# 1980 United States presidential election in Arkansas

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
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vte :
The 1980 United States presidential election in Arkansas took place on November 4, 1980. All fifty states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. State voters chose six electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
The election was very close in Arkansas, with the state being won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan by only 0.6 points.
Despite incumbent Jimmy Carter having won the state four years earlier by 30 percent, Carter's perceived failures in office, including economic downturn in an election year, the Iran hostage crisis, and a riot by Cuban refugees who were temporarily placed in Fort Chaffee in western Arkansas, contributed to his defeat. While insignificant in the overall context of Reagan winning the Electoral College by a significant amount, some analysts have said the combined Democratic ticket in Arkansas in both the presidential and gubernatorial races would have won, if the riot had not occurred.
This is also the last time any candidate won the state with only a plurality as in 1992 it would be the only state in the nation besides the District of Columbia to give native son Bill Clinton a majority of the vote. This is the closest election in the state's history. This was the first time since 1868 that the state backed a non-incumbent Republican.
53% of white voters supported Reagan while 42% supported Carter.

## Results

Electoral results :
| Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Popular vote | Popular vote | Electoral vote | Running mate | Running mate | Running mate |
| Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Count | Percentage | Electoral vote | Vice-presidential candidate | Home state | Electoral vote |
| Ronald Reagan | Republican | California | 403,164 | 48.13% | 6 | George H. W. Bush | Texas | 6 |
| Jimmy Carter (incumbent) | Democrat | Georgia | 398,041 | 47.52% | 0 | Walter Mondale (incumbent) | Minnesota | 0 |
| John B. Anderson | Anderson Coalition | Illinois | 22,468 | 2.68% | 0 | Patrick Lucey | Wisconsin | 0 |
| Ed Clark | Libertarian | California | 8,970 | 1.07% | 0 | David Koch | New York | 0 |
| Barry Commoner | Citizens | New York | 2,345 | 0.28% | 0 | LaDonna Harris | Oklahoma | 0 |
| Benjamin Bubar | Prohibition | Maine | 1,350 | 0.16% | 0 | Earl Dodge | Colorado | 0 |
| Gus Hall | People Before Profits | New York | 1,244 | 0.15% | 0 | Angela Davis | California | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | 837,582 | 100% | 6 | | | 6 |
| Needed to win | Needed to win | Needed to win | Needed to win | Needed to win | 270 | | | 270 |

