The 1980 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1980 in all 92 counties in the state of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Otis Bowen Otis Ray Bowen (February 26, 1918 – May 4, 2013) was an American politician and physician who served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Cabinet of President Ronald Reagan from ...

, the state's incumbent governor was ineligible for a third consecutive term due to term limits set forth in the Indiana Constitution. Robert D. Orr, the state's incumbent

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

lieutenant governor, was elected to his first term, defeating John A. Hillenbrand II, and a minor party challenger.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Announced

*John A. Hillenbrand II, businessman * Wayne Townsend, state senator

Declined

Floyd Fithian Floyd James Fithian (November 3, 1928June 27, 2003) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Representative from Indiana as a Democrat. He was one of the forty nine Watergate Babies who won election to the House of ...

, United States Representative from 2nd District Two candidates emerged to contest the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1980. These were John A. Hillenbrand, a businessman from

Batesville, Indiana Batesville is a city in Franklin County, Indiana, Franklin and Ripley County, Indiana, Ripley counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,520 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, making it the largest community in both co ...

, and Wayne Townsend, who had previously served three terms in the Indiana State Senate. Hillenbrand defeated Townsend by a relatively narrow margin of 26,403 votes, or less than five percent of all votes cast. Townsend would go on to win the Democratic nomination for governor in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

Results

General election

References

{{United States elections, 1980 1980 Indiana elections 1980

November 1980 events in the United States