1980 United States presidential election in South Carolina
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 County Results
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| Elections in South Carolina |
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The 1980 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 4, 1980. All 50 states and The District of Columbia were part of the 1980 United States presidential election. South Carolina voters chose eight electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
South Carolina was won by former California Governor Ronald Reagan (R) by a very slim margin of 1 point and a half.[1] This remains the third-closest presidential election in South Carolina history after the controversial 1876 election and the transformative 1952 election.
Campaign
[edit]The state weighed in for this election as 8% more Democratic than the national average, just 3% less than four years earlier. As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last election in which the following counties voted for a Democratic presidential candidate: Anderson, Cherokee, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Saluda and York.[2]
64% of white voters supported Reagan while 32% supported Carter.[3][4]
Carter lost in eight of the ten most populous counties.[5]
Predictions
[edit]| Source | Rating | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Times and Democrat[6] | Tossup | September 23, 1980 |
| Boca Raton News[7] | Tossup | October 12, 1980 |
| The Charlotte Observer[8] | Tossup | October 22, 1980 |
| Anderson Independent[9] | Tossup | October 29, 1980 |
| Fort Worth Star-Telegram[10] | Tossup | October 31, 1980 |
| The State[11] | Tossup | November 2, 1980 |
| Daily Press[12] | Lean D | November 3, 1980 |
Results
[edit]| Presidential candidate | Party | Home state | Popular vote | Electoral vote |
Running mate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | Percentage | Vice-presidential candidate | Home state | Electoral vote | ||||
| Ronald Reagan | Republican | California | 441,207 | 49.57% | 8 | George H. W. Bush | Texas | 8 |
| Jimmy Carter (incumbent) | Democratic | Georgia | 427,560 | 48.04% | 0 | Walter Mondale (incumbent) | Minnesota | 0 |
| John B. Anderson | Independent | Illinois | 14,150 | 1.59% | 0 | Patrick Lucey | Wisconsin | 0 |
| Ed Clark | Libertarian | California | 4,975 | 0.56% | 0 | David Koch | New York | 0 |
| John Rarick | American Independent | Louisiana | 1,815 | 0.20% | 0 | Eileen Shearer | California | 0 |
| — | Write-ins | — | 37 | 0.04% | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| Total | 890,105 | 100% | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Needed to win | 270 | 270 | ||||||
Results by county
[edit]| County[13] | Ronald Reagan Republican |
Jimmy Carter Democratic |
John B. Anderson Independent |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Abbeville | 2,361 | 35.60% | 4,049 | 61.05% | 111 | 1.67% | 111 | 1.67% | -1,688 | -25.45% | 6,632 |
| Aiken | 18,570 | 57.37% | 13,014 | 40.21% | 601 | 1.86% | 184 | 0.57% | 5,556 | 17.16% | 32,369 |
| Allendale | 1,182 | 29.62% | 2,778 | 69.62% | 17 | 0.43% | 13 | 0.33% | -1,596 | -40.00% | 3,990 |
| Anderson | 15,667 | 44.38% | 18,801 | 53.25% | 474 | 1.34% | 363 | 1.03% | -3,134 | -8.87% | 35,305 |
| Bamberg | 2,098 | 38.69% | 3,294 | 60.75% | 17 | 0.31% | 13 | 0.24% | -1,196 | -22.06% | 5,422 |
| Barnwell | 3,228 | 48.14% | 3,399 | 50.69% | 64 | 0.95% | 14 | 0.21% | -171 | -2.55% | 6,705 |
| Beaufort | 8,620 | 51.62% | 7,415 | 44.40% | 513 | 3.07% | 152 | 0.91% | 1,205 | 7.22% | 16,700 |
| Berkeley | 12,830 | 55.63% | 9,850 | 42.71% | 292 | 1.27% | 92 | 0.40% | 2,980 | 12.92% | 23,064 |
| Calhoun | 1,767 | 45.86% | 2,043 | 53.02% | 31 | 0.80% | 12 | 0.31% | -276 | -7.16% | 3,853 |
| Charleston | 44,111 | 55.13% | 32,727 | 40.90% | 2,222 | 2.78% | 952 | 1.19% | 11,384 | 14.23% | 80,012 |
| Cherokee | 5,379 | 43.32% | 6,889 | 55.48% | 86 | 0.69% | 64 | 0.52% | -1,510 | -12.16% | 12,418 |
| Chester | 3,104 | 37.12% | 5,145 | 61.52% | 87 | 1.04% | 27 | 0.32% | -2,041 | -24.40% | 8,363 |
| Chesterfield | 3,478 | 34.88% | 6,393 | 64.11% | 64 | 0.64% | 37 | 0.37% | -2,915 | -29.23% | 9,972 |
| Clarendon | 4,158 | 40.79% | 5,979 | 58.65% | 28 | 0.27% | 29 | 0.28% | -1,821 | -17.86% | 10,194 |
| Colleton | 4,719 | 44.76% | 5,745 | 54.49% | 58 | 0.55% | 21 | 0.20% | -1,026 | -9.73% | 10,543 |
| Darlington | 8,289 | 48.39% | 8,489 | 49.55% | 220 | 1.28% | 133 | 0.78% | -200 | -1.16% | 17,131 |
| Dillon | 3,385 | 42.31% | 4,518 | 56.48% | 59 | 0.74% | 38 | 0.48% | -1,133 | -14.17% | 8,000 |
| Dorchester | 10,893 | 59.53% | 7,237 | 39.55% | 140 | 0.77% | 28 | 0.15% | 3,656 | 19.98% | 18,298 |
| Edgefield | 2,415 | 40.68% | 3,465 | 58.36% | 29 | 0.49% | 28 | 0.47% | -1,050 | -17.68% | 5,937 |
| Fairfield | 2,098 | 33.18% | 4,153 | 65.68% | 37 | 0.59% | 35 | 0.55% | -2,055 | -32.50% | 6,323 |
| Florence | 17,069 | 50.19% | 16,391 | 48.19% | 348 | 1.02% | 203 | 0.60% | 678 | 2.00% | 34,011 |
| Georgetown | 5,151 | 42.78% | 6,701 | 55.65% | 148 | 1.23% | 42 | 0.35% | -1,550 | -12.87% | 12,042 |
| Greenville | 46,168 | 57.41% | 32,135 | 39.96% | 1,600 | 1.99% | 512 | 0.64% | 14,033 | 17.45% | 80,415 |
| Greenwood | 7,290 | 43.17% | 9,283 | 54.97% | 230 | 1.36% | 85 | 0.50% | -1,993 | -11.80% | 16,888 |
| Hampton | 2,217 | 33.58% | 4,329 | 65.56% | 35 | 0.53% | 22 | 0.33% | -2,112 | -31.98% | 6,603 |
| Horry | 14,323 | 49.62% | 13,888 | 48.12% | 528 | 1.83% | 125 | 0.43% | 435 | 1.50% | 28,864 |
| Jasper | 1,617 | 32.54% | 3,312 | 66.65% | 32 | 0.64% | 8 | 0.16% | -1,695 | -34.11% | 4,969 |
| Kershaw | 6,652 | 55.55% | 5,103 | 42.62% | 145 | 1.21% | 74 | 0.62% | 1,549 | 12.93% | 11,974 |
| Lancaster | 6,410 | 42.25% | 8,283 | 54.60% | 331 | 2.18% | 146 | 0.96% | -1,873 | -12.35% | 15,170 |
| Laurens | 6,036 | 42.83% | 7,856 | 55.74% | 125 | 0.89% | 76 | 0.54% | -1,820 | -12.91% | 14,093 |
| Lee | 2,952 | 37.48% | 4,818 | 61.17% | 18 | 0.23% | 89 | 1.13% | -1,866 | -23.69% | 7,877 |
| Lexington | 28,313 | 67.60% | 12,334 | 29.45% | 762 | 1.82% | 477 | 1.14% | 15,979 | 38.15% | 41,886 |
| McCormick | 797 | 30.60% | 1,774 | 68.10% | 22 | 0.84% | 12 | 0.46% | -977 | -37.50% | 2,605 |
| Marion | 3,321 | 37.73% | 5,379 | 61.12% | 75 | 0.85% | 26 | 0.30% | -2,058 | -23.39% | 8,801 |
