1984 United States presidential election





















1984 United States presidential election







← 1980
November 6, 1984
1988 →


All 538 electoral votes of the Electoral College
270 electoral votes needed to win
Turnout 53.3%[1]Increase 0.7 pp
















































 

President Reagan 1985 closeup.jpg

Vice President Mondale 1977 closeup.jpg
Nominee

Ronald Reagan

Walter Mondale

Party

Republican

Democratic
Home state

California

Minnesota
Running mate

George H. W. Bush

Geraldine Ferraro
Electoral vote

525
13
States carried

49
1 + DC
Popular vote

54,455,472
37,577,352
Percentage

7001588000000000000♠58.8%

7001406000000000000♠40.6%





1984 United States presidential election in California
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1984 United States presidential election in Vermont
1984 United States presidential election in New Hampshire
ElectoralCollege1984.svg
About this image


Presidential election results map. Red denotes states won by Reagan/Bush, blue denotes the state and federal district won by Mondale/Ferraro.








President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican



Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican




The 1984 United States presidential election was the 50th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan defeated former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate.


Reagan faced only token opposition in his bid for re-nomination by the Republicans, and he and Vice President George H.W. Bush were easily re-nominated. Mondale defeated Senator Gary Hart and several other candidates in the 1984 Democratic primaries. Mondale chose Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate, making Ferraro the first woman to serve on either major party's national ticket.


Reagan touted a strong economic recovery from the 1970s stagflation and the 1981–82 recession, as well as the widespread perception that his presidency had overseen a revival of national confidence and prestige.[2] The Reagan campaign produced effective television advertising and deftly neutralized concerns regarding Reagan's age. Mondale criticized Reagan's supply-side economic policies and budget deficits, and he called for a nuclear freeze and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.


Reagan won 58.8% of the popular vote and carried 49 of the 50 states, becoming the oldest person, at the time, to win a presidential election. Reagan's showing ranks fifth in the share of electoral votes received and fifth in the share of the popular vote won. No candidate since 1984 has equaled Reagan's share of the electoral or popular vote. Mondale received 40.6% of the popular vote, but carried only the District of Columbia and his home state of Minnesota. Reagan also won the highest number of electoral votes of any president thus far.[3]




Contents






  • 1 Nominations


    • 1.1 Republican Party candidates


    • 1.2 Primaries


    • 1.3 Democratic Party candidates


    • 1.4 Primaries


    • 1.5 Endorsements


    • 1.6 Convention


    • 1.7 Vice presidential nominee




  • 2 Other parties


    • 2.1 National Unity Party nomination


    • 2.2 Libertarian Party nomination


    • 2.3 Citizens Party nomination


    • 2.4 Communist Party nomination




  • 3 General election


    • 3.1 Campaign


    • 3.2 Presidential Debates




  • 4 Results


    • 4.1 Statistics


      • 4.1.1 Results by state


      • 4.1.2 Close states






  • 5 Voter demographics


  • 6 Notable expressions and phrases


  • 7 See also


  • 8 References


  • 9 Further reading


  • 10 External links





Nominations



Republican Party candidates





  • Ben Fernandez, former Special Ambassador to Paraguay, from California


  • Ronald Reagan, President of the United States


  • Harold Stassen, former Governor of Minnesota























Republican Party ticket, 1984

Ronald Reagan

George H. W. Bush

for President

for Vice President

President Reagan 1985 closeup.jpg


1988 Bush.jpg


40th
President of the United States
(1981–1989)

43rd
Vice President of the United States
(1981–1989)

Campaign

Reagan Bush 84.png


Primaries




President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas


Ronald Reagan—the incumbent president—was the assured nominee for the Republican Party, with only token opposition. The popular vote from the Republican primaries was as follows:[4]



  • Ronald Reagan (inc.): 6,484,987 (98.78%)

  • Unpledged delegates: 55,458 (0.85%)

  • Harold Stassen: 12,749 (0.19%)

  • Benjamin Fernandez: 202 (0.00%)


Reagan was renominated by a vote of 2,233 delegates (two delegates abstained). For the only time in American history, the vice presidential roll call was taken concurrently with the presidential roll call. Vice President George H. W. Bush was overwhelmingly renominated. This was the last time in the 20th century that the vice presidential candidate of either major party was nominated by roll call vote.




































