1980 United States presidential election in California

The 1980 United States presidential election in California took place on November 4, 1980 as part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose 45 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

1980 United States presidential election in California

← 1976 November 4, 1980 1984 →
Turnout77.24% (of registered voters) Decrease 4.29 pp
57.04% (of eligible voters) Decrease 0.28 pp[1]
 
Nominee Ronald Reagan Jimmy Carter John B. Anderson
Party Republican Democratic Independent
Home state California Georgia Illinois
Running mate George H. W. Bush Walter Mondale Patrick Lucey
Electoral vote 45 0 0
Popular vote 4,524,858 3,083,661 739,833
Percentage 52.69% 35.91% 8.62%

County Results

President before election

Jimmy Carter
Democratic

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

California voted for the Republican nominee, the state's former governor Ronald Reagan, in a landslide over the Democratic incumbent, Jimmy Carter. Reagan won his home state by a wide 16.78% point margin and carried all but three counties. Reagan was the first Republican to win Plumas since 1920, Shasta County since 1952, and Sierra County since 1956.[2] Carter carried only three of the state's 58 counties: Alameda, San Francisco and Yolo.

1980 marks the most recent election in which California voted more Republican than the United States as a whole.[3] Reagan is also the last Republican candidate to carry the counties of Marin and Santa Cruz in a presidential election. This election indeed constitutes the most Republican California has voted relative to the whole nation since 1928; here, it was widely believed that Carter lacked understanding of critical Western issues, most importantly water development.[4] This also remains the last time a Republican won the San Francisco Bay Area, and the last one in which San Francisco gave less than 60% of the vote to the Democratic candidate. As of 2020, this is the last presidential election in which California voted more Republican than Texas.

Primaries edit

1980 Democratic Primary
Candidate Votes Delegates
Ted Kennedy 1,507,142 151
Jimmy Carter 1,266,216 127
Jerry Brown 135,962 0
Others 71,779 0
Uncommitted 382,759 38
Totals 3,363,858 317
1980 Republican Primary
Candidate Votes Delegates
Ronald Reagan 2,057,923 146
John Anderson 349,315 25
George H.W. Bush 125,113 0
Others 31,707 0
Totals 2,564,058 171

Results edit

1980 United States presidential election in California[5]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Ronald Reagan 4,524,858 52.69% 45
Democratic Jimmy Carter (incumbent) 3,083,661 35.91% 0
Independent John B. Anderson 739,833 8.62% 0
Libertarian Ed Clark 148,434 1.73% 0
Independent Barry Commoner 61,063 0.71% 0
Peace and Freedom Maureen Smith 18,116 0.21% 0
American Independent John Rarick 9,856 0.11% 0
No party Gus Hall (write-in) 847 0.01% 0
No party Andrew Pulley (write-in) 231 0.00% 0
No party Percy Greaves, Jr. (write-in) 87 0.00% 0
No party Ben Bubar (write-in) 36 0.00% 0
No party Write-ins 26 0.00% 0
No party Deirdre Griswold (write-in) 15 0.00% 0
Invalid or blank votes
Totals 8,587,063 100.00% 45
Voter turnout

