1980 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1980 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 10 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1980 United States presidential election in Tennessee

← 1976 November 4, 1980 1984 →
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California Georgia
Running mate George H. W. Bush Walter Mondale
Electoral vote 10 0
Popular vote 787,761 783,051
Percentage 48.70% 48.41%


President before election

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Tennessee was won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan (R) by a very slim margin of 0.29% and a margin of just 4,710 votes,[1] partly because of President Jimmy Carter's southern roots. Amidst a national Republican landslide, Tennessee weighed in as 9.5 points more Democratic than the nation at-large, and Carter's 48.41% vote share has not been exceeded by any Democrat since (Bill Clinton would go on to carry the state with smaller pluralities in 1992 and 1996). Carter's strong performance given the national environment stands as a relative anomaly in Tennessee's recent electoral history; had he carried the state, it would have marked the only time since 1924 that a Republican was elected president without winning Tennessee.

Reagan’s victory was the first of three consecutive Republican victories in the state, as Tennessee would not vote Democratic again until Bill Clinton in 1992. Since then, it has become a safe Republican state. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time that Tipton County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, and the last time that a Republican carried Tennessee with a plurality, rather than a majority.[2]

55% of white voters supported Reagan while 42% supported Carter.[3][4]

Results

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Presidential Candidate Running Mate Party Electoral Vote (EV) Popular Vote (PV)
Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush Republican 10 787,761 48.70%
Jimmy Carter (incumbent) Walter Mondale (incumbent) Democratic 0 783,051 48.41%
John B. Anderson Patrick Lucey Independent 0 35,991 2.22%
Ed Clark David Koch Independent 0 7,116 0.44%
Barry Commoner Independent 0 1,112 0.07%
Benjamin Bubar Earl Dodge Independent 0 521 0.03%
David McReynolds Diane Drufenbrock Independent 0 519 0.03%
Gus Hall Angela Davis Independent 0 503 0.03%
Clifton DeBerry Matilde Zimmermann Independent 0 490 0.03%
Deirdre Griswold Larry Holmes Independent 0 400 0.02%
Write-ins 0 152 0.01%