Balloting
Presidential ballot Vice Presidential ballot
Ronald Reagan 2,233 George H. W. Bush 2,231
Abstaining 2 Abstaining 2
Jack Kemp 1
Jeane Kirkpatrick 1


Democratic Party candidates





Mondale campaigning in Pennsylvania




  • Reubin Askew, former Governor of Florida


  • Alan Cranston, U.S. senator from California


  • John Glenn, U.S. senator from Ohio


  • Gary Hart, U.S. senator from Colorado


  • Ernest Hollings, U.S. senator from South Carolina


  • Jesse Jackson, reverend and civil rights activist from Illinois


  • George McGovern, former U.S. senator and 1972 Democratic nominee from South Dakota [5]


  • Walter Mondale, former Vice President and former U.S. senator from Minnesota























Democratic Party ticket, 1984

Walter Mondale

Geraldine Ferraro

for President

for Vice President

Vice President Mondale 1977 closeup.jpg


GeraldineFerraro.jpg


42nd
Vice President of the United States
(1977–1981)

U.S. Representative
from New York
(1979–1985)

Campaign

Mondale Ferraro bumper sticker 1.jpg


Primaries




Mondale celebrates his victory in the Iowa caucus.


Only three Democratic candidates won any state primaries: Mondale, Hart, and Jackson. Initially, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, after a failed bid to win the 1980 Democratic nomination for president, was considered the de facto front-runner of the 1984 primary. But, after Kennedy ultimately declined to run, former Vice-President Mondale was then viewed as the favorite to win the Democratic nomination. Mondale had the largest number of party leaders supporting him, and he had raised more money than any other candidate. However, both Jackson and Hart emerged as surprising, and troublesome, opponents.


South Carolina Senator Ernest Hollings's wit and experience, as well as his call for a budget freeze, won him some positive attention, but his relatively conservative record alienated liberal Democrats, and he was never really noticed in a field dominated by Walter Mondale, John Glenn, and Gary Hart. Hollings dropped out two days after losing badly in New Hampshire, and endorsed Hart a week later. His disdain for his competitors was at times showcased in his comments. He notably referred to Mondale as a "lapdog," and to former astronaut Glenn as "Sky King" who was "confused in his capsule."[6]


California Senator Alan Cranston hoped to galvanize supporters of the nuclear freeze movement that had called on the United States to halt the deployment of existing nuclear weapons and the development of new ones.
Glenn and Askew hoped to capture the support of moderate and conservative Democrats. None of them possessed the fundraising ability of Mondale nor the grassroots support of Hart and Jackson, and none won any contests.


Jackson was the second African-American (after Shirley Chisholm) to mount a nationwide campaign for the presidency, and he was the first African-American candidate to be a serious contender. He got 3.5 million votes during the primaries, third behind Hart and Mondale. He won the primaries in Virginia, South Carolina, and Louisiana, and split Mississippi, where there were two separate contests for Democratic delegates. Through the primaries, Jackson helped confirm the black electorate's importance to the Democratic Party in the South at the time. During the campaign, however, Jackson made an off-the-cuff reference to Jews as "Hymies" and New York City as "Hymietown," for which he later apologized. Nonetheless, the remark was widely publicized, and derailed his campaign for the nomination.[7] Jackson ended up winning 21% of the national primary vote but received only 8% of the delegates to the national convention, and he initially charged that his campaign was hurt by the same party rules that allowed Mondale to win. He also poured scorn on Mondale, saying that Hubert Humphrey was the "last significant politician out of the St. Paul-Minneapolis" area.[8]


Hart, from Colorado, was a more serious threat to Mondale, and after winning several early primaries it looked as if he might take the nomination away from Mondale. Hart finished a surprising second in the Iowa caucuses, with 16.5% of the vote. This established him as the main rival to Mondale, effectively eliminating John Glenn, Ernest Hollings and Alan Cranston as alternatives.[citation needed] Hart criticized Mondale as an "old-fashioned" New Deal Democrat who symbolized "failed policies" of the past. Hart positioned himself (just as Bill Clinton would eight years later) as a younger, fresher, and more moderate Democrat who could appeal to younger voters. He emerged as a formidable candidate, winning the key New Hampshire, Ohio, and California primaries as well as several others, especially in the West. However, Hart could not overcome Mondale's financial and organizational advantages, especially among labor union leaders in the Midwest and industrial Northeast.