Results by county edit

County Ronald Wilson Reagan[6]
Republican
James Earl Carter[6]
Democratic
John B. Anderson[7]
Independent
Edward E. Clark[7]
Libertarian
Various candidates[7]
Other parties
Margin
% # % # % # % # % # % #
Orange 67.90% 529,797 22.65% 176,704 7.09% 55,299 1.85% 14,426 0.51% 3,986 45.25% 353,093
Inyo 64.79% 5,201 25.91% 2,080 6.42% 515 1.76% 141 1.12% 90 38.88% 3,121
Modoc 64.48% 2,579 26.15% 1,046 7.32% 293 1.40% 56 0.65% 26 38.33% 1,533
Glenn 64.80% 5,386 26.79% 2,227 6.46% 537 1.46% 121 0.49% 41 38.01% 3,159
Mono 62.32% 2,132 25.29% 865 8.83% 302 2.72% 93 0.85% 29 37.03% 1,267
Sutter 63.47% 11,778 27.50% 5,103 5.87% 1,089 2.57% 476 0.60% 111 35.97% 6,675
San Diego 60.81% 435,910 27.26% 195,410 9.41% 67,491 1.50% 10,769 1.02% 7,286 33.55% 240,500
Ventura 60.28% 114,930 29.54% 56,311 7.81% 14,887 1.75% 3,341 0.62% 1,181 30.74% 58,619
Calaveras 58.92% 6,054 29.94% 3,076 7.55% 776 2.60% 267 0.99% 102 28.98% 2,978
Nevada 57.91% 15,207 28.96% 7,605 8.51% 2,235 3.39% 891 1.23% 323 28.95% 7,602
El Dorado 58.27% 21,238 29.53% 10,765 9.02% 3,287 2.36% 861 0.82% 298 28.74% 10,473
Riverside 59.87% 145,642 31.51% 76,650 6.73% 16,362 1.40% 3,406 0.50% 1,218 28.36% 68,992
Butte 57.85% 38,188 29.57% 19,520 9.25% 6,108 1.96% 1,292 1.37% 904 28.28% 18,668
San Bernardino 59.68% 172,957 31.67% 91,790 6.59% 19,106 1.49% 4,317 0.57% 1,642 28.01% 81,167
Tehama 59.13% 9,140 31.26% 4,832 6.56% 1,014 2.18% 337 0.87% 134 27.87% 4,308
Alpine 55.10% 254 28.85% 133 10.85% 50 2.60% 12 2.60% 12 26.25% 121
San Luis Obispo 55.56% 38,631 29.50% 20,508 12.09% 8,407 1.91% 1,330 0.94% 651 26.06% 18,123
Kern 59.65% 72,842 33.65% 41,097 4.75% 5,799 1.53% 1,865 0.42% 518 26.00% 31,745
Colusa 58.00% 2,897 32.13% 1,605 6.51% 325 2.44% 122 0.92% 46 25.87% 1,292
Shasta 58.09% 27,547 32.40% 15,364 6.79% 3,220 2.02% 960 0.69% 327 25.69% 12,183
Del Norte 57.48% 4,016 33.46% 2,338 6.96% 486 1.30% 91 0.80% 56 24.02% 1,678
Trinity 54.96% 3,048 31.27% 1,734 9.12% 506 3.21% 178 1.44% 80 23.69% 1,314
Amador 55.85% 5,401 33.00% 3,191 8.15% 788 2.15% 208 0.85% 82 22.85% 2,210
Tulare 58.32% 41,317 35.51% 25,155 4.58% 3,244 1.13% 801 0.46% 329 22.81% 16,162
Santa Barbara 53.98% 69,629 31.51% 40,650 11.46% 14,786 1.58% 2,035 1.47% 1,895 22.47% 28,979
Siskiyou 55.75% 9,331 33.84% 5,664 7.58% 1,269 1.91% 320 0.92% 154 21.91% 3,667
Yuba 56.28% 7,942 34.70% 4,896 6.22% 878 2.08% 294 0.72% 101 21.58% 3,046
Mariposa 54.96% 3,082 33.68% 1,889 8.17% 458 1.78% 100 1.41% 79 21.28% 1,193
Monterey 54.67% 47,452 33.51% 29,086 9.23% 8,008 1.69% 1,468 0.90% 780 21.16% 18,366
Placer 54.78% 28,179 33.65% 17,311 8.47% 4,356 2.37% 1,217 0.73% 377 21.13% 10,868
Tuolumne 54.85% 8,810 33.92% 5,449 8.65% 1390 1.80% 289 0.78% 125 20.93% 3,361
Napa 53.67% 23,632 33.83% 14,898 9.58% 4,218 2.05% 902 0.87% 385 19.84% 8,734
San Joaquin 55.38% 64,718 35.56% 41,551 7.20% 8,416 1.32% 1,541 0.55% 637 19.82% 23,167
