Who won Tennessee in the 1980 presidential election?

Reagan (Republican) carried Tennessee in 1980, winning its 10 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Tennessee have in 1980?

Tennessee cast 10 electoral votes in the 1980 presidential election.

Did Tennessee vote for the national winner in 1980?

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

Cold War RealignmentTN · 10 EV

1980

Tennessee: Reagan carries 10 EV.

Tennessee cast its 10 electoral votes for Reagan (Republican). National winner: Ronald Reagan (Republican) — Tennessee voted with the national winner this cycle.

Tennessee in 1980

The 1980 contest saw Tennessee line up behind Reagan, delivering 10 electoral votes to the Republican ticket. Tennessee ended up on the winning side — Ronald Reagan captured the White House that year.

The result flipped Tennessee away from the Democratic it had supported in 1976. The region divided — Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri joined Tennessee for the Republican ticket, while Georgia did not. Across the 57 presidential elections Tennessee has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Democratic party (24 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

Tennessee full history →