Akashic
1876–2024
Elections / 1981

The 1981 elections

An off-year cycle: 2 governor's races on the ballot. The map carries the full 50-state standing of the governorships.

1981 governor elections
1981 governor margin by stateA map of the United States with each state filled by its 1981 result — deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), and gold where an independent or third-party candidate carried the state.Alabama · —Alaska · —Arizona · —Colorado · —Florida · —Georgia · —Indiana · —Kansas · —Maine · —Massachusetts · —Minnesota · —New Jersey · R+0.1North Carolina · —North Dakota · —Oklahoma · —Pennsylvania · —South Dakota · —Texas · —Wyoming · —Connecticut · —Missouri · —West Virginia · —Illinois · —New Mexico · —Arkansas · —California · —Delaware · —District of Columbia · —Hawaii · —Iowa · —Kentucky · —Maryland · —Michigan · —Mississippi · —Montana · —New Hampshire · —New York · —Ohio · —Oregon · —Tennessee · —Utah · —Virginia · D+7.1Washington · —Wisconsin · —Nebraska · —South Carolina · —Idaho · —Nevada · —Vermont · —Louisiana · —Rhode Island · —
1981governor margin
D+60
R+60
States that elected a governor in 1981, each filled by its result. States without a race this cycle are faint.
Smaller states, enlarged
NJR+0.1
Odd-year cycle — statewide results. The panel shows the full 50-state standing after this cycle.
The 1981 cycle at a glance
Governors
D 1 · R 1
2 races
Go deeper by office
Governors2 races + the 50-state standing1981

Governor pages cover 2018–2025: even-year cycles with county-level precinct detail, the odd-year VA/NJ and KY/LA/MS races as certified statewide results. See the methodology for series notes.