### Results by county

| County | Ronald Reagan Republican | Ronald Reagan Republican | Jimmy Carter Democratic | Jimmy Carter Democratic | John B. Anderson Anderson Coalition | John B. Anderson Anderson Coalition | Ed Clark Libertarian | Ed Clark Libertarian | Various candidates Other parties | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Arkansas | 3,409 | 42.69% | 4,303 | 53.89% | 193 | 2.42% | 16 | 0.20% | 64 | 0.80% | -894 | -11.20% | 7,985 |
| Ashley | 3,960 | 45.27% | 4,552 | 52.03% | 130 | 1.49% | 45 | 0.51% | 61 | 0.70% | -592 | -6.76% | 8,748 |
| Baxter | 9,684 | 63.93% | 4,789 | 31.62% | 494 | 3.26% | 132 | 0.87% | 48 | 0.32% | 4,895 | 32.31% | 15,147 |
| Benton | 18,830 | 63.96% | 9,231 | 31.36% | 1,018 | 3.46% | 303 | 1.03% | 58 | 0.20% | 9,599 | 32.60% | 29,440 |
| Boone | 6,778 | 56.07% | 4,576 | 37.86% | 429 | 3.55% | 159 | 1.32% | 146 | 1.21% | 2,202 | 18.21% | 12,088 |
| Bradley | 1,650 | 33.74% | 3,139 | 64.19% | 66 | 1.35% | 24 | 0.49% | 11 | 0.22% | -1,489 | -30.45% | 4,890 |
| Calhoun | 896 | 37.40% | 1,438 | 60.02% | 52 | 2.17% | 9 | 0.38% | 1 | 0.04% | -542 | -22.62% | 2,396 |
| Carroll | 4,273 | 55.29% | 2,977 | 38.52% | 298 | 3.86% | 135 | 1.75% | 45 | 0.58% | 1,296 | 16.77% | 7,728 |
| Chicot | 2,239 | 38.76% | 3,445 | 59.64% | 26 | 0.45% | 64 | 1.11% | 2 | 0.03% | -1,206 | -20.88% | 5,776 |
| Clark | 2,743 | 29.97% | 6,122 | 66.89% | 215 | 2.35% | 59 | 0.64% | 14 | 0.15% | -3,379 | -36.92% | 9,153 |
| Clay | 3,091 | 42.17% | 3,985 | 54.37% | 121 | 1.65% | 126 | 1.72% | 7 | 0.10% | -894 | -12.20% | 7,330 |
| Cleburne | 4,042 | 48.38% | 4,021 | 48.13% | 204 | 2.44% | 82 | 0.98% | 6 | 0.07% | 21 | 0.25% | 8,355 |
| Cleveland | 1,124 | 36.76% | 1,856 | 60.69% | 36 | 1.18% | 33 | 1.08% | 9 | 0.29% | -732 | -23.93% | 3,058 |
| Columbia | 5,259 | 52.76% | 4,445 | 44.60% | 107 | 1.07% | 131 | 1.31% | 25 | 0.25% | 814 | 8.16% | 9,967 |
| Conway | 4,145 | 45.11% | 4,698 | 51.13% | 232 | 2.52% | 102 | 1.11% | 12 | 0.13% | -553 | -6.02% | 9,189 |
| Craighead | 11,010 | 51.31% | 9,231 | 43.02% | 708 | 3.30% | 283 | 1.32% | 224 | 1.04% | 1,779 | 8.29% | 21,456 |
| Crawford | 8,542 | 66.22% | 3,948 | 30.61% | 245 | 1.90% | 131 | 1.02% | 33 | 0.26% | 4,594 | 35.61% | 12,899 |
| Crittenden | 6,248 | 45.20% | 7,022 | 50.80% | 185 | 1.34% | 224 | 1.62% | 144 | 1.04% | -774 | -5.60% | 13,823 |
| Cross | 2,895 | 44.59% | 3,471 | 53.47% | 89 | 1.37% | 35 | 0.54% | 2 | 0.03% | -576 | -8.88% | 6,492 |
| Dallas | 1,596 | 35.16% | 2,838 | 62.52% | 74 | 1.63% | 25 | 0.55% | 6 | 0.13% | -1,242 | -27.36% | 4,539 |
| Desha | 2,057 | 34.07% | 3,748 | 62.08% | 77 | 1.28% | 47 | 0.78% | 108 | 1.79% | -1,691 | -28.01% | 6,037 |
| Drew | 2,272 | 36.74% | 3,757 | 60.75% | 117 | 1.89% | 32 | 0.52% | 6 | 0.10% | -1,485 | -24.01% | 6,184 |
| Faulkner | 7,544 | 44.19% | 8,528 | 49.95% | 769 | 4.50% | 181 | 1.06% | 51 | 0.30% | -984 | -5.76% | 17,073 |
| Franklin | 3,448 | 53.66% | 2,716 | 42.27% | 197 | 3.07% | 61 | 0.95% | 4 | 0.06% | 732 | 11.39% | 6,426 |
| Fulton | 2,101 | 49.35% | 2,037 | 47.85% | 83 | 1.95% | 30 | 0.70% | 6 | 0.14% | 64 | 1.50% | 4,257 |
| Garland | 15,739 | 52.96% | 12,515 | 42.11% | 1,042 | 3.51% | 250 | 0.84% | 171 | 0.58% | 3,224 | 10.85% | 29,717 |
| Grant | 2,007 | 38.04% | 3,078 | 58.34% | 102 | 1.93% | 55 | 1.04% | 34 | 0.64% | -1,071 | -20.30% | 5,276 |
| Greene | 4,514 | 41.64% | 5,996 | 55.31% | 219 | 2.02% | 106 | 0.98% | 6 | 0.06% | -1,482 | -13.67% | 10,841 |
| Hempstead | 3,852 | 44.65% | 4,671 | 54.14% | 72 | 0.83% | 31 | 0.36% | 2 | 0.02% | -819 | -9.49% | 8,628 |
| Hot Spring | 3,561 | 32.92% | 6,897 | 63.76% | 244 | 2.26% | 87 | 0.80% | 28 | 0.26% | -3,336 | -30.84% | 10,817 |
| Howard | 2,386 | 47.12% | 2,564 | 50.63% | 63 | 1.24% | 28 | 0.55% | 23 | 0.45% | -178 | -3.51% | 5,064 |
| Independence | 5,076 | 45.63% | 5,683 | 51.08% | 276 | 2.48% | 69 | 0.62% | 21 | 0.19% | -607 | -5.45% | 11,125 |
| Izard | 2,266 | 43.13% | 2,750 | 52.34% | 160 | 3.05% | 54 | 1.03% | 24 | 0.46% | -484 | -9.21% | 5,254 |
| Jackson | 3,191 | 39.49% | 4,651 | 57.55% | 174 | 2.15% | 51 | 0.63% | 14 | 0.17% | -1,460 | -18.06% | 8,081 |
| Jefferson | 10,697 | 35.60% | 17,292 | 57.55% | 802 | 2.67% | 625 | 2.08% | 630 | 2.10% | -6,595 | -21.95% | 30,046 |
| Johnson | 3,619 | 47.39% | 3,709 | 48.57% | 187 | 2.45% | 93 | 1.22% | 28 | 0.37% | -90 | -1.18% | 7,636 |
| Lafayette | 1,756 | 46.50% | 1,947 | 51.56% | 47 | 1.24% | 21 | 0.56% | 5 | 0.13% | -191 | -5.06% | 3,776 |
| Lawrence | 3,245 | 46.60% | 3,547 | 50.94% | 117 | 1.68% | 51 | 0.73% | 3 | 0.04% | -302 | -4.34% | 6,963 |
| Lee | 1,711 | 35.09% | 3,103 | 63.64% | 47 | 0.96% | 12 | 0.25% | 3 | 0.06% | -1,392 | -28.55% | 4,876 |
| Lincoln | 1,243 | 32.29% | 2,517 | 65.39% | 56 | 1.45% | 30 | 0.78% | 3 | 0.08% | -1,274 | -33.10% | 3,849 |
| Little River | 2,272 | 45.22% | 2,631 | 52.37% | 41 | 0.82% | 43 | 0.86% | 37 | 0.74% | -359 | -7.15% | 5,024 |
| Logan | 4,511 | 50.61% | 4,098 | 45.98% | 166 | 1.86% | 117 | 1.31% | 21 | 0.24% | 413 | 4.63% | 8,913 |
| Lonoke | 5,619 | 48.50% | 5,605 | 48.38% | 246 | 2.12% | 84 | 0.73% | 31 | 0.27% | 14 | 0.12% | 11,585 |
| Madison | 3,180 | 54.50% | 2,434 | 41.71% | 126 | 2.16% | 75 | 1.29% | 20 | 0.34% | 746 | 12.79% | 5,835 |
| Marion | 3,059 | 57.11% | 2,046 | 38.20% | 160 | 2.99% | 84 | 1.57% | 7 | 0.13% | 1,013 | 18.91% | 5,356 |
| Miller | 6,770 | 52.40% | 5,996 | 46.41% | 105 | 0.81% | 40 | 0.31% | 10 | 0.08% | 774 | 5.99% | 12,921 |
| Mississippi | 7,170 | 43.67% | 8,908 | 54.26% | 234 | 1.43% | 88 | 0.54% | 17 | 0.10% | -1,738 | -10.59% | 16,417 |
| Monroe | 2,027 | 41.98% | 2,686 | 55.62% | 82 | 1.70% | 28 | 0.58% | 6 | 0.12% | -659 | -13.64% | 4,829 |
| Montgomery | 1,585 | 43.88% | 1,878 | 51.99% | 86 | 2.38% | 38 | 1.05% | 25 | 0.69% | -293 | -8.11% | 3,612 |
| Nevada | 1,697 | 38.22% | 2,631 | 59.26% | 50 | 1.13% | 46 | 1.04% | 16 | 0.36% | -934 | -21.04% | 4,440 |
| Newton | 2,423 | 60.08% | 1,436 | 35.61% | 100 | 2.48% | 57 | 1.41% | 17 | 0.42% | 987 | 24.47% | 4,033 |
| Ouachita | 4,329 | 35.46% | 7,152 | 58.58% | 248 | 2.03% | 110 | 0.90% | 369 | 3.02% | -2,823 | -23.12% | 12,208 |
| Perry | 1,459 | 45.79% | 1,606 | 50.41% | 73 | 2.29% | 43 | 1.35% | 5 | 0.16% | -147 | -4.62% | 3,186 |
| Phillips | 4,270 | 38.31% | 6,642 | 59.59% | 163 | 1.46% | 44 | 0.39% | 27 | 0.24% | -2,372 | -21.28% | 11,146 |
| Pike | 1,916 | 46.77% | 2,094 | 51.11% | 58 | 1.42% | 23 | 0.56% | 6 | 0.15% | -178 | -4.34% | 4,097 |
| Poinsett | 4,040 | 44.01% | 4,894 | 53.31% | 153 | 1.67% | 83 | 0.90% | 10 | 0.11% | -854 | -9.30% | 9,180 |
| Polk | 3,993 | 58.51% | 2,617 | 38.35% | 139 | 2.04% | 69 | 1.01% | 6 | 0.09% | 1,376 | 20.16% | 6,824 |
| Pope | 7,217 | 50.72% | 6,364 | 44.72% | 471 | 3.31% | 153 | 1.08% | 25 | 0.18% | 853 | 6.00% | 14,230 |
| Prairie | 1,855 | 47.63% | 1,928 | 49.50% | 64 | 1.64% | 35 | 0.90% | 13 | 0.33% | -73 | -1.87% | 3,895 |
| Pulaski | 52,125 | 46.15% | 54,839 | 48.56% | 4,657 | 4.12% | 1,003 | 0.89% | 313 | 0.28% | -2,714 | -2.41% | 112,937 |
| Randolph | 2,579 | 43.50% | 3,070 | 51.78% | 125 | 2.11% | 144 | 2.43% | 11 | 0.19% | -491 | -8.28% | 5,929 |
| St. Francis | 4,485 | 42.77% | 5,816 | 55.46% | 132 | 1.26% | 51 | 0.49% | 3 | 0.03% | -1,331 | -12.69% | 10,487 |
| Saline | 8,330 | 42.60% | 10,368 | 53.02% | 643 | 3.29% | 191 | 0.98% | 23 | 0.12% | -2,038 | -10.42% | 19,555 |
| Scott | 2,228 | 48.16% | 2,236 | 48.34% | 92 | 1.99% | 60 | 1.30% | 10 | 0.22% | -8 | -0.18% | 4,626 |
| Searcy | 2,459 | 58.79% | 1,536 | 36.72% | 101 | 2.41% | 70 | 1.67% | 17 | 0.41% | 923 | 22.07% | 4,183 |
| Sebastian | 23,403 | 63.46% | 10,141 | 27.50% | 1,023 | 2.77% | 902 | 2.45% | 1,410 | 3.82% | 13,262 | 35.96% | 36,879 |
| Sevier | 2,502 | 45.52% | 2,854 | 51.92% | 97 | 1.76% | 39 | 0.71% | 5 | 0.09% | -352 | -6.40% | 5,497 |
| Sharp | 3,420 | 53.30% | 2,774 | 43.24% | 160 | 2.49% | 56 | 0.87% | 6 | 0.09% | 646 | 10.06% | 6,416 |
| Stone | 1,793 | 45.11% | 1,968 | 49.51% | 133 | 3.35% | 66 | 1.66% | 15 | 0.38% | -175 | -4.40% | 3,975 |
| Union | 9,401 | 55.10% | 6,852 | 40.16% | 313 | 1.83% | 337 | 1.98% | 160 | 0.94% | 2,549 | 14.94% | 17,063 |
| Van Buren | 3,090 | 49.11% | 2,968 | 47.17% | 153 | 2.43% | 67 | 1.06% | 14 | 0.22% | 122 | 1.94% | 6,292 |
| Washington | 20,788 | 58.69% | 12,276 | 34.66% | 1,737 | 4.90% | 485 | 1.37% | 135 | 0.38% | 8,512 | 24.03% | 35,421 |
| White | 8,079 | 46.66% | 8,750 | 50.54% | 309 | 1.78% | 125 | 0.72% | 50 | 0.29% | -671 | -3.88% | 17,313 |
| Woodruff | 1,204 | 32.06% | 2,452 | 65.28% | 74 | 1.97% | 21 | 0.56% | 5 | 0.13% | -1,248 | -33.22% | 3,756 |
| Yell | 3,187 | 44.65% | 3,702 | 51.87% | 181 | 2.54% | 61 | 0.85% | 6 | 0.08% | -515 | -7.22% | 7,137 |
| Totals | 403,164 | 48.13% | 398,041 | 47.52% | 22,468 | 2.68% | 8,970 | 1.07% | 4,939 | 0.59% | 5,123 | 0.61% | 837,582 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Boone
* Carroll
* Cleburne
* Columbia
* Craighead
* Crawford
* Franklin
* Garland
* Fulton
* Logan
* Lonoke
* Madison
* Marion
* Miller
* Newton
* Polk
* Pope
* Searcy
* Sharp
* Union
* Van Buren
* Washington

### Results by congressional district

| District | Reagan | Carter | Representative |
| 1st | 45.0% | 53.0% | Bill Alexander |
| 2nd | 46.3% | 50.1% | Ed Bethune |
| 3rd | 58.8% | 37.9% | John Paul Hammerschmidt |
| 4th | 42.1% | 56.2% | Beryl Anthony Jr. |