1980_Republican_Party_presidential_primaries

1980 Republican Party presidential primaries

1980 Republican Party presidential primaries

Selection of Republican US presidential candidate

From January 21 to June 3, 1980, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1980 United States presidential election. Retired Hollywood actor and two-term California governor Ronald Reagan was selected as the nominee through a series of primary elections and caucuses culminating in the Republican National Convention held from July 14 to 17, 1980, in Detroit, Michigan.

Quick Facts 1,990 delegates to the 1980 Republican National Convention 996 (majority) votes needed to win, Candidate ...

Background

As the 1980 presidential election approached, incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter appeared vulnerable. High gas prices, economic stagflation, a renewed Cold War with the Soviet Union following the invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iran hostage crisis that developed when Iranian students seized the American embassy in Tehran all contributed to a general dissatisfaction with Carter's presidency; his job approval rating sank to below 20 percent in late-1979 as a result. Consequently, the president faced stiff Democratic primary challenges from Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and California Governor Jerry Brown. A large field of Republican challengers also emerged.

Candidates

Nominee

More information Candidate, Most recent office ...

Withdrew during primaries

More information Candidate, Most recent office ...

Withdrew before primaries

More information Name, Born ...

Declined to run

The following potential candidates declined to run for the Republican nomination in 1980.[2][3]

Polling

National polling

More information Poll source, Publication date ...
  1. Including 1% for Phil Crane.
  2. Including 2% for Phil Crane.
  3. Including 2% for Phil Crane.
  4. Including 1% each for Phil Crane, Benjamin Fernandez, and Harold Stassen.
  5. Including 1% each for Phil Crane, Benjamin Fernandez, and Harold Stassen.
  6. Including 1% each for Phil Crane, Benjamin Fernandez, and Harold Stassen.
  7. 1% each for Phil Crane, Benjamin Fernandez, and Harold Stassen.

Primary race

  • The Nashua debate between Reagan and Bush
  • A Chicago debate with Philip Crane, Bush, moderator Eric Sevareid, Reagan, and John B. Anderson

Ronald Reagan, who had narrowly lost the 1976 Republican nomination to President Gerald Ford, was the early odds-on favorite to win the nomination in 1980. He was so far ahead in the polls that campaign director John Sears decided on an "above the fray" strategy. He did not attend many of the multi-candidate forums and straw polls in the summer and fall of 1979.

George H. W. Bush, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and chairman of the Republican National Committee, did go to all the so-called "cattle calls", and began to come in first at a number of these events. Along with the top two, a number of other Republican politicians entered the race.

In January 1980, the Iowa Republicans decided to have a straw poll as a part of their caucuses for that year. Bush defeated Reagan by a small margin. Bush declared he had "the Big Mo", and with Reagan boycotting the Puerto Rico primary in deference to New Hampshire, Bush won the territory easily, giving him an early lead going into New Hampshire.

With the other candidates in single digits, the Nashua Telegraph offered to host a debate between Reagan and Bush. Worried that a newspaper-sponsored debate might violate electoral regulations, Reagan subsequently arranged to fund the event with his own campaign money, inviting the other candidates to participate at short notice. The Bush camp did not learn of Reagan's decision to include the other candidates until the debate was due to commence. Bush refused to participate, which led to an impasse on the stage. As Reagan attempted to explain his decision, Jon Breen, the editor of the Nashua Telegraph and debate moderator, ordered Bob Malloy, the volume operator, to mute Reagan's microphone. When Malloy refused, Breen repeated his order. A visibly angry Reagan responded, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" [sic] (referring to the editor and debate moderator Jon Breen).[6][7][8] Eventually the other candidates agreed to leave, and the debate proceeded between Reagan and Bush. Reagan's quote was often repeated as "I paid for this microphone!" and dominated news coverage of the event; Reagan sailed to an easy win in New Hampshire.[9]

Ronald Reagan delivering his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan, on July 17, 1980.

Lee Bandy, a writer for the South Carolina newspaper The State stated that heading into the South Carolina primary, political operative Lee Atwater worked to engineer a victory for Reagan: "Lee Atwater figured that Connally was their biggest threat here in South Carolina. So Lee leaked a story to me that John Connally was trying to buy the black vote. Well, that story got out, thanks to me, and it probably killed Connally. He spent $10 million for one delegate. Lee saved Ronald Reagan's candidacy."[10]

Reagan swept the South, and although he lost five more primaries to Bush—including the Massachusetts primary in which he came in third place behind John B. Anderson—the former governor had a lock on the nomination very early in the season. Reagan said he would always be grateful to the people of Iowa for giving him "the kick in the pants" he needed.