Results by county

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County Ronald Reagan
Republican
Jimmy Carter
Democratic
John B. Anderson
Independent
Ed Clark
Independent
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # % # %
Anderson 14,235 55.31% 10,194 39.61% 1,161 4.51% 102 0.40% 44 0.17% 4,041 15.70% 25,736
Bedford 3,377 35.24% 5,987 62.48% 159 1.66% 40 0.42% 20 0.21% -2,610 -27.24% 9,583
Benton 2,281 36.83% 3,811 61.54% 71 1.15% 30 0.48% 0 0.00% -1,530 -24.71% 6,193
Bledsoe 1,970 54.94% 1,585 44.20% 26 0.73% 4 0.11% 1 0.03% 385 10.74% 3,586
Blount 17,959 63.81% 9,412 33.44% 620 2.20% 110 0.39% 43 0.15% 8,547 30.37% 28,144
Bradley 11,869 59.63% 7,638 38.37% 316 1.59% 68 0.34% 14 0.07% 4,231 21.26% 19,905
Campbell 5,537 52.99% 4,752 45.47% 120 1.15% 24 0.23% 17 0.16% 785 7.52% 10,450
Cannon 1,403 36.76% 2,351 61.59% 41 1.07% 11 0.29% 11 0.29% -948 -24.83% 3,817
Carroll 5,681 50.98% 5,277 47.36% 125 1.12% 42 0.38% 18 0.16% 404 3.62% 11,143
Carter 11,648 64.44% 6,006 33.22% 326 1.80% 70 0.39% 27 0.15% 5,642 31.22% 18,077
Cheatham 2,296 37.03% 3,771 60.81% 90 1.45% 29 0.47% 15 0.24% -1,475 -23.78% 6,201
Chester 2,751 55.69% 2,123 42.98% 52 1.05% 9 0.18% 5 0.10% 628 12.71% 4,940
Claiborne 4,289 59.05% 2,844 39.16% 94 1.29% 30 0.41% 6 0.08% 1,445 19.89% 7,263
Clay 1,344 48.61% 1,376 49.76% 27 0.98% 15 0.54% 3 0.11% -32 -1.15% 2,765
Cocke 6,802 74.39% 2,139 23.39% 139 1.52% 38 0.42% 26 0.28% 4,663 51.00% 9,144
Coffee 5,454 40.72% 7,612 56.84% 239 1.78% 66 0.49% 22 0.16% -2,158 -16.12% 13,393
Crockett 2,117 46.14% 2,422 52.79% 27 0.59% 18 0.39% 4 0.09% -305 -6.65% 4,588
Cumberland 6,354 60.89% 3,775 36.17% 227 2.18% 51 0.49% 29 0.28% 2,579 24.72% 10,436
Davidson 65,772 37.45% 103,741 59.08% 4,834 2.75% 938 0.53% 321 0.18% -37,969 -21.63% 175,606
DeKalb 1,841 37.82% 2,948 60.56% 48 0.99% 19 0.39% 12 0.25% -1,107 -22.74% 4,868
Decatur 2,095 48.95% 2,139 49.98% 35 0.82% 8 0.19% 3 0.07% -44 -1.03% 4,280
Dickson 3,636 34.74% 6,622 63.27% 157 1.50% 37 0.35% 15 0.14% -2,986 -28.53% 10,467
Dyer 5,475 48.00% 5,713 50.08% 158 1.39% 49 0.43% 12 0.11% -238 -2.08% 11,407
Fayette 2,944 40.92% 4,141 57.55% 75 1.04% 24 0.33% 11 0.15% -1,197 -16.63% 7,195
Fentress 2,493 60.76% 1,543 37.61% 49 1.19% 14 0.34% 4 0.10% 950 23.15% 4,103
Franklin 3,995 36.02% 6,760 60.96% 251 2.26% 59 0.53% 25 0.23% -2,765 -24.94% 11,090
Gibson 6,792 40.13% 9,829 58.08% 227 1.34% 52 0.31% 23 0.14% -3,037 -17.95% 16,923
Giles 2,757 36.58% 4,653 61.74% 85 1.13% 23 0.31% 19 0.25% -1,896 -25.16% 7,537
Grainger 3,254 67.12% 1,495 30.84% 66 1.36% 24 0.50% 9 0.19% 1,759 36.28% 4,848
Greene 10,704 63.13% 5,822 34.34% 338 1.99% 64 0.38% 28 0.17% 4,882 28.79% 16,956
Grundy 1,139 28.34% 2,837 70.59% 33 0.82% 3 0.07% 7 0.17% -1,698 -42.25% 4,019