Hart was also badly hurt in a televised debate with Mondale during the primaries, when the former vice president used a popular television commercial slogan to ridicule Hart's vague "New Ideas" platform. Turning to Hart on camera, Mondale told Hart that whenever he heard Hart talk about his "New Ideas," he was reminded of the Wendy's fast-food slogan "Where's the beef?" The remark drew loud laughter and applause from the viewing audience and caught Hart off-guard. Hart never fully recovered from Mondale's charge that his "New Ideas" were shallow and lacking in specifics.




Mondale celebrates several victories in March 13 primaries with former running mate Jimmy Carter at his campaign headquarters.


At a roundtable debate between the three remaining Democratic candidates moderated by Phil Donahue, Mondale and Hart got into such a heated argument over the issue of U.S. policy in Central America that Jackson had to tap his water glass on the table to help get them to stop.


Mondale gradually pulled away from Hart in the delegate count, but, as Time reported in late May, "Mondale ... has a wide lead in total delegates (1,564 to 941) ... because of his victories in the big industrial states, his support from the Democratic Establishment and the arcane provisions of delegate-selection rules that his vanguard helped draft two years ago."[9] After the final primary in California, on June 5, which Hart won, Mondale was about 40 delegates short of the total he needed for the nomination.[10] However, at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco on July 16, Mondale received the overwhelming support of the unelected superdelegates from the party establishment to win the nomination.


Mondale's nomination marked the second time since the nomination of former Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter in 1976 and the fourth time since the nomination of former Representative John W. Davis in 1924 that the Democratic Party nominated a private citizen for President (i.e., not serving in an official government role at the time of the nomination and election). Mondale was the last private citizen to be nominated for President by the Democratic Party until former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.


This race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination was the closest in two generations, and, as of 2017, it was the last occasion that a major party's race for the presidential nomination went all the way to its convention.



Endorsements


Note: These are only those endorsements which occurred during or before the primary race.






































Convention


This was the convention's nomination tally:




























































Balloting
Presidential ballot Vice Presidential ballot
Walter F. Mondale 2,191 Geraldine A. Ferraro 3,920
Gary W. Hart 1,200.5 Shirley Chisholm 3
Jesse L. Jackson 465.5
Thomas F. Eagleton 18
George S. McGovern 4
John H. Glenn 2
Joe Biden 1
Lane Kirkland 1

When he made his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, Mondale said: "Let's tell the truth. Mr. Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did."[48] Although Mondale intended to expose Reagan as hypocritical and position himself as the honest candidate, the choice of raising taxes as a discussion point likely damaged his electoral chances.



Vice presidential nominee




Ferraro with Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis at a campaign stop in Boston


Mondale chose U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro from New York as his running mate, making her the first woman nominated for that position by a major party, and the first Italian American on a major party ticket since Al Smith in 1928. Mondale wanted to establish a precedent with his vice presidential candidate, although Tonie Nathan of the Libertarian Party was already the first woman to receive an electoral vote in the 1972 election. Another reason for the nominee to "go for broke" instead of balancing the ticket was Reagan's lead in the polls. Mondale hoped to appeal to women, and by 1980, they were the majority of voters. In a "much criticized parade of possible Veep candidates" to his home in Minnesota, Mondale considered San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein and Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins, also female; Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African American; and San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros, an Hispanic, as other finalists for the nomination. In addition to her sex, Mondale chose Ferraro because he hoped she would attract ethnic voters with her personal background.[8][49] Unsuccessful nomination candidate Jesse Jackson derided Mondale's vice-presidential screening process as a "P.R. parade of personalities," but praised Mondale for his choice, having himself pledged to name a woman to the ticket in the event he was nominated.


Mondale had wanted to choose New York Governor Mario Cuomo as his running mate, but Cuomo declined and recommended Ferraro,[50] his protégée.[51] Mondale might have named Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis as his running mate had he wanted to make a "safe" choice",[49] while others preferred Senator Lloyd Bentsen because he would appeal to more conservative Southern voters. Nomination rival Gary Hart stated before Ferraro's selection that he would accept an invitation to run with Mondale;[49] Hart's supporters claimed he would do better than Mondale against President Reagan, an argument undercut by a June 1984 Gallup poll that showed both men nine points behind the president.



