# 1980 United States Senate election in Vermont

Elections in Vermont :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1791
1794
1796
1796 sp
1797 sp
1800
1801 sp
1802
1806
1807 sp
1808
1809
1812
1814
1817 sp
1818
1818 sp
1821
1825
1827
1831
1833
1833 sp
1837
1839
1842 sp
1843
1845
1848
1850
1854 sp
1855
1856
1861
1862
1866
1866 sp
1868
1872
1874
1878
1880
1884
1886
1890
1892
1892 sp
1896
1898
1900 sp
1902
1904
1908
1908 sp
1909 sp
1910
1914
1916
1920
1922
1923 sp
1926
1928
1931 sp
1932
1934
1934 sp
1938
1940
1940 sp
1944
1946
1946 sp
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1972 sp
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
2028
U.S. House elections
1791
1793
1794/95
1796/97
1797
2nd sp
1798
1800
1802/03
1804/05
1806
1808
1st sp
1810
1812
1814
1816
1818
1820/21
1822
1824
AL sp
1826/27
1828/29
1830/32
1831
2nd sp
1832
1st sp
1833
1834
5th sp
1836
1838
1840
1843
1844
1846
1848
1849
3rd sp
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1863
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1923
2nd sp
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
AL sp
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
AL sp
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2002
2004
2006
2008
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
Gubernatorial elections
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
2022
2024
Attorney General elections
2022
2024
Senate elections
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2022
Proposal 2
Proposal 5 :
Burlington
Mayoral elections
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2006
2009
2012
2015
2018
2021
2024 :
vte :
The 1980 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy narrowly won reelection to a second term, defeating Republican Stewart Ledbetter, the former Vermont Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.

## Background

The state of Vermont was a Republican stronghold, albeit one with independent leanings. For many years, the state had a predisposition for electing moderate Republicans to represent the state in the U.S. Senate. Even on the presidential level, due to a strong third party candidacy from John Anderson, who performed well in the state's presidential primary, the state became close though ultimately favoring Ronald Reagan.
Under this background, freshman Democrat Patrick Leahy, the first Democrat ever elected to represent Vermont in the United States Senate, entered his re-election campaign as one of the most vulnerable incumbents up that cycle. Leahy himself knew this would be a tough race, and even though early polls showed him up, he noticed a much more sour tone among voters while campaigning.

## Democratic primary

Leahy declared his bid for re-election on May 9, 1980, and was unopposed in the state's primary.

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Patrick Leahy (incumbent) | 27,548 | 97.54% |
| | Democratic | Other | 696 | 2.46% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,244 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* T. Garry Buckley, former Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
* Anthony Doria, founder of Vermont Law School
* Tom Evslin, computer consultant
* Stewart Ledbetter, former Vermont Banking and Insurance Commissioner
* James Mullin, former Chair of the Republican Party of Vermont
* Robert Schuettinger, former advisor to the Republican Study Committee

### Campaign

The majority of the candidates in the Republican primary field were conservative Republicans, with Ledbetter being seen as the only moderate.
Over the course of the campaign, a dispute broke out between T. Garry Buckley, a former Lieutenant Governor, and James Mullin, the former Vermont GOP Chair. Buckley vigorously attacked Mullin for being a Mormon, claiming that if elected, Mullin would be the "third Senator from Utah." Mullin in turned accused Buckley of bigotry, stating, "I thought this nonsense went out when Jack Kennedy was elected President." The amount of spending in this primary was a record for the time.
Ledbetter, who had resigned his position to run for Senate, ran a different campaign, notably walking 450 miles across the state to gain attention for his candidacy, and to draw a contrast between Mullin's high spending campaign. He also emphasized his moderate credentials, claiming they would make him the best candidate to win the election.

### Endorsements

Newspapers and publications
* Bennington Banner
* Burlington Free Press
* Lebanon Valley News
* St. Albans Daily Messenger
Newspapers and publications
* Brattleboro Reformer
Statewide officials
* Deane Davis, former Governor of Vermont
* F. Ray Keyser, former Governor of Vermont
State officials
* Arthur Gibb, state senator
Executive officials
* William E. Simon, former United States Secretary of the Treasury
Federal officials
* Henry Hyde, U.S. Representative from IL-06
Organizations
* National Right to Life Committee

### Results

Ledbetter would end up the victor, due in part to his appeal to the Vermont Republican establishment. On election night, he was joined by Mullin, Evslin, and Schuettinger as a sign of unity against Leahy.
Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Stewart M. Ledbetter | 16,518 | 35.28% |
| | Republican | James E. Mullin | 12,256 | 26.18% |
| | Republican | Tom Evslin | 8,575 | 18.31% |
| | Republican | T. Garry Buckley | 5,209 | 11.1% |
| | Republican | Robert Schuettinger | 3,450 | 7.39% |
| | Republican | Anthony N. Doria | 496 | 1.06% |
| | Republican | Other | 316 | 0.68% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 46,820 | 100.0% |

## Liberty Union primary
### Results

Liberty Union primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberty Union | Earl S. Gardner | 135 | 80.36% |
| | Liberty Union | Other | 33 | 19.64% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 168 | 100.0% |

## General election
### Campaign

As the environment of 1980 became increasingly Republican leaning, Leahy faced a tough battle. Ledbetter focused on his calls for a balanced budget, and criticized Leahy for votes against spending for the B1 Bomber. In turn, Leahy criticized Ledbetter for dirty campaign tactics, which he contended went against how Vermont politics went.
There was also a large amount of attention from special interest groups targeting Leahy and other vulnerable Democrats. Owing to the successful efforts by these groups to oust Iowa Senator Dick Clark in 1978, these groups took an increasing role this cycle, adding pressure to assailable Democrats.
Per public polling, Leahy held a comfortable lead, and was the favorite to beat Ledbetter. However, he later acknowledged in his memoirs that he had seen a different mood among voters, and his internal polls, conducted late in the campaign, showed him trailing.

### Results

Even though Republicans performed strongly in Vermont, winning the Presidential, Gubernatorial, and House elections, Leahy pulled ahead by a narrow margin. However, due to how close the outcome was, neither candidate claimed victory or defeat that night. In the following weeks, recounts were conducted by the state's courts to see if Leahy's victory would hold up. Ultimately, the recounts showed Leahy's victory would stand, and it would be certified. Despite protestation, Ledbetter would concede the race on December 22. This would be Patrick Leahy's closest race during his 48-year tenure in the U.S. Senate.
United States Senate election in Vermont, 1980 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Patrick Leahy (incumbent) | 104,089 | 49.76% |
| | Republican | Stewart M. Ledbetter | 101,647 | 48.59% |
| | Independent | Anthony N. Doria | 1,764 | 0.84% |
| | Liberty Union | Earl S. Gardner | 1,578 | 0.75% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 110 | 0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 209,188 | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |