Who won Kentucky in the 1980 presidential election?

Reagan (Republican) carried Kentucky in 1980, winning its 9 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Kentucky have in 1980?

Kentucky cast 9 electoral votes in the 1980 presidential election.

Did Kentucky vote for the national winner in 1980?

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

Cold War RealignmentKY · 9 EV

1980

Kentucky: Reagan carries 9 EV.

Kentucky cast its 9 electoral votes for Reagan (Republican). National winner: Ronald Reagan (Republican) — Kentucky voted with the national winner this cycle.

Kentucky in 1980

The 1980 contest saw Kentucky line up behind Reagan, delivering 9 electoral votes to the Republican ticket. Kentucky ended up on the winning side — Ronald Reagan captured the White House that year.

The result flipped Kentucky away from the Democratic it had supported in 1976. The region divided — Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Illinois joined Kentucky for the Republican ticket, while West Virginia did not. Across the 59 presidential elections Kentucky 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

Kentucky full history →