Other parties



National Unity Party nomination


[52][53][54][55][56][57][58]



The National Unity Party was an outgrowth of John Anderson's presidential campaign from the 1980 presidential election. Anderson hoped that the party would be able to challenge the "two old parties", which he viewed as being tied to various special interest groups and incapable of responsible fiscal reform. The intention was to organize the new party in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, the New England states, and others where his previous candidacy had proven to have experienced the most success. The party was also eligible for $5.8 million in Federal election funds, but its qualification depended on it being on the ballot in at least ten states; however, it remained unclear if National Unity could actually obtain the funds, or if it needed to be Anderson himself.


Anderson initially was against running, hoping that another notable politico would take the party into the 1984 election, and feared that his own candidacy might result in the party being labeled a "personality cult". However, no candidate came forward resulting in Anderson becoming the nominee in waiting. While Anderson had found equal support from the Republicans and Democrats in the 1980 election, the grand majority of the former had since switched back, resulting in the new party being supported principally by those who normally would vote Democratic, which it was feared might make him a spoiler candidate. In light of this, in addition to difficulties in getting on the ballot in his targeted states (Utah and Kentucky were the only two, neither among those he intended to prominently campaign in), Anderson ultimately declined to run. Later he would endorse the Democratic nominee, Walter Mondale.


Anderson had hoped that the party would continue to grow and later field a candidate in 1988 (which he declared would not be him), but it floundered and ultimately dissolved.



Libertarian Party nomination




  • David Bergland, Party Chairman from California


  • Gene Burns, talk radio host from Florida (withdrew – August 26, 1983)[59]


  • Tonie Nathan, 1972 vice presidential nominee from Oregon (declined to contest)


  • Earl Ravenal, foreign policy analyst, academic, and writer from Washington, D.C.


  • Mary Ruwart, research scientist from Texas


Burns was the initial frontrunner for the nomination, but withdrew, citing concerns that the party would not be able to properly finance a campaign. The remaining candidates were Bergland; Ravenal, who had worked in the Department of Defense under Robert McNamara and Clark Clifford; and Ruwart. Bergland narrowly won the presidential nomination over Ravenal. His running mate was James A. Lewis. The ticket appeared on 39 state ballots.



Citizens Party nomination


Sonia Johnson ran in the 1984 presidential election, as the presidential candidate of the Citizens Party, Pennsylvania's Consumer Party and California's Peace and Freedom Party. Johnson received 72,161 votes (0.1%) finishing fifth. Her running mate for the Citizens Party was Richard Walton and for the Peace and Freedom Party Emma Wong Mar. One of her campaign managers, Mark Dunlea, later wrote a novel about a first female president, Madame President.



Communist Party nomination


The Communist Party USA ran Gus Hall for president and Angela Davis for vice president.



General election



Campaign




Mondale and Ferraro campaigning in Fort Lauderdale, Florida


Mondale ran a liberal campaign, supporting a nuclear freeze and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). He spoke against what he considered to be unfairness in Reagan's economic policies and the need to reduce federal budget deficits.


While Ferraro's choice was popular among Democratic activists, polls immediately after the announcement showed that only 22% of women were pleased about her selection, versus 18% who agreed that it was a bad idea. 60% of all voters thought that pressure from women's groups had led to Mondale's decision, versus 22% who believed that he had chosen the best available candidate.[49] Some members of the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church criticized the Catholic Ferraro for being pro-choice on abortion. Already fighting an uphill battle with voters, Ferraro also faced a slew of allegations, mid-campaign, directed toward her husband, John Zaccaro. These allegations included Zaccaro's possible past involvement in organized crime, pornography distribution, and campaign contribution violations. Ferraro responded to these allegations against her husband by releasing her family tax returns to the media on August 21, 1984. However, the damage to the campaign was already done.[60]




Reagan and Bush campaigning in Austin, Texas


At a campaign stop in Hammonton, New Jersey, Reagan said, "America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts. It rests in the message of hope in songs of a man so many young Americans admire, New Jersey's Bruce Springsteen." The Reagan campaign briefly used "Born in the U.S.A.", a song criticizing the treatment of Vietnam War veterans (which they mistakenly thought was devoid of anti-war content), as a campaign song, without permission, until Springsteen, a lifelong Democrat, insisted that they stop.[61]


The Reagan campaign was very skilled at producing effective television advertising. Two of the more memorable ads it produced were commonly known as "Bear in the woods" and "Morning in America".




File:Reagan answers question about age 2nd debate of 1984.webmPlay media

Clip from the second debate in which Reagan responds to a question about his age


Reagan was the oldest president to have ever served (he was by this point 73), and there were many questions about his capacity to endure the grueling demands of the presidency, particularly after Reagan had a poor showing in his first debate with Mondale on October 7. He referred to having started going to church "here in Washington", although the debate was in Louisville, Kentucky, referred to military uniforms as "wardrobe," and admitted to being "confused," among other mistakes.[62] In the next debate on October 21, however, Reagan joked, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience." Mondale himself laughed at the joke,[63] and later admitted that Reagan had effectively neutralized the age issue:


.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}

If TV can tell the truth, as you say it can, you'll see that I was smiling. But I think if you come in close, you'll see some tears coming down because I knew he had gotten me there. That was really the end of my campaign that night, I think. [I told my wife] the campaign was over, and it was.[64]



Presidential Debates


There were two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate during the 1984 general election.[65]















































No.
Date
Host
Location
Panelists
Moderator
Participants
Viewership

(Millions)


P1
Sunday, October 7, 1984

The Kentucky Center

Louisville, Kentucky

James Wieghart

Diane Sawyer


Fred Barnes



Barbara Walters

President Ronald Reagan

Vice President Walter Mondale


65.1[65]
VP
Thursday, October 11, 1984

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
John Bashek

Jack White


Robert Boyd



Sander Vanocur

Vice President George H. W. Bush

Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro


56.7[65]
P2
Sunday, October 21, 1984

Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Missouri)

Kansas City, Missouri

Georgie Anne Geyer

Marvin Kalb


Morton Kondracke



Edwin Newman

President Ronald Reagan

Vice President Walter Mondale


67.3 [65]


Results



ElectoralCollege1984-Large.png





Election results by county

  Ronald Reagan

  Walter Mondale





Results by congressional district




Margin of victory by state


Reagan was re-elected in the November 6 election in an electoral and popular vote landslide, winning 49 states. He won a record 525 electoral votes total (of 538 possible), and received 58.8% of the popular vote; despite Ferraro's selection, 55% of women who voted did so for Reagan,[60] and his 54 to 61% of the Catholic vote was the highest for a Republican candidate in history.[66] Mondale's 13 electoral college votes (from his home state of Minnesota—which he won by 0.18%—and the District of Columbia) marked the lowest total of any major presidential candidate since Alf Landon's 1936 loss to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mondale's defeat was also the worst for any Democratic Party candidate in American history in the Electoral College (and his 13 electoral votes the fewest any Democrat has won since Stephen A. Douglas claimed 12 in the 1860 election, when the Democratic vote was divided), though others, including Alton B. Parker, James M. Cox, John W. Davis, and George S. McGovern, did worse in the popular vote.


Psephologists attributed the Republican victory to "Reagan Democrats", millions of Democrats who voted for Reagan, as in 1980. They characterized such Reagan Democrats as southern whites and northern blue collar workers who voted for Reagan because they credited him with the economic recovery, saw Reagan as strong on national security issues, and perceived the Democrats as supporting the poor and minorities at the expense of the middle class. The Democratic National Committee commissioned a study after the election that came to these conclusions, but suppressed the report, afraid that it would offend its key voters.[66]




Reagan receiving a concession call from Mondale


When Reagan was asked in December 1984 what he wanted for Christmas he joked, "Well, Minnesota would have been nice".[67] Reagan lost Minnesota in both this election and in 1980, making it the only state he failed to win in either election, and also making him the first two-term president not to carry Minnesota since Woodrow Wilson. This is the last election where the Republican candidate achieved any of the following: Win every state in the Northeastern and Pacific regions of the United States; win at least one county in every state; and win any of the following states: Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.[68] It was also the last election where the Republican nominee won Wisconsin until 2016, Iowa until 2004, the last election in which the winning candidate won by a double-digit margin in the percentage of the popular vote, and the last election where the winning candidate won by an eight-digit margin in total popular votes (10 million or more).[68] Finally, despite his narrow loss in Minnesota, Reagan still won in five out of its eight congressional districts (by contrast, Nixon had only carried one Massachusetts district twelve years earlier) thus making Reagan the only U.S. presidential candidate in history to win the popular vote in a majority of congressional districts in every state.



Statistics






















































































































































Presidential candidate
Party
Home state
Popular vote
Electoral
vote
Running mate
Count
Percentage
Vice-presidential candidate
Home state
Electoral vote

Ronald Wilson Reagan (Incumbent)

Republican

California
54,455,472
58.77%
525

George Herbert Walker Bush

Texas
525

Walter Frederick Mondale

Democratic

Minnesota
37,577,352
40.56%
13

Geraldine Anne Ferraro

New York
13

David Bergland

Libertarian

California 
228,111
0.25%
0

Jim Lewis

Connecticut 
0

Lyndon LaRouche

Independent

Virginia 
78,809
0.09%
0

Billy Davis

Mississippi 
0

Sonia Johnson

Citizens

Idaho 
72,161
0.08%
0

Richard Walton

Rhode Island 
0

Bob Richards

Populist

Texas 
66,324
0.07%
0

Maureen Salaman

California 
0

Dennis L. Serrette

New Alliance

New Jersey 
46,853
0.05%
0

Nancy Ross

New York 
0

Larry Holmes

Workers World

New York 
46,853
0.05%
0

Gloria La Riva

California 
0

Gus Hall

Communist

New York 
36,386
0.04%
0

Angela Davis

California 
0

Melvin T. Mason

Socialist Workers

California 
24,699
0.03%
0

Matilde Zimmermann

New York 
0

Other
49,181
0.05%


Other

Total
92,653,233
100%
538

538
Needed to win
270

270

Source for the popular vote: Leip, David. "1984 Presidential Election Results". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved August 7, 2005..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
Source for the electoral vote: "Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2005.

































Popular vote
Reagan
58.77%
Mondale
40.56%
Bergland
0.25%
Others
0.42%
























Electoral vote
Reagan
97.58%
Mondale
2.42%




Results by state


[69]





States won by Reagan/Bush
State/district won by Mondale/Ferraro
















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Ronald Reagan
Republican
Walter Mondale
Democratic
David Bergland
Libertarian
Margin
State Total
State
electoral
votes
#
%
electoral
votes
#
%
electoral
votes
#
%
electoral
votes
#
%
#


