Who won Florida in the 1980 presidential election?

Reagan (Republican) carried Florida in 1980, winning its 17 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Florida have in 1980?

Florida cast 17 electoral votes in the 1980 presidential election.

Did Florida vote for the national winner in 1980?

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

Cold War RealignmentFL · 17 EV

1980

Florida: Reagan carries 17 EV.

Florida cast its 17 electoral votes for Reagan (Republican). National winner: Ronald Reagan (Republican) — Florida voted with the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1980 result in Florida

Florida backed Reagan (Republican) in the 1980 presidential election, casting 17 electoral votes for the ticket. Florida ended up on the winning side — Ronald Reagan captured the White House that year.

The result flipped Florida away from the Democratic it had supported in 1976. The region divided — Alabama joined Florida for the Republican ticket, while Georgia did not. Across the 45 presidential elections Florida has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Democratic party (28 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

Florida full history →