Who won California in the 1980 presidential election?

Reagan (Republican) carried California in 1980, winning its 45 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did California have in 1980?

California cast 45 electoral votes in the 1980 presidential election.

Did California vote for the national winner in 1980?

Yes. California backed Ronald Reagan, who won the presidency that year.

Cold War RealignmentCA · 45 EV

1980

California: Reagan carries 45 EV.

California cast its 45 electoral votes for Reagan (Republican). National winner: Ronald Reagan (Republican) — California voted with the national winner this cycle.

California in 1980

The 1980 contest saw California line up behind Reagan, delivering 45 electoral votes to the Republican ticket. California ended up on the winning side — Ronald Reagan captured the White House that year.

It marked the 4th consecutive election in which California backed the Republican party, a streak reaching back to 1968. California did not move alone — neighboring Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona broke the same way in 1980. Across the 44 presidential elections California has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Republican party (22 times). The vote fell within the Cold War Realignment — Nixon, Reagan, and the Republican South.

In the national count, Ronald Reagan took 489 of the 538 electoral votes, against Jimmy Carter's 49. Ronald Reagan led the national popular vote with 50.75% of the ballots cast.

The 1980 national map

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