UNITED STATES SENATE ELECTION RESULTS: PART II
4 November 1980
*HAWAII: Three-term incumbent United States Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) was easily reelected to a fourth term defeating his Republican opponent, Cooper Brown (R) in a massive landslide victory sweeping all five counties in the Aloha State.
Daniel Inouye (D-incumbent): 224,485 (77.95%)✔ Projected Winner
Cooper Brown (R): 53,068 (18.43%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD
*IDAHO: US Rep. Steve Symms (R-ID) defeated four-term incumbent United States Senator Frank Church (D-ID), the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was seeking reelection to a fifth term. Political analysts considered the following factors of Church's defeat: the activities of the "Anybody But Church Committee" and the early announcement of national news media networks projecting the 1980 Presidential election in Reagan's favor, so early that Democrats in the Idaho Panhandle chose not to vote at all before polls closed statewide.
Steve Symms (R): 218,701 (49.7%)✔ Projected Winner
Frank Church (D-incumbent): 214,439 (48.8%)
REPUBLICAN GAIN
*ILLINOIS (OPEN): In the Land of Lincoln, with a record turnout of 73% in all 102 counties, Illinois Secretary of State Alan J. Dixon (D) easily defeated Illinois Lieutenant Governor Dave O'Neal (R) by double digits for the right to succeed outgoing incumbent United States Senator Adali Stevenson, III (D-IL), who chose not to seek reelection to a second full six-year term (Stevenson had won a special election in 1970 and was reelected in 1974) after 10 years in office, Dixon keeps the Senate seat in Democratic hands.
Alan J. Dixon (D): 2,565,302 (56.01%)✔ Projected Winner
Dave O'Neal (R): 1,946,296 (42.50%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD
*INDIANA: As detailed earlier in the Election Night Coverage, Congressman Dan Quayle (R-IN) defeated three-term incumbent United States Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN): being aided by the landslide victory of Governor Reagan in the presidential election inside the Hoosier State and Lieutenant Governor Orr's landslide victory in the gubernatorial election.
Dan Quayle (R): 1,182,414 (53.8%)✔ Projected Winner
Birch Bayh (D-incumbent): 1,015,922 (46.2%)
REPUBLICAN GAIN
*IOWA: US Rep. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) defeated incumbent United States Senator John Culver (D-IA) in a very competitive contest inside the Hawkeye State.
Chuck Grassley (R): 683,014 (53.5%)✔ Projected Winner
John Culver (D-incumbent): 581,545 (45.5%)
REPUBLICAN GAIN
*KANSAS: Two-term incumbent United States Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) was handily reelected to a third term defeating former State Senator John Simpson (D) ; Dole had briefly campaigned unsuccessfully for the 1980 Republican Party presidential nomination before dropping out and focusing on running for reelection to the United States Senate.
Bob Dole (R-incumbent): 598,686 (63.76%)✔ Projected Winner
John Simpson (D): 340,271 (36.24%)
REPUBLICAN HOLD
*KENTUCKY: Over in the Bluegrass State, incumbent United States Senator Wendell Ford (D-KY) defeated former Kentucky State Auditor Mary Louise Foust (R) in a massive landslide victory.
Wendell Ford (D-incumbent): 720,891 (65.13%)✔ Projected Winner
Mary Louise Foust (R): 386,029 (34.87%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD
*LOUISIANA: Sixth-term incumbent United States Senator Russell B. Long (D-LA), who has been in the United States Senate since winning a 1948 special election, was easily reelected in the 13 September 1980 Jungle Primary defeating State Rep. Woody Jenkins (D-Baton Rouge) in a field of just five candidates in a landslide victory carrying 61 out of 64 parishes; therefore avoiding a runoff election, which was set for November 4th.
Russell B. Long (D-incumbent): 484,770 (57.64%)✔ Projected Winner
Woody Jenkins (D): 325,992 (38.76%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD
*MARYLAND: In the Old Line State, two-term incumbent United States Senator Charles Mathias (R-MD), an ally of the late Presidents Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller and outgoing President Linwood Holton, was easily reelected to a third term defeating State Senator Edward T. Conroy (D); Mathias swept all 23 counties including winning Prince Georges' County and the City of Baltimore.
Charles Mathias (R-incumbent): 850,970 (66.17%)✔ Projected Winner
Edward T. Conroy (D): 435,118 (33.83%)
REPUBLICAN HOLD
*MISSOURI: Two-term incumbent United States Senator Thomas Eagleton (D-MO) defeated Saint Louis County Executive Gene McNary (R), securing a third term in the United States Senate representing the Show Me State.
Thomas Eagleton (D-incumbent): 1,074,859 (52.00%)✔ Projected Winner
Gene McNary (R): 985,399 (47.67%)
DEMOCRATIC HOLD
*NEVADA: Incumbent United States Senator Paul Laxalt (R-NV) defeated former State Senator Mary Gojack (D-Reno) in a landslide victory, securing a second term in the United States Senate.
Paul Laxalt (R-incumbent): 144,224 (58.5%)✔ Projected Winner
Mary Gojack (D): 92,129 (37.4%)
REPUBLICAN HOLD
*NEW HAMPSHIRE: Former New Hampshire State Attorney General Warren Rudman (R) defeated incumbent United States Senator John Durkin (D-NH), where the Republicans picked up another Senate seat in their goal of reclaiming control of the United States Senate for the first time since 1952.
Warren Rudman (R): 195,559 (52.2%)✔ Projected Winner
John Durkin (D-incumbent): 179,455 (47.8%)
REPUBLICAN GAIN
*NEW YORK (OPEN): Presiding Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead Al D'Amato (R) defeated four-term incumbent United States Senator Jacob Lavits (R-NY St) in the Republican primary by double digits; Javits then announced he would remain in the race as a candidate for the Liberal Party; the Democrats nominated US Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (D-NY St), which the Senate election attracted national attention. In the November general election, D'Amato running on the Conservative Party line, defeated both Holtzman and Javits in a three-way contest: therefore keeping the Senate seat in Republican hands.
Al D'Amato (R): 2,699,652 (44.9%)✔ Projected Winner
Elizabeth Holtzman (D): 2,618,661 (43.5%)
Jacob Javits (L-incumbent): 664,544 (11.1%)
REPUBLICAN HOLD
*NORTH CAROLINA: Despite the massive landslide reelection victory of North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt (D) in the gubernatorial election and Reagan carrying the Tar Heel State's 13 Electoral Votes in the presidential election, North Carolinians narrowly ousted incumbent United States Senator Robert Morgan (D-NC), who lost to right-wing arch conservative John Porter East (R), making it another key pick-up for Republicans in their goal of taking control of the United States Senate.
John Porter East (R): 898,064 (50.0%)✔ Projected Winner
Robert Morgan (D-incumbent); 887,653 (49.4%)
REPUBLICAN GAIN
COMING UP IN CHAPTER 10 OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Part III of the 1980 Election Results on the United States Senate.