and politician from Rockland, in New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. He is a member of the Republican Party, who served three terms as U.S...	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	Re-elected, 70.7%	William J. Gordy (Democratic) 28.5% Lawrence Levy (Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... ) 0.8%
Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	Otis R. Bowen Otis R. Bowen Otis Ray Bowen, M.D. is a retired U.S. politician and physician. He served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1985 to 1989.-Early life:...	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	Term-limited, Republican victory	Robert D. Orr Robert D. Orr Robert Dunkerson Orr was an American political leader and the 45th Governor of Indiana from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:... (Republican) 57.7% John A. Hillenbrand (Democratic) 41.9% Cletis Artist (American) 0.4%
Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...	Joseph P. Teasdale Joseph P. Teasdale Joseph Patrick Teasdale is an American politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party....	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Defeated, 47.0%	Kit Bond Kit Bond Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004... (Republican) 52.6% Helen Savio (Socialist Workers Socialist Workers Party (United States) The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba... ) 0.3%
Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...	Thomas Lee Judge Thomas Lee Judge Thomas Lee Judge was an American politician.Judge was born in Helena, Montana. He served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1961 to 1967 and in the Montana Senate from 1967 to 1969, and as Lieutenant Governor of Montana from 1969 to 1973. Judge was the 18th Governor of Montana from 1973...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Defeated in primary, Democratic victory	Ted Schwinden Ted Schwinden Theodore "Ted" Schwinden served as the 19th Governor of Montana from 1981 until 1989.Schwinden was Lieutenant Governor under Thomas Judge and defeated his predecessor in the Democratic primary in 1980... (Democratic) 55.4% Jack Ramirez (Republican) 44.6%
New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...	Hugh Gallen Hugh Gallen Hugh J. Gallen was an American automobile dealer and Democratic politician from Littleton, New Hampshire. After serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, he won two terms as Governor....	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Re-elected, 59.0%	Meldrim Thomson, Jr. Meldrim Thomson, Jr. Meldrim Thomson, Jr. was a Republican who served three terms as Governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire from 1973 to 1979, during which time he became known as a strong supporter of conservative political values.... (Republican) 40.7% James Pinnaird (Libertarian) 0.3%
North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...	Jim Hunt Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Re-elected, 61.9%	I. Beverly Lake I. Beverly Lake I. Beverly Lake, Jr. is an American jurist and public official, who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.... (Republican) 37.4% Robert Y. Emory (Libertarian) 0.5% Douglas A. Cooper (Socialist Workers) 0.2%
North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....	Arthur A. Link Arthur A. Link Arthur Albert Link was an American politician for the North Dakota Democratic Party, and later the Democratic-NPL. He was elected as a one-term congressman in 1970 and as the 27th Governor of North Dakota in 1972, and served two terms until 1981.-Life and career:Link was born in Alexander, North...	Democratic-NPL	Defeated, 46.4%	Allen I. Olson Allen I. Olson Allen Ingvar Olson is a Republican politician and attorney who served as the 28th Governor of North Dakota from 1981 to 1985. He defeated incumbent Arthur A. Link in the 1980 race for governor and served one term.... (Republican) 53.6%
Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...	John Garrahy John Garrahy John Joseph Garrahy was the 69th Governor of Rhode Island from 1977 to 1985.-Early life:Garrahy was born on November 26, 1930 in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1952, Garrahy attended the University of Buffalo and in 1953 he attended the University of Rhode Island. Later that year, Garrahy joined...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Re-elected, 73.7%	Buddy Cianci (Republican) 26.9%
Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...	Scott M. Matheson Scott M. Matheson -External links:* from...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Re-elected, 55.2%	R. L. Wright (Republican) 44.4% Lawrence Rey Topham (American) 0.4%
Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...	Richard A. Snelling Richard A. Snelling Richard Arkwright Snelling was the 76th and 78th Governor of Vermont from 1977 to 1985 and from January 10, 1991 until his death from heart failure.He was the son of Walter O...	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	Re-elected, 58.7%	M. Jerome Diamond (Democratic) 36.6% Daniel E. Woodward (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 2.5% Bruce Cullen (Independent) 1.1% John Potthast (Liberty Union Liberty Union Party The Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone and others, originated in the anti-war and People's Party movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.-History:... ) 0.9%
Washington Washington gubernatorial election, 1980 The State of Washington holds its gubernatorial election every fourth year, concurrent with the United States presidential election. This election took place on November 4, 1980.-General election results:-See also:...	Dixy Lee Ray Dixy Lee Ray Dixy Lee Ray was the 17th Governor of the U.S. State of Washington. She was Washington's first female governor.-Early years:...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Defeated in primary, Republican victory	John Spellman John Spellman John Dennis Spellman was the 18th Governor of Washington between 1981 and 1985; before that, he was a member of the King County, Washington, County Commission from 1967 to 1969 and the King County Executive from 1969 to 1981. He was a Republican and his opponent in the 1980 election was then-State... (Republican) 56.7% Jim McDermott Jim McDermott James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The 7th District includes most of Seattle and Vashon Island, and portions of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien.He serves on the House Ways and Means... (Democratic) 43.3%
West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...	Jay Rockefeller Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as Governor of West Virginia, a position he held from 1977 to 1985...	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Re-elected, 54.1%	Arch A. Moore, Jr. Arch A. Moore, Jr. Arch Alfred Moore, Jr. was the 28th and 30th Governor of West Virginia from 1969 until 1977 and from 1985 until 1989. He was a Congressman from 1957 until entering the governor's office. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. He ran for reelection in 1988, but was defeated by... (Republican) 45.4% Jack Kelley (Libertarian) 0.4%

Election results

See also