The American Vote
Cold War RealignmentTX · 26 EV

1980

Texas: Reagan carries 26 EV.
Texas cast its 26 electoral votes for Reagan (Republican). National winner: Ronald Reagan (Republican) — Texas voted with the national winner this cycle.

What happened in Texas, 1980

In 1980, Texas awarded its 26 electoral votes to Reagan of the Republican party. Texas ended up on the winning side — Ronald Reagan captured the White House that year.

The result flipped Texas away from the Democratic it had supported in 1976. Texas did not move alone — neighboring New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana broke the same way in 1980. Across the 44 presidential elections Texas 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
Texas full history →
ALAKAZARCACOFLGAIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWY

Texas in nearby cycles