Hamblen 9,741 60.60% 5,890 36.65% 336 2.09% 87 0.54% 19 0.12% 3,851 23.95% 16,073
Hamilton 57,575 56.40% 41,913 41.05% 2,087 2.04% 374 0.37% 143 0.14% 15,662 15.35% 102,092
Hancock 1,734 69.72% 704 28.31% 32 1.29% 10 0.40% 7 0.28% 1,030 41.41% 2,487
Hardeman 2,931 40.68% 4,153 57.64% 73 1.01% 19 0.26% 29 0.40% -1,222 -16.96% 7,205
Hardin 4,152 55.84% 3,164 42.56% 76 1.02% 31 0.42% 12 0.16% 988 13.28% 7,435
Hawkins 7,836 57.92% 5,283 39.05% 310 2.29% 63 0.47% 37 0.27% 2,553 18.87% 13,529
Haywood 2,435 40.97% 3,445 57.97% 49 0.82% 11 0.19% 3 0.05% -1,010 -17.00% 5,943
Henderson 5,108 64.45% 2,702 34.09% 78 0.98% 28 0.35% 10 0.13% 2,406 30.36% 7,926
Henry 4,299 38.49% 6,601 59.11% 200 1.79% 52 0.47% 16 0.14% -2,302 -20.62% 11,168
Hickman 1,903 36.39% 3,225 61.66% 78 1.49% 17 0.33% 7 0.13% -1,322 -25.27% 5,230
Houston 738 29.04% 1,757 69.15% 31 1.22% 6 0.24% 9 0.35% -1,019 -40.11% 2,541
Humphreys 1,897 31.80% 3,974 66.61% 74 1.24% 18 0.30% 3 0.05% -2,077 -34.81% 5,966
Jackson 995 28.15% 2,480 70.16% 27 0.76% 27 0.76% 6 0.17% -1,485 -42.01% 3,535
Jefferson 6,944 66.82% 3,180 30.60% 201 1.93% 42 0.40% 25 0.24% 3,764 36.22% 10,392
Johnson 3,716 74.99% 1,141 23.03% 66 1.33% 22 0.44% 10 0.20% 2,575 51.96% 4,955
Knox 66,153 56.26% 45,634 38.81% 4,801 4.08% 570 0.48% 427 0.36% 20,519 17.45% 117,585
Lake 823 32.11% 1,718 67.03% 11 0.43% 3 0.12% 8 0.31% -895 -34.92% 2,563
Lauderdale 2,818 38.95% 4,318 59.68% 73 1.01% 16 0.22% 10 0.14% -1,500 -20.73% 7,235
Lawrence 6,532 48.47% 6,082 45.13% 212 1.57% 158 1.17% 493 3.66% 450 3.34% 13,477
Lewis 1,076 32.52% 2,190 66.18% 33 1.00% 5 0.15% 5 0.15% -1,114 -33.66% 3,309
Lincoln 2,856 33.96% 5,387 64.06% 119 1.42% 34 0.40% 13 0.15% -2,531 -30.10% 8,409
Loudon 6,382 61.51% 3,699 35.65% 235 2.26% 40 0.39% 20 0.19% 2,683 25.86% 10,376
Macon 2,925 58.96% 1,947 39.25% 65 1.31% 19 0.38% 5 0.10% 978 19.71% 4,961
Madison 13,667 50.27% 12,986 47.77% 363 1.34% 103 0.38% 68 0.25% 681 2.50% 27,187
Marion 3,902 45.10% 4,623 53.44% 93 1.08% 26 0.30% 7 0.08% -721 -8.34% 8,651
Marshall 2,282 34.23% 4,277 64.16% 78 1.17% 24 0.36% 5 0.08% -1,995 -29.93% 6,666
Maury 6,637 44.16% 7,957 52.94% 225 1.50% 134 0.89% 77 0.51% -1,320 -8.78% 15,030
McMinn 7,825 57.76% 5,460 40.30% 200 1.48% 53 0.39% 9 0.07% 2,365 17.46% 13,547
McNairy 4,603 54.06% 3,801 44.64% 76 0.89% 25 0.29% 9 0.11% 802 9.42% 8,514
Meigs 1,278 55.18% 999 43.13% 31 1.34% 6 0.26% 2 0.09% 279 12.05% 2,316
Monroe 6,246 56.45% 4,612 41.68% 125 1.13% 44 0.40% 38 0.34% 1,634 14.77% 11,065
Montgomery 8,503 41.08% 11,573 55.91% 490 2.37% 85 0.41% 47 0.23% -3,070 -14.83% 20,698
Moore 551 34.55% 993 62.26% 34 2.13% 14 0.88% 3 0.19% -442 -27.71% 1,595
Morgan 2,823 56.29% 2,094 41.75% 70 1.40% 21 0.42% 7 0.14% 729 14.54% 5,015
Obion 5,397 47.49% 5,766 50.73% 138 1.21% 34 0.30% 30 0.26% -369 -3.24% 11,365
