The American Vote
Cold War RealignmentWA · 9 EV

1980

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

What happened in Washington, 1980

In 1980, Washington awarded its 9 electoral votes to Reagan of the Republican party. Washington ended up on the winning side — Ronald Reagan captured the White House that year.

It marked the 3rd consecutive election in which Washington backed the Republican party, a streak reaching back to 1972. Washington did not move alone — neighboring Oregon and Idaho broke the same way in 1980. Across the 34 presidential elections Washington has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Democratic party (19 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
Washington full history →
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Washington in nearby cycles