# 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama

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vte :
The 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama 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. Senator Donald Stewart, elected in a special election to finish the term of the seat left vacant by the death of Senator James B. Allen, decided to run for a full term, but was defeated in the primary by Jim Folsom, who lost the general election to Republican Jeremiah Denton.
Denton was the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since the end of Reconstruction in 1879 and the first Republican elected since the passage of the 17th Amendment requiring the direct election of senators. He would lose reelection in 1986 to Democratic nominee Richard Shelby, who later joined the Republican Party in 1994.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Jim Folsom Jr., Public Service Commissioner and son of former governor Jim Folsom
* Donald Stewart, incumbent U.S. Senator
* Margaret E. Stewart, genealogist and perennial candidate
* Finis St. John, State Senator from Cullman

### Results

1980 Democratic U.S. Senate primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Donald Stewart (incumbent) | 222,540 | 48.63% |
| | Democratic | Jim Folsom Jr. | 163,196 | 35.67% |
| | Democratic | Finis St. John | 51,260 | 11.20% |
| | Democratic | Margaret E. Stewart | 20,582 | 4.50% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 457,578 | 100.00% |

### Runoff results

1980 Democratic U.S. Senate primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jim Folsom Jr. | 204,186 | 50.60% |
| | Democratic | Donald Stewart (incumbent) | 199,365 | 49.40% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 403,551 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Jeremiah Denton, U.S. Navy veteran and former prisoner of war
* Armistead I. Selden Jr., former Democratic U.S. Representative from Tuscaloosa and U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa

### Results

1980 Democratic U.S. Senate primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jeremiah Denton | 73,708 | 63.80% |
| | Republican | Armistead I. Selden Jr. | 41,825 | 36.20% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 115,533 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Candidates

* William A. Crew (Libertarian)
* Jeremiah Denton, U.S. Navy veteran and former prisoner of war (Republican)
* Sallie M. Hadnott (National Democratic)
* Michael R. A. Erdey (Conservative)
* Jim Folsom Jr., Public Service Commissioner and son of former governor Jim Folsom (Democratic)
* Mohammed Oliver (Socialist Workers)
* Jim Partain (Statesman)

### Results

1980 United States Senate election in Alabama :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jeremiah Denton | 650,362 | 50.15% |
| | Democratic | Jim Folsom | 610,175 | 47.05% |
| | Conservative | Michael R. A. Erdey | 15,989 | 1.23% |
| | Libertarian | William A. Crew | 13,098 | 1.01% |
| | National Democrat | Sallie M. Hadnott | 2,973 | 0.23% |
| | Statesman Party | Jim Partain | 2,649 | 0.20% |
| | Socialist Workers | Mohammed Oliver | 1,511 | 0.12% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40,187 | 3.10% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,296,757 | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |