From January 21 to June 3, 1980, voters of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

chose its nominee for president in the

1980 United States presidential election The 1980 United States presidential election was the 49th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 4, 1980. Republican nominee Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter in a landslide victory. ...

. Retired Hollywood actor and two-term California governor

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

was selected as the nominee through a series of

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

s and

caucus A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...

es culminating in the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

held from July 14 to July 17, 1980, in Detroit, Michigan.

Background

As the 1980 presidential election approached, incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter appeared vulnerable. High gas prices, economic stagflation, a renewed

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

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 A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Ted Kennedy and California Governor Jerry Brown. A large field of Republican challengers also emerged.

Candidates

Nominee

Withdrew during primaries

Withdrew before primaries

File:Larry Pressler.jpg, Senator Larry Pressler of South Dakota (withdrew January 8, 1980) File:Lweicker.jpg, Senator Lowell Weicker of Connecticut (withdrew May 16, 1979)

Declined to run

The following potential candidates declined to run for the Republican nomination in 1980. * Frank Borman, former astronaut from Indiana and Chief Executive Officer of

Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...

* Bill Brock, RNC Chairman of Tennessee; former

from Tennessee * John Danforth,

from Missouri * Pete du Pont, Governor of Delaware *

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

, former President of the United States * Spiro Agnew, former Vice President of the United States *

Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ...

from North Carolina *

Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp (July 13, 1935 – May 2, 2009) was an American politician and a professional football player. A member of the Republican Party from New York, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bu ...

, U.S. Representative from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

* Alexander Haig, former

NATO Commander ''NATO Commander'' is a strategy video game designed by Sid Meier for the Atari 8-bit family and published in 1983 by MicroProse. Ports to the Apple II, and Commodore 64 were released the following year. The player takes the role of the Supreme A ...

* John Heinz,

from Pennsylvania * Charles Mathias, Senator from Maryland * Charles Percy,

from Illinois * Elliot Richardson, former United States Secretary of Commerce *

William Ruckelshaus William Doyle Ruckelshaus (July 24, 1932 – November 27, 2019) was an American attorney and government official. Ruckelshaus served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1966 to 1968, and was the United States Assistant Attorney General ...

, former

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a United States' federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI Director is appointed for a single ...

* Richard Schweiker, Senator from Pennsylvania * Bill Simon, former United States Secretary of the Treasury (endorsed Reagan) * Jim Thompson, Governor of Illinois

Polling

National polling

Primary race

, who had narrowly lost the 1976 Republican nomination to President

, 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 poll A straw poll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used to help politicians know the majority opinion and help them decide what to say in order to gain ...

s in the summer and fall of 1979.

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

, 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

as a part of their caucuses for that year. Bush defeated Reagan by a small margin. Bush declared he had "

the Big Mo The Big Mo ("Big Momentum") is behavioral momentum that operates on a large scale. The concept originally applied to sporting events in the 1960s in the United States, as momentum appeared to have an effect on a team's performance. Successful team ...

", 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. Reagan-Bush Nashua 1980 debate

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, the editor of the ''Nashua Telegraph'' ordered the sound man to mute Reagan's microphone. A visibly angry Reagan responded, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. (referring to the editor Jon Breen). 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. Reagan 1980 GOP

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." 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 John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member o ...

—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 Supply-side economics is a macroeconomic theory that postulates economic growth can be most effectively fostered by lowering taxes, decreasing regulation, and allowing free trade. According to supply-side economics, consumers will benefit fr ...

, 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 Reaganomics (; a portmanteau of ''Reagan'' and ''economics'' attributed to Paul Harvey), or Reaganism, refers to the neoliberal economic policies promoted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. These policies are commonly associate ...

" because it promised to lower taxes and increase revenues at the same time.

Results

Statewide

Nationwide

Primaries, total popular vote: *

– 7,709,793 (59.79%) *

– 3,070,033 (23.81%) *

– 1,572,174 (12.19%) *

Howard Baker Howard Henry Baker Jr. (November 15, 1925 June 26, 2014) was an American politician and diplomat who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985. During his tenure, he rose to the rank of Senate Minority Leader and then ...

– 181,153 (1.41%) * Phil Crane – 97,793 (0.76%) * John B. Connally – 82,625 (0.64%) * Unpledged – 68,155 (0.53%) * Ben Fernandez – 25,520 (0.20%) * Harold Stassen – 25,425 (0.20%) *

– 10,557 (0.08%) *

Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his te ...

– 7,204 (0.06%) The

was held in Detroit, Michigan, from July 14 to July 17, 1980.

