United States Senate elections, 1980
Encyclopedia
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.
The Republicans gained a net of twelve seats from the Democrats, the largest swing since 1958, and gained control of the Senate, 53-46. Majority and minority leaders Robert Byrd
and Howard Baker
exchanged places. This marked the first time since 1954 that the Republican Party controlled one of the Houses of Congress.
Without losing any seats, the Republicans took open seats in Alabama, Alaska, and Florida, and defeated nine incumbents: Herman Talmadge
(D-GA), Frank Church
(D-ID), Birch E. Bayh II
(D-IN), John Culver
(D-IA), John A. Durkin
(D-NH), Robert Morgan
(D-NC), 1972 presidential nominee George S. McGovern
(D-SD), Warren Magnuson (D-WA), and Gaylord Nelson
(D-WI) (see Reagan's coattails
).
Notable new senators included future Vice-President J. Danforth Quayle
(R-IN). Alfonse M. D'Amato
(R-NY) defeated incumbent liberal Republican icon Jacob Javits in a primary, demonstrating the ascendancy of conservative Republicans.
In 1982, Harrison A. Williams
(D-NJ) resigned from the Senate rather than face a vote on his expulsion over the Abscam
scandal. He was replaced by Republican Nicholas F. Brady
. This is not reflected in the party totals.
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....
's election to the Presidency
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
pulled in many 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...
voters and gave a huge boost to 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...
senate candidates.
The Republicans gained a net of twelve seats from the Democrats, the largest swing since 1958, and gained control of the Senate, 53-46. Majority and minority leaders Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
and Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
exchanged places. This marked the first time since 1954 that the Republican Party controlled one of the Houses of Congress.
Without losing any seats, the Republicans took open seats in Alabama, Alaska, and Florida, and defeated nine incumbents: Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge
Herman Eugene Talmadge was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served as governor of Georgia briefly in 1947 and again from 1948 to 1955. His term was marked by his segregationist policies. After leaving office Talmadge was elected to the U.S...
(D-GA), Frank Church
Frank Church
Frank Forrester Church III was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Idaho from 1957 to 1981....
(D-ID), Birch E. Bayh II
Birch Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh II is a former United States Senator from Indiana, having served from 1963 to 1981. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election, but lost to Jimmy Carter. He is the father of former Indiana Governor and former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.-Life...
(D-IN), John Culver
John Culver
John Chester Culver is an American politician of the Democratic Party who represented Iowa in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate....
(D-IA), John A. Durkin
John A. Durkin
John Anthony Durkin was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New Hampshire from 1975 until 1980.Durkin graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1959 and Georgetown University Law Center in 1965...
(D-NH), Robert Morgan
Robert Morgan
Robert Knight Morgan was a United States Air Force colonel and pilot, from Asheville, North Carolina, and the commander of the B-17 Flying Fortress Memphis Belle during World War II.-Biography:...
(D-NC), 1972 presidential nominee George S. McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
(D-SD), Warren Magnuson (D-WA), and Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Anton Nelson was an American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. A Democrat, he was the principal founder of Earth Day.-Public service and leadership:...
(D-WI) (see Reagan's coattails
Reagan's coattails
Reagan’s coattails refers to the influence of Ronald Reagan’s popularity in elections other than his own, after the American political expression to “ride in on another’s coattails.” Chiefly, it refers to the “Reagan Revolution” accompanying his 1980 election to the U.S. Presidency. This victory...
).
Notable new senators included future Vice-President J. Danforth Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
(R-IN). Alfonse M. D'Amato
Al D'Amato
Alfonse Marcello "Al" D'Amato is an American lawyer and former New York politician. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999.-Early life and family:...
(R-NY) defeated incumbent liberal Republican icon Jacob Javits in a primary, demonstrating the ascendancy of conservative Republicans.
In 1982, Harrison A. Williams
Harrison A. Williams
Harrison Arlington "Pete" Williams, Jr. was a Democrat who represented New Jersey in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate . Williams was convicted on May 1, 1981 for taking bribes in the Abscam sting operation, and resigned from the U.S. Senate in 1982...
(D-NJ) resigned from the Senate rather than face a vote on his expulsion over the Abscam
Abscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
scandal. He was replaced by Republican Nicholas F. Brady
Nicholas F. Brady
Nicholas Frederick Brady was United States Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and is also known for articulating the Brady Plan in March 1989.-Early life:...
. This is not reflected in the party totals.
Results summary
| Parties | Total Seats | Popular Vote | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 1980 | +/- | Vote | % | ||||||
| Republican Party | 41 | 53 | +12 | 26,597,169 | 44.73% | |||||
| Democratic Party | 58 | 46 | -12 | 30,699,463 | 51.62% | |||||
| Others | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2,172,298 | 3.65% | |||||
| Total | 100 | 100 | - | 59,468,930 | 100.0% | |||||
| Source: Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk | ||||||||||
Complete list of contests
A bolded state name indicates an article about that state's election.| State | Incumbent | Party | Result | Opposing candidate(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama United States Senate election in Alabama, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 3, 1980 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Donald... |
Donald W. Stewart Donald W. Stewart Donald Wilbur Stewart is a former Democratic United States Senator from the state of Alabama.Stewart was born in Anniston, the seat of Calhoun County, and attended the University of Alabama both in undergraduate and in law school. During his years in law school, he ran a successful campaign for... |
Democratic | Lost renomination Republican gain |
Jeremiah Denton Jeremiah Denton Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. is a retired United States Navy rear admiral, naval aviator and a former Republican U.S. senator, for the state of Alabama... (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... ) 50.2% Jim Folsom, Jr. Jim Folsom, Jr. James Elisha Folsom, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who was the 50th Governor of Alabama from April 22, 1993 to January 16, 1995.-Early life and career:... (Democratic) 47.1% |
| Alaska United States Senate election in Alaska, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Mike Gravel had earlier lost his party's primary to Clark Gruening, and Gruening lost the general election to Republican Party member Frank Murkowski.- Candidates :*Michael J... |
Mike Gravel Mike Gravel Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election.... |
Democratic | Lost renomination Republican gain |
Frank Murkowski Frank Murkowski Francis Hughes Murkowski is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002 and the eighth Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.- Early life and career :... (Republican) 53.7% Clark Gruening Clark Gruening Clark S. Gruening is an attorney and Democratic Party politician from the U.S. state of Alaska. He is chiefly known as the second of three persons to defeat the incumbent holder of Alaska's Class 3 United States Senate seat in the primary election.Clark Gruening was born in San Francisco,... (Democratic) 45.9% |
| Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
Barry Goldwater Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr... |
Republican | Re-elected, 49.5% | Bill Schulz (Democratic) 48.4% Fred R. Easer (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... ) 1.4% Lorenzo Torrez (People Over Politics) 0.4% Josefina Otero (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... ) 0.4% |
| Arkansas United States Senate election in Arkansas, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Arkansas was held November 8, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers won re-election to a second term.-Results:-References:... |
Dale Bumpers Dale Bumpers Dale Leon Bumpers is an American politician who served as the 38th Governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975; and then in the United States Senate from 1975 until his retirement in January 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Senator Bumpers is currently counsel at the Washington, D.C... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 59.1% | Bill Clark Bill Clark Clark joined the New York City Police Department in 1969. He worked a special undercover assignment for two years before entering the Police Academy. In 1972 he earned his gold detective shield. On December 31, 1994, Clark retired from the Queens Homicide Detective Squad as a First Grade... (Republican) 40.9% |
| California United States Senate election in California, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in California took place on November 3, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Alan Cranston won re-election to a third term.-Results:... |
Alan Cranston Alan Cranston Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American journalist and Democratic Senator from California.-Education:Cranston earned his high school diploma from the old Mountain View High School, where among other things, he was a track star... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 56.5% | Paul Gann Paul Gann Paul Gann was a Sacramento, California-based conservative political activist and founder of People's Advocate, Inc... (Republican) 37.1% David Bergland David Bergland David Peter Bergland received the United States Libertarian Party's nomination for the 1984 presidential election. Bergland and his running mate Jim Lewis received 228,111 . He received the party's vice-presidential nomination in the 1976 presidential election, sharing the ticket with Roger... (Libertarian) 2.4% David Wald (Peace & Freedom) 2.4% Jim Griffin (American Ind. American Independent Party The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice... ) 1.6% |
| Colorado United States Senate election in Colorado, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Colorado was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Hart won re-election to a second term.-Results:... |
Gary Hart Gary Hart Gary Hart is an American politician, lawyer, author, professor and commentator. He served as a Democratic Senator representing Colorado , and ran in the U.S... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 50.3% | Mary E. Buchanan (Republican) 48.7% Earl Higgerson (Statesman) 0.6% Henry John Olshaw (Unaffiliated-American) 0.4% |
| Connecticut United States Senate election in Connecticut, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Connecticut took place on November 3, 1980, alongside other elections to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Abraham Ribicoff decided to retire. Democrat Chris Dodd won the open seat.-Results:... |
Abraham A. Ribicoff Abraham A. Ribicoff Abraham Alexander Ribicoff was an American Democratic Party politician. He served in the United States Congress, as the 80th Governor of Connecticut and as President John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare... |
Democratic | Retired Democratic hold |
Chris Dodd (Democratic) 56.3% James L. Buckley James L. Buckley James Lane Buckley is a retired judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and previously served as a United States Senator from the state of New York as a member of the Conservative Party of New York from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1977... (Republican) 42.9% |
| Florida | Richard Stone | Democratic | Lost renomination Republican gain |
Paula Hawkins Paula Hawkins Paula Hawkins was an U.S. politician from Florida. She is to date the only woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without a family connection.... (Republican) 51.7% Bill Gunter Bill Gunter William Dawson "Bill" Gunter, Jr. was an American politician from the state of Florida.-Early life and education:Gunter was born in Jacksonville in 1934. He attended public schools in Live Oak and received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Florida in 1956... (Democratic) 48.3% |
| Georgia United States Senate election in Georgia, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 2, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator and former Governor of Georgia Herman Talmadge decided to run for re-election and lost a close race to Mack Mattingly, Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party... |
Herman Talmadge Herman Talmadge Herman Eugene Talmadge was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. He served as governor of Georgia briefly in 1947 and again from 1948 to 1955. His term was marked by his segregationist policies. After leaving office Talmadge was elected to the U.S... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 49.1% Republican gain |
Mack Mattingly Mack Mattingly Mack Francis Mattingly served one term as a United States senator from Georgia, the first Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate from that state since Reconstruction.-Early life:... (Republican) 50.9% |
| Hawaii | Daniel Inouye Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 77.9% | Cooper Brown (Republican) 18.4% |
| Idaho United States Senate election in Idaho, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Idaho took place on November 4, 1980 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S... |
Frank Church Frank Church Frank Forrester Church III was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Idaho from 1957 to 1981.... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 48.8% Republican gain |
Steve Symms Steve Symms Steven Douglas Symms was a four-term congressman and two-term U.S. senator from Idaho. He was among the most conservative members of the Republican Party... (Republican) 49.7% |
| Illinois United States Senate election in Illinois, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III decided to retire. Democrat Alan J. Dixon won the open seat.-Results:- References :... |
Adlai Stevenson III Adlai Stevenson III Adlai Ewing Stevenson III is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He represented the state of Illinois in the United States Senate from 1970 until 1981.-Education, military service, and early career:... |
Democratic | Retired Democratic hold |
Alan J. Dixon Alan J. Dixon Alan John Dixon is a Democratic politician who was elected to various Illinois state offices from 1951 to 1981 and served as United States Senator from Illinois from 1981 until 1993.-Biography:... (Democratic) 56.0% Dave O'Neal Dave O'Neal David C. O’Neal was the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1981. For six years he served as Saint Clair County Sheriff, the first Republican to hold that office in twenty years.-Background:... (Republican) 42.5% |
| Indiana United States Senate election in Indiana, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Indiana took place on November 4, 1980, along with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as the presidential election, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent... |
Birch Bayh Birch Bayh Birch Evans Bayh II is a former United States Senator from Indiana, having served from 1963 to 1981. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election, but lost to Jimmy Carter. He is the father of former Indiana Governor and former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.-Life... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 46.2% Republican gain |
Dan Quayle Dan Quayle James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana.... (Republican) 53.8% |
| Iowa United States Senate election in Iowa, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Iowa was held November 3, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Culver lost re-election to Republican Chuck Grassley.-Results:... |
John Culver John Culver John Chester Culver is an American politician of the Democratic Party who represented Iowa in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 45.5% Republican gain |
Chuck Grassley Chuck Grassley Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature... (Republican) 53.5% |
| Kansas | Bob Dole Bob Dole Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996... |
Republican | Re-elected, 63.8% | John Simpson (Democratic) 36.2% |
| Kentucky | Wendell H. Ford Wendell H. Ford Wendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 65.1% | Mary L. Foust (Republican) 34.9% |
| Louisiana | Russell B. Long Russell B. Long Russell Billiu Long was an American Democratic politician and United States Senator from Louisiana from 1948 until 1987.-Early life:... |
Democratic | Re-elected in primary | |
| Maryland | Charles Mathias, Jr. Charles Mathias, Jr. Charles McCurdy "Mac" Mathias, Jr. was a Republican member of the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1969 to 1987... |
Republican | Re-elected, 66.2% | Edward T. Conroy (Democratic) 33.8% |
| Missouri | Thomas Eagleton Thomas Eagleton Thomas Francis Eagleton was a United States Senator from Missouri, serving from 1968–1987. He is best remembered for briefly being the Democratic vice presidential nominee under George McGovern in 1972... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 52.0% | Gene McNary Gene McNary Gene McNary is an American politician. Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Commission, and County Executive of St. Louis County... (Republican) 47.7% Martha Pettit (Socialist Workers) 0.3% |
| Nevada | Paul Laxalt Paul Laxalt Paul Dominique Laxalt of Nevada was a former Republican District Attorney, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and U.S. Senator. In the media, the words "son of a Basque sheepherder" often accompanied his name. He was one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics... |
Republican | Re-elected, 58.5% | Mary Gojack (Democratic) 37.4% |
| New Hampshire United States Senate election in New Hampshire, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 2, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Durkin was defeated by attorney Warren Rudman in a relatively close election, where nationwide Republicans would have a landslide election known as the Reagan... |
John A. Durkin John A. Durkin John Anthony Durkin was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New Hampshire from 1975 until 1980.Durkin graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1959 and Georgetown University Law Center in 1965... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 47.8% Republican gain |
Warren Rudman Warren Rudman Warren Bruce Rudman is an American attorney and Republican politician who served as United States Senator from New Hampshire between 1980 and 1993... (Republican) 52.1% |
| New York | Jacob K. Javits Jacob K. Javits Jacob Koppel "Jack" Javits was a politician who served as United States Senator from New York from 1957 to 1981. A liberal Republican, he was originally allied with Governor Nelson Rockefeller, fellow U.S... |
Republican | Lost renomination Republican hold |
Al D'Amato Al D'Amato Alfonse Marcello "Al" D'Amato is an American lawyer and former New York politician. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999.-Early life and family:... (Republican) 44.9% Elizabeth Holtzman Elizabeth Holtzman Elizabeth Holtzman is an American lawyer and former Democratic politician, pioneer woman officeholder, four term U.S. Representative , two term District Attorney of Kings County , and New York City Comptroller .Her role on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal drew national... (Democratic) 43.5% Jacob K. Javits Jacob K. Javits Jacob Koppel "Jack" Javits was a politician who served as United States Senator from New York from 1957 to 1981. A liberal Republican, he was originally allied with Governor Nelson Rockefeller, fellow U.S... (Liberal Liberal Party of New York The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal... ) 11.0% Richard Savadel (Libertarian) 0.36% William R. Scott (Communist) 0.07% Thomas Soto (Workers World) 0.06% Victor A. Nieto (Socialist Workers) 0.06% |
| North Carolina United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 2, 1980 as part of the nation-wide elections to the Senate. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Morgan lost re-election a second term to Republican John East.- Candidates :... |
Robert Burren Morgan Robert Burren Morgan Robert Burren Morgan was a Democratic U.S. Senator from the state of North Carolina from 1975 until 1981. Born in Lillington, N.C., Morgan attended... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 49.4% Republican gain |
John Porter East John Porter East John Porter East was a Republican U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina from 1981 until his suicide in 1986.... (Republican) 50.0% |
| North Dakota United States Senate election in North Dakota, 1980 The 1980 U.S. Senate election for the state of North Dakota was held November 4, 1980. The incumbent, Republican Senator Milton Young, was retiring. Republican Mark Andrews defeated North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party candidate Kent Johanneson to fill the vacated seat... |
Milton Young Milton Young Milton Ruben Young was a United States politician, most notable for representing North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1945 until 1981. At the time of his retirement, he was the most senior Republican in the Senate.... |
Republican | Retired Republican hold |
Mark Andrews (Republican) 70.3% Kent Johanneson (Democratic) 29.0% |
| Ohio United States Senate election in Ohio, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Ohio took place on November 3, 1980. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Democratic U.S Senator John Glenn won re-election to a second term.-Results:... |
John Glenn John Glenn John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 68.8% | James E. Betts (Republican) 28.2% |
| Oklahoma United States Senate election in Oklahoma, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Oklahoma was held November 3, 1980. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Henry Bellmon decided to retire, instead of seeking a third term... |
Henry Bellmon Henry Bellmon Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings... |
Republican | Retired Republican hold |