Imperial 55.92% 12,068 36.89% 7,961 5.57% 1,203 1.15% 248 0.46% 99 19.03% 4,107
Lassen 54.45% 4,464 35.87% 2,941 6.62% 543 1.98% 162 1.07% 88 18.58% 1,523
Lake 53.64% 8,934 35.90% 5,978 6.95% 1,157 2.53% 422 0.98% 163 17.74% 2,956
San Benito 53.33% 4,054 36.16% 2,749 7.26% 552 2.50% 190 0.75% 57 17.17% 1,305
Kings 55.37% 10,531 38.37% 7,299 4.74% 901 1.16% 220 0.37% 70 17.00% 3,232
Plumas 51.24% 4,182 35.67% 2,911 9.59% 783 1.97% 161 1.52% 124 15.57% 1,271
Humboldt 49.39% 24,047 35.15% 17,113 11.17% 5,440 2.27% 1,105 2.03% 987 14.24% 6,934
Madera 53.58% 10,599 39.35% 7,783 5.12% 1,013 1.34% 266 0.60% 119 14.23% 2,816
Santa Clara 48.02% 229,048 35.01% 166,995 13.73% 65,481 2.32% 11,051 0.93% 4,428 13.01% 62,053
Contra Costa 50.12% 144,112 37.35% 107,398 9.81% 28,209 1.80% 5,175 0.92% 2,651 12.77% 36,714
Solano 50.72% 40,919 38.37% 30,952 8.32% 6,713 1.82% 1,468 0.77% 624 12.35% 9,967
San Mateo 48.82% 116,491 36.60% 87,335 11.73% 27,985 1.99% 4,744 0.87% 2,082 12.22% 29,156
Sonoma 48.20% 60,722 36.19% 45,596 11.17% 14,068 2.30% 2,903 2.14% 2,696 12.01% 15,126
Sierra 49.77% 855 37.89% 651 9.08% 156 1.86% 32 1.40% 24 11.88% 204
Fresno 51.13% 82,515 40.43% 65,254 6.65% 10,727 1.14% 1,835 0.65% 1,055 10.70% 17,261
Los Angeles 50.18% 1,224,533 40.15% 979,830 7.21% 175,882 1.55% 37,832 0.91% 22,108 10.03% 244,703
Marin 45.78% 49,678 36.16% 39,231 12.72% 13,805 2.45% 2,660 2.89% 3,133 9.62% 10,447
Stanislaus 49.41% 41,595 40.01% 33,683 8.47% 7,134 1.45% 1,224 0.65% 550 9.40% 7,912
Sacramento 47.72% 153,721 40.37% 130,031 9.21% 29,655 1.80% 5,810 0.90% 2,903 7.35% 23,690
Mendocino 44.05% 12,432 38.21% 10,784 9.73% 2,747 4.00% 1,130 4.01% 1,131 5.84% 1,648
Merced 48.77% 18,043 42.94% 15,886 6.26% 2,316 1.39% 516 0.64% 235 5.83% 2,157
Santa Cruz 43.53% 37,347 37.70% 32,346 12.34% 10,590 2.72% 2,332 3.72% 3,189 5.83% 5,001
Yolo 39.45% 19,603 43.32% 21,527 13.42% 6,669 1.82% 905 1.98% 986 -3.87% -1,924
Alameda 37.96% 158,531 48.30% 201,720 9.78% 40,834 1.78% 7,436 2.18% 9,096 -10.34% -43,189
San Francisco 31.87% 80,967 52.43% 133,184 11.56% 29,365 1.61% 4,080 2.53% 6,432 -20.56% -52,217

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Historical Voter Registration and Participation in Statewide General Elections 1910-2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  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. ^ Counting the Votes; California Archived 2016-12-31 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Reisner, Marc; Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water; p. 11 ISBN 0140178244
  5. ^ "1980 Presidential General Election Results – California". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  6. ^ a b Géoelections; 1980 Presidential Election Popular Vote (.xlsx file for €15)
  7. ^ a b c Géoelections; Popular Vote for John B. Anderson (.xlsx file for €15)