Gubernatorial elections
United States elections · 1980 · held
State gubernatorial races held in this election year. Each governor is elected separately; there is no combined national percentage.
State races and results map
Each race has its own denominator. Missing counts are blank. The interactive map uses modern state outlines as navigation references.
Arkansas — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank D. White | Republican | — | 51.90% | Elected |
| Bill Clinton | Democratic | — | 48.10% | — |
Sources & further reading
Delaware — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete du Pont | Republican | — | 70.70% | Elected |
| William J. Gordy | Democratic | — | 28.50% | — |
| Lawrence Levy | Libertarian | — | 0.80% | — |
Sources & further reading
Indiana — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert D. Orr | Republican | — | 57.70% | Elected |
| John A. Hillenbrand II | Democratic | — | 41.90% | — |
| Cletis Artist | American | — | 0.40% | — |
Sources & further reading
Missouri — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit Bond | Republican | — | 52.60% | Elected |
| Joseph P. Teasdale | Democratic | — | 47.00% | — |
| Helen Savio | Socialist Workers | — | 0.30% | — |
Sources & further reading
Montana — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Schwinden | Democratic | — | 55.40% | Elected |
| Jack Ramirez | Republican | — | 44.60% | — |
Sources & further reading
New Hampshire — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Gallen | Democratic | — | 59.00% | Elected |
| Meldrim Thomson Jr. | Republican | — | 40.70% | — |
| James Pinnaird | Libertarian | — | 0.30% | — |
Sources & further reading
North Carolina — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Hunt | Democratic | — | 61.90% | Elected |
| I. Beverly Lake Jr. | Republican | — | 37.40% | — |
| Robert Y. Emory | Libertarian | — | 0.50% | — |
| Douglas A. Cooper | Socialist Workers | — | 0.20% | — |
Sources & further reading
North Dakota — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen I. Olson | Republican | — | 53.60% | Elected |
| Arthur A. Link | Democratic | — | 46.40% | — |
Sources & further reading
Rhode Island — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Joseph Garrahy | Democratic | — | 73.70% | Elected |
| Buddy Cianci | Republican | — | 26.30% | — |
Sources & further reading
Utah — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott M. Matheson | Democratic | — | 55.20% | Elected |
| Bob Wright | Republican | — | 44.40% | — |
| Lawrence Rey Topham | American | — | 0.40% | — |
Sources & further reading
Vermont — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard A. Snelling | Republican | — | 58.70% | Elected |
| M. Jerome Diamond | Democratic | — | 36.60% | — |
| Daniel E. Woodward | Independent | — | 2.50% | — |
| Bruce Cullen | Independent | — | 1.10% | — |
| John Potthast | Liberty Union | — | 0.90% | — |
Sources & further reading
Washington — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Spellman | Republican | — | 56.70% | Elected |
| Jim McDermott | Democratic | — | 43.30% | — |
Sources & further reading
West Virginia — Governor — General
Popular election. Popular votes in this state contest
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Rockefeller | Democratic | — | 54.10% | Elected |
| Arch A. Moore Jr. | Republican | — | 45.40% | — |
| Jack Kelley | Libertarian | — | 0.40% | — |
Sources & further reading
Results: final · partial coverage · Separate state governor races
This entry covers governor elections held in the election year, including available special contests, not off-year elections or every sitting governor. Candidate-specific ideology is used where sourced; election-era party ideology is the fallback. Historical indirect selections and unavailable counts are identified separately. Source summaries may omit minor candidates; blank values do not mean zero votes.