| Marlboro | 2,585 | 32.15% | 5,378 | 66.89% | 52 | 0.65% | 25 | 0.31% | -2,793 | -34.74% | 8,040 |
| Newberry | 5,568 | 52.96% | 4,825 | 45.90% | 80 | 0.76% | 40 | 0.38% | 743 | 7.06% | 10,513 |
| Oconee | 5,651 | 41.58% | 7,677 | 56.49% | 189 | 1.39% | 74 | 0.54% | -2,026 | -14.91% | 13,591 |
| Orangeburg | 11,313 | 40.79% | 16,178 | 58.33% | 141 | 0.51% | 101 | 0.36% | -4,865 | -17.54% | 27,733 |
| Pickens | 9,575 | 53.42% | 7,789 | 43.46% | 402 | 2.24% | 157 | 0.88% | 1,786 | 9.96% | 17,923 |
| Richland | 36,337 | 49.87% | 33,158 | 45.50% | 1,812 | 2.49% | 1,562 | 2.14% | 3,179 | 4.37% | 72,869 |
| Saluda | 2,450 | 47.40% | 2,651 | 51.29% | 38 | 0.74% | 30 | 0.58% | -201 | -3.89% | 5,169 |
| Spartanburg | 30,092 | 51.12% | 27,245 | 46.28% | 941 | 1.60% | 591 | 1.00% | 2,847 | 4.84% | 58,869 |
| Sumter | 10,557 | 52.45% | 9,205 | 45.74% | 250 | 1.24% | 114 | 0.57% | 1,352 | 6.71% | 20,126 |
| Union | 4,035 | 38.59% | 6,274 | 60.00% | 93 | 0.89% | 54 | 0.52% | -2,239 | -21.41% | 10,456 |
| Williamsburg | 5,110 | 38.29% | 8,135 | 60.96% | 64 | 0.48% | 35 | 0.26% | -3,025 | -22.67% | 13,344 |
| York | 11,265 | 46.85% | 12,075 | 50.22% | 539 | 2.24% | 164 | 0.68% | -810 | -3.37% | 24,043 |
| Totals | 441,207 | 49.57% | 427,560 | 48.04% | 14,150 | 1.59% | 7,166 | 0.81% | 13,647 | 1.53% | 890,083 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]- Beaufort
- Berkeley
- Charleston
- Dorchester
- Florence
- Horry
- Kershaw
- Newberry
- Pickens
- Richland
- Spartanburg
- Sumter
References
[edit]- ^ "1980 Presidential General Election Results – South Carolina". 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
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 295.
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 335.
- ^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991, p. 123.
- ^ "Visit Might Put Reagan "Over the Top" in S.C.". The Times and Democrat. Orangeburg, South Carolina. The Associated Press. September 23, 1980. p. 9b.
- ^ Tyson, Remer (October 12, 1980). "Long Shot Strategy: Reagan's Efforts in South Paying Off". Boca Raton News. p. 12A.
- ^ Walser, Jim (October 22, 1980). "Carter, Reagan Battle for S.C.". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. Observer Columbia Bureau. p. 1.
- ^ Ragan (October 29, 1980). "Riley Leads Carter Vote Drive". Anderson Independent-Mail. p. 1.
- ^ Pettys, Dick (October 31, 1980). "Reagan Quietly Undermining Carter's '76 Support". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Associated Press. p. 8A.
- ^ Stucker, Jan (November 2, 1980). "Carter in the Carolinas — A Tale of Two States". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. p. B1.
- ^ "Down by the Wire: State by State, It's Just too Close to Call". Daily Press. Victorville, California. November 3, 1980. p. B-1.
- ^ "SC US President — November 04, 1980". Our Campaigns.
Works cited
[edit]- Black, Earl; Black, Merle (1992). The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674941306.
- Moreland, Laurence; Steed, Robert; Baker, Tod, eds. (1991). The 1988 Presidential Election in the South: Continuity Amidst Change in Southern Party Politics. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0275931455.
