1980 United States presidential election in Mississippi
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County Results
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Elections in Mississippi |
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The 1980 United States presidential election in Mississippi took place on November 4, 1980. All fifty states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. Mississippi voters chose seven electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Mississippi was won, fairly consistently with predictions, by Reagan with a slim margin of 1.33 points.[1] However, in future elections, the state would become a Republican stronghold, and no Democratic presidential candidate has carried the state since Jimmy Carter in the prior election. As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last election in which Winston County, Tippah County, Itawamba County, Union County, Prentiss County, Pontotoc County, Lee County, Lafayette County, Attala County, Monroe County, Madison County, Calhoun County, Tate County, Marion County, Leake County, Grenada County, and Franklin County voted for the Democratic candidate, as well as the last time that Clarke County was not carried by the Republican candidate;[2] as Reagan and Carter ended up in a tie in Clarke County.
Along with Maine, New York, Michigan and Vermont, Mississippi was one of the few states in which President Carter won counties that had gone to Ford in the previous presidential election, as Carter flipped Franklin, Grenada, and Yazoo counties, in fact the largest number of counties he flipped in any state. Indeed, Mississippi shifted only 3.2 percentage points to the right in this election despite a much larger national swing; as such, the state trended a sizable 8.7 percentage points to the left relative to the nation at-large.
This is the last presidential election in which Mississippi voted more Democratic than the nation at-large. At the time it was the election with the largest number of votes in Mississippi history.[3] This is the second-closest election in Mississippi after 1848 and the only time that a Republican has won Mississippi by a margin of less than 5 points.
Campaign
Both major party candidates targeted the state,
Philadelphia, notorious for the 1964 murder of three civil rights workers, was where Reagan began his campaign with a proclamation of “states’ rights” frequently compared with George Wallace’s 1968 campaign,[8] which had won over five-eighths of Mississippi’s total vote and over four-fifths of the white vote.[9] Late in September, the state would be the target of simultaneous campaigning by Jimmy Carter’s mother Lilian, and simultaneously by Republican nominee, California Governor Ronald Reagan.[10] Later in the campaign, however, Governor Winter issued a severe criticism of Reagan’s campaign for failing to debate agricultural policy.[11]