Reagan was an adherent to a policy known as supply-side economics, which argues that economic growth can be most effectively created using incentives for people to produce (supply) goods and services, such as adjusting income tax and capital gains tax rates. Accordingly, Reagan promised an economic revival that would benefit all sectors of the population. He said that cutting tax rates would actually increase tax revenues because the lower rates would cause people to work harder as they would be able to keep more of their money. Reagan also called for a drastic cut in "big government" and pledged to deliver a balanced budget for the first time since 1969. In the primaries Bush called Reagan's economic policy "voodoo economics" because it promised to lower taxes and increase revenues at the same time.

Results

Tablemaker's Note:[lower-alpha 1]

More information Date (daily totals), Contest ...

The Republican National Convention was held in Detroit, Michigan, from July 14 to 17, 1980.

Endorsements

Ronald Reagan

John B. Connally Jr.

George H. W. Bush

John B. Anderson

Howard Baker

Phil Crane

See also

Notes

  1. This should not be taken as a finalized list of results. While a significant amount of research was done, there were a number of Delegates who were not bound by the instruction, or "Pledged" to a candidate, and to simplify the data these delegates were considered "Uncommitted". Some states also held primaries for the delegate positions, and these on occasion were where slates or candidates pledge to a certain candidate might be elected; however, as these elections allowed for a single person to vote for multiple candidates, as many as the number of positions being filled, it is difficult to determine how many people actually voted in these primaries. For this reason, while the results of some are in the table, they are not included in the popular vote summaries at the bottom of the table.
  2. Includes 1,822 votes (0.97%) for Ben Fernandez and 589 votes (0.31%) for Harold Stassen.
  3. Includes 380 Write-In votes (0.26%) for Gerald Ford.
  4. Includes 3,398 Write-In votes (0.85%) for Gerald Ford, 374 votes (0.09%) for Benjamin Fernandez, and 218 votes (0.05%) for Harold Stassen.
  5. Includes 2,300 Write-In votes (3.51%) for Harold Stassen and 105 Write-In votes (0.16%) for Harold Stassen.
  6. Includes 171 votes (0.12%) for Benjamin Fernandez and 150 votes (0.10%) for Harold Stassen.
  7. Includes 544 votes (0.26%) for Harold Stassen.
  8. Includes 1,377 votes (0.22%) for Harold Stassen and 898 votes (0.15%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  9. Includes 809 votes (0.40%) for Benjmain Fernandez and 200 votes (0.10%) for Harold Stassen.
  10. Includes 3,757 votes (0.33%) for Veldi Arvel "VA" Kelley and 1,106 Write-In votes (0.10%) for Gerald Ford.
  11. All 308 votes (0.17%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  12. Includes 809 votes (0.40%) for Benjmain Fernandez and 200 votes (0.10%) for Harold Stassen.
  13. Includes 1,051 votes (0.12%) for Benjmain Fernandez and 1,010 votes (0.11%) for Harold Stassen.
  14. Includes 150 votes (0.35%) for Harold Stassen and 125 votes (0.29%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  15. Only two of eight districts held conventions on this date.
  16. Includes 6,767 votes (0.55%) for Harold Stassen and 2,521 votes (0.20%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  17. It was generally felt that Reagan had won over the vast majority of those delegates elected, though legally they were uncommitted.
  18. Results only for 537 of the 979 Delegates were accounted for in the source.
  19. Only one of eight districts held conventions on this date.
  20. Only five of ten districts held conventions on this date.
  21. Only five of eight districts held conventions on this date.
  22. Only five of ten districts held conventions on this date.
  23. Includes 201 votes (2.67%) for Harold Stassen and 60 votes (0.80%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  24. Includes 14 Write-In votes (0.01%) for Gerald Ford.
  25. Includes 799 votes (0.39%) for Harold Stassen and 400 votes (0.20%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  26. Includes 2,248 votes (0.38%) for Benjmain Fernandez and 1,938 votes (0.33%) for Harold Stassen.
  27. Includes 1,223 votes (1.29%) for Harold Stassen and 764 votes (0.81%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  28. Only one of five districts held conventions on this date.
  29. Includes 10,242 votes (0.40%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  30. All votes for Harold Stassen.
  31. Includes 1,795 votes (3.01%) for Benjmain Fernandez and 947 votes (1.59%) for Harold Stassen.
  32. Includes 107 votes (2.01%) for Harold Stassen and 48 votes (0.90%) for Benjmain Fernandez.
  33. All votes for Harold Stassen.
  34. All votes for Harold Stassen.
  35. The results four district conventions are included, their exact dates not being found.

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