Endorsements

Ronald Reagan * New Hampshire Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire * Former Governor

Deane C. Davis Deane Chandler Davis (November 7, 1900December 8, 1990) was an American attorney and insurance executive from Vermont. Long active in Republican politics, he is most notable for his service as the List of Governors of Vermont, 74th governor of ...

of Vermont * Senator

of Kansas (former candidate) * State Senator and former Representative

Donald "Buz" Lukens Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

of Ohio * Representative

Thomas N. Kindness Thomas Norman Kindness (August 26, 1929January 8, 2004) was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Ohio from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1987. Life and career Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Kindness graduated from ...

of Ohio John B. Connally, Jr. * Senator

Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...

of South Carolina * Governor Bill Clements of Texas * Senator Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma * Former Senator

Clifford Hansen Clifford Peter Hansen (October 16, 1912October 20, 2009) was an American politician from the state of Wyoming. A Republican, he served as the 26th Governor of Wyoming (January 7, 1963 – January 2, 1967) and subsequently as a United States sen ...

of Wyoming * Former Governor Tim Babcock of Montana * Mayor Buddy Cianci of

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, Rhode Island * Former U.S. Postmaster General

Winton M. Blount Winton Malcolm Blount Jr., known as Red Blount (February 1, 1921 – October 24, 2002), was an American philanthropist and politician who served as the United States Postmaster General from January 22, 1969, to January 1, 1972. He founded and ser ...

of Alabama * Former U.S. Attorney General

Herbert Brownell Herbert Brownell Jr. (February 20, 1904 – May 1, 1996) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. From 1953 to 1957, he served as United States Attorney General in the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Early life Browne ...

* Former RNC Chair

Leonard Hall Leonard Hall may refer to: People * Leonard Hall (boxer) (born 1907), Rhodesian and later South African boxer *Leonard Hall (socialist) (born 1866), British trade unionist and socialist activist * Leonard J. Hall (born 1943), American politician in ...

* Former NY Attorney General

Louis J. Lefkowitz Louis J. Lefkowitz (July 3, 1904 – June 20, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the Attorney General of New York State for 22 years. He was a Republican. Early life and education Lefkowitz was born to a Jewish family ...

* Retired Admiral Thomas Hinman Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of Maryland * NASCAR driver

Richard Petty Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notabl ...

of North Carolina George H.W. Bush * Former State Representative

Francis W. Hatch Jr. Francis Whiting Hatch Jr. (May 6, 1925 – April 8, 2010) was a Massachusetts politician, news reporter, insurance company executive, and advocate for the arts and the environment. Political career Hatch served as member of the Beverly, Massachu ...

of Massachusetts * Former United States Attorney General and

Commerce Secretary The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...

Elliot Richardson of Massachusetts * Former Senator, Ambassador and 1960 Republican Vice-Presidential nominee

Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (July 5, 1902 – February 27, 1985) was an American diplomat and Republican United States senator from Massachusetts in both Senate seats in non-consecutive terms of service and a United States ambassador. He was considered ...

of Massachusetts * Former Senator Robert Taft Jr. of Ohio * Former Senator and U.S. Attorney General William Saxbe of Ohio John B. Anderson * Middlesex County Sheriff John J. Buckley of Massachusetts * State Representative Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts * Former Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts * Representative

Jim Jeffords James Merrill Jeffords (May 11, 1934 – August 18, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. senator from Vermont. Sworn into the Senate in 1989, he served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become ...

of Vermont * Representative Pete McCloskey of California * Representative Paul Findley * Representative

David F. Emery David Farnham Emery (born September 1, 1948) is an American politician from Maine. He served four terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from 1975 to 1983. Early life and education Emery grew up in Rockland before attending college at Worces ...

* The Hutchinson News of Hutchinson, Kansas Howard Baker * Former Governor

Walter R. Peterson Jr. Walter Rutherford Peterson Jr. (September 19, 1922 – June 1, 2011) was an American realtor, educator, and Republican politician from Peterborough, New Hampshire, who served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and two terms as the 72n ...

of New Hampshire * State

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

Thomas D. Rath * Former Representative Perkins Bass * Senator William Cohen * Governor

Richard A. Snelling Richard Arkwright Snelling (February 18, 1927August 13, 1991) was an American businessman and politician. He was most notable for his service as the 76th and 78th governor of Vermont from 1977 to 1985 and from January 10, 1991, until his death ...

of Vermont Phil Crane * Rev. Joe Morecraft III of Cumming, Georgia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Republican Party (United States) Presidential Primaries, 1980 Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush