The 1980 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the
United States House of Representatives in 1980 which coincided with the
election of
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 ...
as
President, defeating
Democratic
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
incumbent President
Jimmy Carter. Reagan's victory also allowed many
Republican House candidates to secure elections. The Republicans gained a net of 35 seats from the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
. The Democrats nonetheless retained a significant majority, unlike the
Senate
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 ...
elections, where Republicans gained control of the chamber. However, many Democratic congressmen from the south (known as "
Boll weevils") frequently took conservative stances on issues, allowing Republicans to have a working ideological majority for some of President Reagan's proposals during his first two years in office.
This election marked the first time since
Reconstruction that Republicans won a sizable majority of Representatives from a Deep South state (South Carolina). It was also the first time that the new
Libertarian Party received the third-largest share of the
popular vote in both chambers of Congress. As of 2022, this is the last time that Republicans won a majority of seats in the Minnesota delegation. This is the earliest House election with a currently serving member, that being
Chris Smith and
Hal Rogers
Harold Dallas Rogers (born December 31, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician serving his 21st term as the U.S. representative for , having served since 1981. He is a member of the Republican Party. Upon Don Young's death in 2022, Rogers b ...
.
Overall results
Summary of the November 4, 1980, United States House of Representatives election results
Source
Election Statistics - Office of the Clerk
Special elections
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1980 or before January 3, 1981; ordered by election date.
Alabama
Alaska
American Samoa
See
Non-voting delegates, below.
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
See
Non-voting delegates, below.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Guam
See
Non-voting delegates, below.
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
As of 2021, this is the last time the Republican Party held a majority of congressional districts from
Minnesota.
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
See
Non-voting delegates, below.
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
U.S. Virgin Islands
See
Non-voting delegates, below.
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Non-voting delegates
, -
!
, -
!
,
Walter Fauntroy
, , Democratic
,
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, Incumbent re-elected.
, nowrap ,
, -
!
, -
!
, -
!
,
Melvin H. Evans
Melvin Herbert Evans (August 7, 1917 – November 27, 1984) was a Crucian politician, who served as the appointive, and the first elected governor of the United States Virgin Islands, serving from 1969 to 1975. After serving as governor he was de ...
, , Republican
,
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, New member elected.
, nowrap ,
See also
*
1980 United States elections
The 1980 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 4. Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Republicans also won control of the Senate, though Democrats retained a major ...
**
1980 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 4, 1980, in 13 states and two territories. The Republican party had a net gain of four seats in this election, coinciding with the Senate, House elections and presidential election. As ...
**
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. ...
**
1980 United States Senate elections
The 1980 United States Senate elections coincided with Ronald Reagan's victory in the presidential election. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter gave a huge boost to Republican Senate candidates, allowing them to flip 12 ...
*
96th United States Congress
*
97th United States Congress
The 97th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1981 ...
Notes
References
{{Al Gore
November 1980 events in the United States