Don Nickles Don Nickles Donald Lee Nickles is an American businessman and politician who was a Republican United States Senator from Oklahoma from 1981 until 2005. He was a fiscal and social conservative.-Early life:... (Republican) 53.5% Andrew Coats (Democratic) 43.5% |
| Oregon United States Senate election in Oregon, 1980 The 1980 Oregon United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1980 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Republican candidate Bob Packwood was re-elected to a third term, defeating Democratic state senator Ted Kulongoski and Libertarian Tonie Nathan.-Volcano eruption:The... |
Bob Packwood Bob Packwood Robert William "Bob" Packwood is a U.S. politician from Oregon and a member of the Republican Party. He resigned from the United States Senate, under threat of expulsion, in 1995 after allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and assault of women emerged.-Early life and career:Packwood was born in... |
Republican | Re-elected, 52.1% | Ted Kulongoski Ted Kulongoski Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early... (Democratic) 44.0% Theodora Nathalia Nathan Theodora Nathalia Nathan Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan is the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a United States presidential election... (Libertarian) 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Richard Schweiker decided to retire, instead of seeking a third term. Republican Arlen Specter won the open seat.-Results:... |
Richard Schweiker Richard Schweiker Richard Schultz Schweiker is a former U.S. Congressman and Senator representing the state of Pennsylvania. He later was Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Cabinet of President Ronald Reagan.-Early life:... |
Republican | Retired Republican hold |
Arlen Specter Arlen Specter Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009... (Republican) 50.5% Pete Flaherty (Democratic) 48.0% |
| South Carolina United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1980 The 1980 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1980 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings easily defeated Republican challenger Marshall Mays.... |
Ernest Hollings Ernest Hollings Ernest Frederick "Fritz" Hollings served as a Democratic United States Senator from South Carolina from 1966 to 2005, as well as the 106th Governor of South Carolina and Lt. Governor . He served 38 years and 55 days in the Senate, which makes him the 8th-longest-serving Senator in history... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 70.4% | Marshall T. Mays (Republican) 29.6% |
| South Dakota United States Senate election in South Dakota, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 2, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator George McGovern ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Republican James Abdnor.-Results:-Results:... |
George McGovern George McGovern George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election.... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 39.4% Republican gain |
James Abdnor James Abdnor James Abdnor is a Republican politician from the state of South Dakota.-Personal:He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1945 where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He served in the United States Army during World War II and from 1957 to 1969 was a member of the South Dakota... (Republican) 58.2% Wayne Peterson (Independent) 2.4% |
| Utah | Jake Garn Jake Garn Edwin Jacob "Jake" Garn is an American politician, a member of the Republican Party, and served as a U.S. Senator representing Utah from 1974 to 1993... |
Republican | Re-elected, 73.6% | Dan Berman (Democratic) 25.5% |
| Vermont | Patrick Leahy Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,... |
Democratic | Re-elected, 49.8% | Stewart M. Ledbetter (Republican) 48.5% |
| Washington United States Senate election in Washington, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 3, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson lost re-election to State Senator Slade Gorton.-Results:-References:... |
Warren G. Magnuson Warren G. Magnuson Warren Grant "Maggie" Magnuson was a United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member of the body... |
Democratic | L re-election, 45.8% Republican gain |
Slade Gorton Slade Gorton Thomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and... (Republican) 54.2% |
| Wisconsin United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 1980 The 1980 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Bob Kasten.-Republican:... |
Gaylord Nelson Gaylord Nelson Gaylord Anton Nelson was an American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. A Democrat, he was the principal founder of Earth Day.-Public service and leadership:... |
Democratic | Lost re-election, 48.3% Republican gain |
Bob Kasten Bob Kasten Robert Walter "Bob" Kasten, Jr. , is a Republican politician from the state of Wisconsin who served as a U.S. Representative from 1975 to 1979 and as a U.S. Senator from 1981 to 1993.- Background :Kasten was born in Milwaukee... (Republican) 50.2% |
Senate composition before and after elections
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| Key: | D=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... |
I=Independent | R=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... |
V=Vacant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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See also
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1980
- United States presidential election, 1980United States presidential election, 1980The 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...
- United States gubernatorial elections, 1980United States gubernatorial elections, 1980The United States gubernatorial elections of 1980 were held on November 4, 1980 in thirteen states. The Republican party had a net gain of four seats in this election which coincided with the election of Ronald Reagan and large Republican gains in the Senate....