Overton 1,869 35.49% 3,343 63.47% 38 0.72% 15 0.28% 2 0.04% -1,474 -27.98% 5,267
Perry 783 35.08% 1,401 62.77% 32 1.43% 13 0.58% 3 0.13% -618 -27.69% 2,232
Pickett 1,319 62.75% 758 36.06% 12 0.57% 5 0.24% 8 0.38% 561 26.69% 2,102
Polk 2,414 48.67% 2,470 49.80% 45 0.91% 18 0.36% 13 0.26% -56 -1.13% 4,960
Putnam 6,235 42.26% 8,084 54.80% 342 2.32% 66 0.45% 26 0.18% -1,849 -12.54% 14,753
Rhea 4,689 59.44% 3,070 38.91% 93 1.18% 24 0.30% 13 0.16% 1,619 20.53% 7,889
Roane 11,096 61.03% 6,473 35.60% 481 2.65% 93 0.51% 39 0.21% 4,623 25.43% 18,182
Robertson 3,560 32.00% 7,381 66.34% 127 1.14% 45 0.40% 13 0.12% -3,821 -34.34% 11,126
Rutherford 11,208 40.98% 15,213 55.62% 703 2.57% 153 0.56% 73 0.27% -4,005 -14.64% 27,350
Scott 3,014 62.38% 1,724 35.68% 63 1.30% 17 0.35% 14 0.29% 1,290 26.70% 4,832
Sequatchie 1,512 49.54% 1,509 49.44% 23 0.75% 6 0.20% 2 0.07% 3 0.10% 3,052
Sevier 10,576 73.25% 3,450 23.89% 338 2.34% 48 0.33% 27 0.19% 7,126 49.36% 14,439
Shelby 140,157 45.43% 159,240 51.61% 7,180 2.33% 1,362 0.44% 578 0.19% -19,083 -6.18% 308,517
Smith 1,755 31.73% 3,674 66.43% 69 1.25% 23 0.42% 10 0.18% -1,919 -34.70% 5,531
Stewart 985 29.69% 2,274 68.54% 42 1.27% 11 0.33% 6 0.18% -1,289 -38.85% 3,318
Sullivan 25,963 51.44% 22,341 44.27% 1,874 3.71% 196 0.39% 96 0.19% 3,622 7.17% 50,470
Sumner 11,876 44.42% 14,150 52.93% 540 2.02% 138 0.52% 31 0.12% -2,274 -8.51% 26,735
Tipton 4,339 46.15% 4,934 52.48% 109 1.16% 16 0.17% 3 0.03% -595 -6.33% 9,401
Trousdale 629 26.72% 1,674 71.11% 30 1.27% 14 0.59% 7 0.30% -1,045 -44.39% 2,354
Unicoi 3,828 65.50% 1,880 32.17% 97 1.66% 18 0.31% 21 0.36% 1,948 33.33% 5,844
Union 2,453 62.09% 1,435 36.32% 45 1.14% 12 0.30% 6 0.15% 1,018 25.77% 3,951
Van Buren 499 35.54% 886 63.11% 11 0.78% 4 0.28% 4 0.28% -387 -27.57% 1,404
Warren 3,680 37.16% 6,021 60.79% 148 1.49% 41 0.41% 14 0.14% -2,341 -23.63% 9,904
Washington 17,457 57.71% 11,599 38.35% 934 3.09% 173 0.57% 86 0.28% 5,858 19.36% 30,249
Wayne 3,418 64.53% 1,633 30.83% 78 1.47% 38 0.72% 130 2.45% 1,785 33.70% 5,297
Weakley 5,668 48.15% 5,910 50.21% 136 1.16% 51 0.43% 6 0.05% -242 -2.06% 11,771
White 2,100 37.41% 3,415 60.84% 64 1.14% 28 0.50% 6 0.11% -1,315 -23.43% 5,613
Williamson 11,597 54.98% 8,815 41.79% 551 2.61% 104 0.49% 28 0.13% 2,782 13.19% 21,095
Wilson 7,535 39.09% 11,248 58.36% 380 1.97% 92 0.48% 19 0.10% -3,713 -19.27% 19,274
Totals 787,761 48.70% 783,051 48.41% 35,991 2.22% 7,116 0.44% 3,697 0.23% 4,710 0.29% 1,617,616

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1980 Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  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. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
  4. ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.

Works cited

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