62% of white voters supported Reagan while 35% supported Carter.[12][13]
Predictions
Source | Rating | As of |
---|---|---|
Bristol Herald Courier[14] | Lean R (Flip) | October 5, 1980 |
Kansas City Star[15]
|
Lean R (Flip) | October 12, 1980 |
The Clarion-Ledger[16] | Lean R (Flip) | October 26, 1980 |
The Greenwood Commonwealth[17] | Lean R (Flip) | October 31, 1980 |
Fort Worth Star-Telegram[18] | Tilt R (Flip) | October 31, 1980 |
Daily Press[19] | Tossup | November 3, 1980 |
Results
1980 United States presidential election in Mississippi[1] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Republican | Ronald Reagan | 441,089 | 49.42% | 7 | |
Democrat | Jimmy Carter (incumbent) | 429,281 | 48.09% | 0 | |
Independent
|
John B. Anderson | 12,036 | 1.35% | 0 | |
Independent | Edward Clark | 5,465 | 0.61% | 0 | |
Independent | Deirdre Griswold | 2,402 | 0.27% | 0 | |
Independent | Andrew Pulley | 2,347 | 0.26% | 0 | |
Totals | 892,620 | 100.0% | 7 |
Results by county
County[20] | Ronald Reagan Republican |
Jimmy Carter Democratic |
John B. Anderson Independent |
Ed Clark Independent |
Deidre Griswold Independent |
Andrew Pulley Independent |
Margin | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 7,523 | 48.97% | 7,228 | 47.05% | 151 | 0.98% | 245 | 1.59% | 166 | 1.08% | 50 | 0.33% | 295 | 1.92% | 15,363 |
Alcorn | 5,196 | 41.25% | 6,242 | 49.56% | 898 | 7.13% | 119 | 0.94% | 37 | 0.29% | 103 | 0.82% | -1,046 | -8.31% | 12,595 |
Amite | 2,653 | 44.43% | 3,229 | 54.08% | 43 | 0.72% | 24 | 0.40% | 11 | 0.18% | 11 | 0.18% | -576 | -9.65% | 5,971 |
Attala | 3,975 | 48.39% | 4,117 | 50.12% | 71 | 0.86% | 27 | 0.33% | 13 | 0.16% | 11 | 0.13% | -142 | -1.73% | 8,214 |
Benton | 1,254 | 36.59% | 2,094 | 61.10% | 35 | 1.02% | 20 | 0.58% | 13 | 0.38% | 11 | 0.32% | -840 | -24.51% | 3,427 |
Bolivar | 5,148 | 35.53% | 8,839 | 61.00% | 280 | 1.93% | 110 | 0.76% | 37 | 0.26% | 77 | 0.53% | -3,691 | -25.47% | 14,491 |
Calhoun | 2,579 | 42.85% | 3,295 | 54.74% | 64 | 1.06% | 44 | 0.73% | 21 | 0.35% | 16 | 0.27% | -716 | -11.89% | 6,019 |
Carroll | 2,153 | 50.92% | 2,037 | 48.18% | 22 | 0.52% | 11 | 0.26% | 3 | 0.07% | 2 | 0.05% | 116 | 2.74% | 4,228 |
Chickasaw | 2,540 | 40.13% | 3,622 | 57.23% | 71 | 1.12% | 47 | 0.74% | 28 | 0.44% | 21 | 0.33% | -1,082 | -17.10% | 6,329 |
Choctaw | 1,927 | 52.15% | 1,729 | 46.79% | 26 | 0.70% | 10 | 0.27% | 2 | 0.05% | 1 | 0.03% | 198 | 5.36% | 3,695 |
Claiborne | 1,129 | 26.70% | 3,032 | 71.71% | 22 | 0.52% | 22 | 0.52% | 16 | 0.38% | 7 | 0.17% | -1,903 | -45.01% | 4,228 |
Clarke | 3,303 | 49.14% | 3,303 | 49.14% | 41 | 0.61% | 48 | 0.71% | 17 | 0.25% | 9 | 0.13% | 0 | 0.00% | 6,721 |
Clay | 3,439 | 43.18% | 4,275 | 53.68% | 124 | 1.56% | 55 | 0.69% | 39 | 0.49% | 32 | 0.40% | -836 | -10.50% | 7,964 |
Coahoma | 4,592 | 38.22% | 7,030 | 58.51% | 256 | 2.13% | 62 | 0.52% | 38 | 0.32% | 37 | 0.31% | -2,438 | -20.29% | 12,015 |
Copiah | 4,461 | 43.99% | 5,517 | 54.41% | 76 | 0.75% | 45 | 0.44% | 21 | 0.21% | 20 | 0.20% | -1,056 | -10.42% | 10,140 |
Covington | 3,471 | 53.15% | 2,956 | 45.26% | 39 | 0.60% | 28 | 0.43% | 20 | 0.31% | 17 | 0.26% | 515 | 7.89% | 6,531 |
DeSoto | 9,655 | 58.80% | 6,344 | 38.64% | 237 | 1.44% | 103 | 0.63% | 41 | 0.25% | 39 | 0.24% | 3,311 | 20.16% | 16,419 |
Forrest | 12,656 | 59.34% | 8,274 | 38.80% | 275 | 1.29% | 95 | 0.45% | 17 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.05% | 4,382 | 20.54% | 21,327 |
Franklin | 2,026 | 49.31% | 2,040 | 49.65% | 23 | 0.56% | 9 | 0.22% | 4 | 0.10% | 7 | 0.17% | -14 | -0.34% | 4,109 |
George | 3,052 | 51.45% | 2,757 | 46.48% | 64 | 1.08% | 31 | 0.52% | 8 | 0.13% | 20 | 0.34% | 295 | 4.97% | 5,932 |
Greene | 1,772 | 50.04% | 1,740 | 49.14% | 23 | 0.65% | 5 | 0.14% | 1 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 32 | 0.90% | 3,541 |
Grenada | 3,993 | 48.11% | 4,182 | 50.39% | 59 | 0.71% | 38 | 0.46% | 14 | 0.17% | 14 | 0.17% | -189 | -2.28% | 8,300 |
Hancock | 5,088 | 57.07% | 3,544 | 39.75% | 159 | 1.78% | 91 | 1.02% | 18 | 0.20% | 15 | 0.17% | 1,544 | 17.32% | 8,915 |
Harrison | 25,175 | 58.70% | 16,318 | 38.05% | 822 | 1.92% | 371 | 0.87% | 81 | 0.19% | 121 | 0.28% | 8,857 | 20.65% | 42,888 |
Hinds | 48,135 | 53.44% | 39,369 | 43.71% | 1,414 | 1.57% | 623 | 0.69% | 294 | 0.33% | 239 | 0.27% | 8,766 | 9.73% | 90,074 |
Holmes | 2,693 | 32.31% | 5,463 | 65.54% | 57 | 0.68% | 54 | 0.65% | 39 | 0.47% | 30 | 0.36% | -2,770 | -33.23% | 8,336 |
Humphreys | 1,841 | 36.67% | 2,970 | 59.16% | 68 | 1.35% | 74 | 1.47% | 37 | 0.74% | 30 | 0.60% | -1,129 | -22.49% | 5,020 |
Issaquena | 349 | 36.05% | 598 | 61.78% | 5 | 0.52% | 6 | 0.62% | 5 | 0.52% | 5 | 0.52% | -249 | -25.73% | 968 |
Itawamba | 2,906 | 37.00% | 4,852 | 61.79% | 57 | 0.73% | 26 | 0.33% | 7 | 0.09% | 5 | 0.06% | -1,946 | -24.79% | 7,853 |
Jackson | 22,498 | 62.57% | 12,226 | 34.00% | 653 | 1.82% | 394 | 1.09% | 100 | 0.28% | 127 | 0.35% | 10,272 | 28.57% | 35,958 |
Jasper | 2,781 | 41.68% | 3,813 | 57.14% | 34 | 0.51% | 23 | 0.34% | 14 | 0.21% | 8 | 0.12% | -1,032 | -15.46% | 6,673 |
Jefferson | 751 | 20.17% | 2,871 | 77.09% | 41 | 1.10% | 28 | 0.75% | 15 | 0.40% | 18 | 0.48% | -2,120 | -56.92% | 3,724 |
Jefferson Davis | 2,280 | 36.85% | 3,831 | 61.92% | 24 | 0.39% | 26 | 0.42% | 19 | 0.31% | 7 | 0.11% | -1,551 | -25.07% | 6,187 |
Jones | 12,900 | 53.11% | 11,117 | 45.77% | 155 | 0.64% | 60 | 0.25% | 24 | 0.10% | 33 | 0.14% | 1,783 | 7.34% | 24,289 |
Kemper | 1,822 | 41.05% | 2,601 | 58.59% | 12 | 0.27% | 4 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | -779 | -17.54% | 4,439 |
Lafayette | 4,366 | 45.62% | 4,887 | 51.06% | 243 | 2.54% | 42 | 0.44% | 19 | 0.20% | 14 | 0.15% | -521 | -5.44% | 9,571 |
Lamar | 5,395 | 63.13% | 3,005 | 35.16% | 84 | 0.98% | 39 | 0.46% | 13 | 0.15% | 10 | 0.12% | 2,390 | 27.97% | 8,546 |
Lauderdale | 14,727 | 56.38% | 9,918 | 37.97% | 784 | 3.00% | 438 | 1.68% | 71 | 0.27% | 181 | 0.69% | 4,809 | 18.41% | 26,119 |
Lawrence | 2,781 | 50.02% | 2,692 | 48.42% | 49 | 0.88% | 22 | 0.40% | 5 | 0.09% | 11 | 0.20% | 89 | 1.60% | 5,560 |
Leake | 3,624 | 46.83% | 4,033 | 52.12% | 40 | 0.52% | 14 | 0.18% | 15 | 0.19% | 12 | 0.16% | -409 | -5.29% | 7,738 |
Lee | 8,326 | 44.08% | 10,047 | 53.19% | 321 | 1.70% | 100 | 0.53% | 37 | 0.20% | 58 | 0.31% | -1,721 | -9.11% | 18,889 |
Leflore | 5,798 | 42.40% | 7,498 | 54.83% | 166 | 1.21% | 83 | 0.61% | 71 | 0.52% | 59 | 0.43% | -1,700 | -12.43% | 13,675 |
Lincoln | 7,286 | 57.78% | 5,213 | 41.34% | 75 | 0.59% | 19 | 0.15% | 7 | 0.06% | 10 | 0.08% | 2,073 | 16.44% | 12,610 |
Lowndes | 9,973 | 60.98% | 6,187 | 37.83% | 140 | 0.86% | 45 | 0.28% | 7 | 0.04% | 3 | 0.02% | 3,786 | 23.15% | 16,355 |
Madison | 6,024 | 42.91% | 7,621 | 54.28% | 276 | 1.97% | 61 | 0.43% | 16 | 0.11% | 41 | 0.29% | -1,597 | -11.37% | 14,039 |
Marion | 5,218 | 48.73% | 5,366 | 50.12% | 62 | 0.58% | 36 | 0.34% | 12 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.03% | -148 | -1.39% | 10,707 |
Marshall | 3,455 | 31.85% | 7,153 | 65.94% | 121 | 1.12% | 63 | 0.58% | 22 | 0.20% | 24 | 0.22% | -3,698 | -34.09% | 10,848 |
Monroe | 4,793 | 39.16% | 6,998 | 57.18% | 177 | 1.45% | 143 | 1.17% | 55 | 0.45% | 73 | 0.60% | -2,205 | -18.02% | 12,239 |
Montgomery | 2,479 | 46.55% | 2,730 | 51.26% | 42 | 0.79% | 28 | 0.53% | 20 | 0.38% | 27 | 0.51% | -251 | -4.71% | 5,326 |
Neshoba | 5,165 | 56.45% | 3,872 | 42.32% | 72 | 0.79% | 19 | 0.21% | 12 | 0.13% | 9 | 0.10% | 1,293 | 14.13% | 9,149 |
Newton | 4,317 | 54.36% | 3,455 | 43.51% | 86 | 1.08% | 33 | 0.42% | 36 | 0.45% | 14 | 0.18% | 862 | 10.85% | 7,941 |
Noxubee | 1,970 | 35.46% | 3,434 | 61.82% | 47 | 0.85% | 41 | 0.74% | 41 | 0.74% | 22 | 0.40% | -1,464 | -26.36% | 5,555 |
Oktibbeha | 6,300 | 49.70% | 6,039 | 47.64% | 258 | 2.04% | 54 | 0.43% | 15 | 0.12% | 9 | 0.07% | 261 | 2.06% | 12,675 |
Panola | 4,219 | 39.33% | 6,179 | 57.60% | 149 | 1.39% | 90 | 0.84% | 47 | 0.44% | 44 | 0.41% | -1,960 | -18.27% | 10,728 |
Pearl River | 6,822 | 56.19% | 5,028 | 41.41% | 161 | 1.33% | 77 | 0.63% | 25 | 0.21% | 28 | 0.23% | 1,794 | 14.78% | 12,141 |
Perry | 2,255 | 52.90% | 1,957 | 45.91% | 25 | 0.59% | 14 | 0.33% | 8 | 0.19% | 4 | 0.09% | 298 | 6.99% | 4,263 |
Pike | 6,661 | 48.56% | 6,694 | 48.80% | 129 | 0.94% | 115 | 0.84% | 57 | 0.42% | 60 | 0.44% | -33 | -0.24% | 13,716 |
Pontotoc | 3,198 | 40.99% | 4,499 | 57.66% | 58 | 0.74% | 33 | 0.42% | 7 | 0.09% | 7 | 0.09% | -1,301 | -16.67% | 7,802 |
Prentiss | 3,264 | 39.91% | 4,832 | 59.09% | 40 | 0.49% | 29 | 0.35% | 5 | 0.06% | 8 | 0.10% | -1,568 | -19.18% | 8,178 |
Quitman | 1,691 | 35.16% | 2,926 | 60.83% | 83 | 1.73% | 34 | 0.71% | 32 | 0.67% | 44 | 0.91% | -1,235 | -25.67% | 4,810 |
Rankin | 16,650 | 66.25% | 8,047 | 32.02% | 296 | 1.18% | 81 | 0.32% | 29 | 0.12% | 29 | 0.12% | 8,603 | 34.23% | 25,132 |
Scott | 4,645 | 52.59% | 4,043 | 45.78% | 72 | 0.82% | 32 | 0.36% | 16 | 0.18% | 24 | 0.27% | 602 | 6.81% | 8,832 |
Sharkey | 996 | 32.97% | 1,957 | 64.78% | 28 | 0.93% | 21 | 0.70% | 11 | 0.36% | 8 | 0.26% | -961 | -31.81% | 3,021 |
Simpson | 5,190 | 55.60% | 4,015 | 43.01% | 70 | 0.75% | 23 | 0.25% | 29 | 0.31% | 7 | 0.07% | 1,175 | 12.59% | 9,334 |
Smith | 3,772 | 59.50% | 2,474 | 39.02% | 46 | 0.73% | 27 | 0.43% | 8 | 0.13% | 13 | 0.21% | 1,298 | 20.48% | 6,340 |
Stone | 1,888 | 49.21% | 1,821 | 47.46% | 53 | 1.38% | 50 | 1.30% | 15 | 0.39% | 10 | 0.26% | 67 | 1.75% | 3,837 |
Sunflower | 3,728 | 41.76% | 5,035 | 56.40% | 82 | 0.92% | 40 | 0.45% | 26 | 0.29% | 16 | 0.18% | -1,307 | -14.64% | 8,927 |
Tallahatchie | 2,183 | 37.79% | 3,467 | 60.02% | 45 | 0.78% | 24 | 0.42% | 37 | 0.64% | 20 | 0.35% | -1,284 | -22.23% | 5,776 |
Tate | 3,343 | 45.38% | 3,892 | 52.84% | 80 | 1.09% | 28 | 0.38% | 16 | 0.22% | 7 | 0.10% | -549 | -7.46% | 7,366 |
Tippah | 3,338 | 44.97% | 3,878 | 52.24% | 116 | 1.56% | 53 | 0.71% | 23 | 0.31% | 15 | 0.20% | -540 | -7.27% | 7,423 |
Tishomingo | 2,489 | 34.47% | 4,595 | 63.63% | 79 | 1.09% | 29 | 0.40% | 9 | 0.12% | 20 | 0.28% | -2,106 | -29.16% | 7,221 |
Tunica | 954 | 29.77% | 2,198 | 68.58% | 24 | 0.75% | 14 | 0.44% | 8 | 0.25% | 7 | 0.22% | -1,244 | -38.81% | 3,205 |
Union | 3,545 | 40.68% | 5,001 | 57.38% | 94 | 1.08% | 46 | 0.53% | 19 | 0.22% | 10 | 0.11% | -1,456 | -16.70% | 8,715 |
Walthall | 2,703 | 46.91% | 2,960 | 51.37% | 34 | 0.59% | 35 | 0.61% | 12 | 0.21% | 18 | 0.31% | -257 | -4.46% | 5,762 |
Warren | 10,151 | 56.00% | 7,489 | 41.31% | 274 | 1.51% | 82 | 0.45% | 77 | 0.42% | 55 | 0.30% | 2,662 | 14.69% | 18,128 |
Washington | 8,978 | 44.63% | 10,722 | 53.30% | 186 | 0.92% | 89 | 0.44% | 89 | 0.44% | 53 | 0.26% | -1,744 | -8.67% | 20,117 |
Wayne | 3,844 | 52.07% | 3,494 | 47.32% | 26 | 0.35% | 17 | 0.23% | 2 | 0.03% | 0 | 0.00% | 350 | 4.75% | 7,383 |
Webster | 2,386 | 50.64% | 2,178 | 46.22% | 75 | 1.59% | 39 | 0.83% | 19 | 0.40% | 15 | 0.32% | 208 | 4.42% | 4,712 |
Wilkinson | 1,442 | 32.04% | 2,981 | 66.24% | 25 | 0.56% | 22 | 0.49% | 14 | 0.31% | 16 | 0.36% | -1,539 | -34.20% | 4,500 |
Winston | 3,998 | 46.79% | 4,416 | 51.68% | 65 | 0.76% | 29 | 0.34% | 19 | 0.22% | 18 | 0.21% | -418 | -4.89% | 8,545 |
Yalobusha | 2,224 | 38.46% | 3,432 | 59.35% | 78 | 1.35% | 25 | 0.43% | 12 | 0.21% | 12 | 0.21% | -1,208 | -20.89% | 5,783 |
Yazoo | 4,819 | 45.90% | 5,468 | 52.09% | 99 | 0.94% | 49 | 0.47% | 30 | 0.29% | 33 | 0.31% | -649 | -6.19% | 10,498 |
Totals | 441,089 | 49.42% | 429,281 | 48.09% | 12,036 | 1.35% | 5,465 | 0.61% | 2,402 | 0.27% | 2,347 | 0.26% | 11,808 | 1.33% | 892,620 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Adams
- Carroll
- Clarke (became tied)
- Covington
- Desoto
- George
- Greene
- Hancock
- Lawrence
- Marion
- Neshoba
- Pearl River
- Perry
- Stone
- Wayne
- Webster
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Notes
References
- ^ a b "1980 Presidential General Election Results – Mississippi". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Minor, Bill (September 2, 1980). "Mississippi Voters Courted by Both Parties". The Greenwood Commonwealth. Jackson Reporter. p. 4.
- ^ Minor, Bill (November 2, 1980). "And He Sees Reagan Carrying State". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, Mississippi. p. 2.
- The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. September 1, 1980. p. 21.
- ^ Weidie, Wayne W. (October 9, 1980). "Don't Mortgage Your Home To Bet on Reagan". The Winona Times. Winona, Mississippi. p. 2.
- ISBN 9780199777563.
- ISBN 9781136764882.
- ^ "President's Mother To Visit Jackson School". The Clarksdale Press Register. Clarksdale, Mississippi. Jackson Associated Press. September 21, 1980. p. 1.
- ^ "Agricultural Issues: Reagan Forces Won't Debate". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, Mississippi. October 23, 1980. p. 10.
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- ^ Pettys, Dick (October 5, 1980). "Dixie Remains Political Background with No "Home Turf Odds" for Carter". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. p. 5A.
- Kansas City Star. pp. 1A, 14A.
- ^ Newman, Johanna; Kubissa, David W. (October 26, 1980). "Carter Must Get Strong Mississippi Black Vote to Take State". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. pp. 1A, 16A.
- ^ Minor, Bill (October 31, 1980). "Carter May Not Carry Mississippi Voting". The Greenwood Commonwealth. Jackson Reporter. p. 4.
- ^ Pettys, Dick (October 31, 1980). "Reagan Quietly Undermining Carter's '76 Support". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Associated Press. p. 8A.
- ^ "Down by the Wire: State by State, It's Just too Close to Call". Daily Press. Victorville, California. November 3, 1980. p. B-1.
- ^ "MS US President Race, November 04, 1980".
Works cited
- ISBN 0674941306.