Elections / 1980 · President · RI
Rhode Island — 1980 presidential election
Recent presidential results
Akashicstate1980 presidential electionRhode Island · PresidentCarterD+10.5
How it voted
Share of the 1980 vote
| Jimmy Carter ✓Democratic | 47.7% | 198,342 |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald ReaganRepublican | 37.2% | 154,793 |
| OtherAll other candidates | 15.1% | 62,832 |
1980presidential margin
D+60R+60
5 counties, each filled by 1980 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
Rhode Island cast 4 electoral votes this cycle.
County-level results (5 counties) — table
| County | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol County, RI | Democratic | D+6.1 |
| Kent County, RI | Democratic | D+4.3 |
| Newport County, RI | Republican | R+1.9 |
| Providence County, RI | Democratic | D+16.3 |
| Washington County, RI | Republican | R+1.2 |
complete certified result
Rhode Island candidate results
Top three shown first · expand for every reported candidate and write-in category
Source: MIT Election Data + Science Lab — U.S. President 1976–2024 state candidate returns
Nominees: Jimmy Carter (D) · Ronald Reagan (R)
Rhode Island's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1980 contest in context
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1892 | −5.0% |
| 1896 | −41.9% |
| 1900 | −24.7% |
| 1904 | −24.4% |
| 1908 | −26.6% |
| 1912 | +3.5% |
| 1916 | −5.1% |
| 1920 | −31.2% |
| 1924 | −23.2% |
| 1928 | +0.6% |
| 1932 | +11.8% |
| 1936 | +12.9% |
| 1940 | +13.6% |
| 1944 | +17.3% |
| 1948 | +16.2% |
| 1952 | −1.8% |
| 1956 | −16.5% |
| 1960 | +27.3% |
| 1964 | +61.7% |
| 1968 | +32.2% |
| 1972 | −6.2% |
| 1976 | +11.3% |
| 1980 | +10.5% |
| 1984 | −3.6% |
| 1988 | +11.7% |
| 1992 | +18.0% |
| 1996 | +32.9% |
| 2000 | +29.1% |
| 2004 | +20.8% |
| 2008 | +28.0% |
| 2012 | +27.4% |
| 2016 | +15.4% |
| 2020 | +20.6% |
| 2024 | +13.8% |
County-by-county results — 5 counties
| County | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County | D | 9,851 | 8,508 | 21,852 | |
| Kent County | D | 31,350 | 28,331 | 71,005 | |
| Newport County | R | 13,904 | 14,555 | 34,356 | |
| Providence County | D | 126,808 | 86,467 | 247,927 | |
| Washington County | R | 16,429 | 16,932 | 40,827 |
Same ballot, 1980RI
Source. MIT Election Data + Science Lab — 1980 presidential returns · official county-level results. Real returns — nothing estimated.