Alabama
9
872,849
60.54
9
551,899
38.28

9,504
0.66

320,950
22.26
1,441,713
AL

Alaska
3
138,377
66.65
3
62,007
29.87

6,378
3.07

76,370
36.79
207,605
AK

Arizona
7
681,416
66.42
7
333,854
32.54

10,585
1.03

347,562
33.88
1,025,897
AZ

Arkansas
6
534,774
60.47
6
338,646
38.29

2,221
0.25

196,128
22.18
884,406
AR

California
47
5,467,009
57.51
47
3,922,519
41.27

49,951
0.53

1,544,490
16.25
9,505,423
CA

Colorado
8
821,818
63.44
8
454,974
35.12

11,257
0.87

366,844
28.32
1,295,381
CO

Connecticut
8
890,877
60.73
8
569,597
38.83




321,280
21.90
1,466,900
CT

Delaware
3
152,190
59.78
3
101,656
39.93

268
0.11

50,534
19.85
254,572
DE

D.C.
3
29,009
13.73

180,408
85.38
3
279
0.13

−151,399
−71.66
211,288
DC

Florida
21
2,730,350
65.32
21
1,448,816
34.66

754
0.02

1,281,534
30.66
4,180,051
FL

Georgia
12
1,068,722
60.17
12
706,628
39.79

151
0.01

362,094
20.39
1,776,093
GA

Hawaii
4
185,050
55.10
4
147,154
43.82

2,167
0.65

37,896
11.28
335,846
HI

Idaho
4
297,523
72.36
4
108,510
26.39

2,823
0.69

189,013
45.97
411,144
ID

Illinois
24
2,707,103
56.17
24
2,086,499
43.30

10,086
0.21

620,604
12.88
4,819,088
IL

Indiana
12
1,377,230
61.67
12
841,481
37.68

6,741
0.30

535,749
23.99
2,233,069
IN

Iowa
8
703,088
53.27
8
605,620
45.89

1,844
0.14

97,468
7.39
1,319,805
IA

Kansas
7
677,296
66.27
7
333,149
32.60

3,329
0.33

344,147
33.67
1,021,991
KS

Kentucky
9
822,782
60.04
9
539,589
39.37




283,193
20.66
1,370,461
KY

Louisiana
10
1,037,299
60.77
10
651,586
38.18

1,876
0.11

385,713
22.60
1,706,822
LA

Maine
4
336,500
60.83
4
214,515
38.78




121,985
22.05
553,144
ME

Maryland
10
879,918
52.51
10
787,935
47.02

5,721
0.34

91,983
5.49
1,675,873
MD

Massachusetts
13
1,310,936
51.22
13
1,239,606
48.43




71,330
2.79
2,559,453
MA

Michigan
20
2,251,571
59.23
20
1,529,638
40.24

10,055
0.26

721,933
18.99
3,801,658
MI

Minnesota
10
1,032,603
49.54

1,036,364
49.72
10
2,996
0.14

−3,761
−0.18
2,084,449
MN

Mississippi
7
581,477
61.85
7
352,192
37.46

2,336
0.25

229,285
24.39
940,192
MS

Missouri
11
1,274,188
60.02
11
848,583
39.98




425,605
20.05
2,122,771
MO

Montana
4
232,450
60.47
4
146,742
38.18

5,185
1.35

85,708
22.30
384,377
MT

Nebraska
5
460,054
70.55
5
187,866
28.81

2,079
0.32

272,188
41.74
652,090
NE

Nevada
4
188,770
65.85
4
91,655
31.97

2,292
0.80

97,115
33.88
286,667
NV

New Hampshire
4
267,051
68.66
4
120,395
30.95

735
0.19

146,656
37.71
388,954
NH

New Jersey
16
1,933,630
60.09
16
1,261,323
39.20

6,416
0.20

672,307
20.89
3,217,862
NJ

New Mexico
5
307,101
59.70
5
201,769
39.23

4,459
0.87

105,332
20.48
514,370
NM

New York
36
3,664,763
53.84
36
3,119,609
45.83

11,949
0.18

545,154
8.01
6,806,810
NY

North Carolina
13
1,346,481
61.90
13
824,287
37.89

3,794
0.17

522,194
24.00
2,175,361
NC

North Dakota
3
200,336
64.84
3
104,429
33.80

703
0.23

95,907
31.04
308,971
ND

Ohio
23
2,678,560
58.90
23
1,825,440
40.14

5,886
0.13

853,120
18.76
4,547,619
OH

Oklahoma
8
861,530
68.61
8
385,080
30.67

9,066
0.72

476,450
37.94
1,255,676
OK

Oregon
7
685,700
55.91
7
536,479
43.74




149,221
12.17
1,226,527
OR

Pennsylvania
25
2,584,323
53.34
25
2,228,131
45.99

6,982
0.14

356,192
7.35
4,844,903
PA

Rhode Island
4
212,080
51.66
4
197,106
48.02

277
0.07

14,974
3.65
410,492
RI

South Carolina
8
615,539
63.55
8
344,470
35.57

4,360
0.45

271,069
27.99
968,540
SC

South Dakota
3
200,267
63.00
3
116,113
36.53




84,154
26.47
317,867
SD

Tennessee
11
990,212
57.84
11
711,714
41.57

3,072
0.18

278,498
16.27
1,711,993
TN

Texas
29
3,433,428
63.61
29
1,949,276
36.11




1,484,152
27.50
5,397,571
TX

Utah
5
469,105
74.50
5
155,369
24.68

2,447
0.39

313,736
49.83
629,656
UT

Vermont
3
135,865
57.92
3
95,730
40.81

1,002
0.43

40,135
17.11
234,561
VT

Virginia
12
1,337,078
62.29
12
796,250
37.09




540,828
25.19
2,146,635
VA

Washington
10
1,051,670
55.82
10
807,352
42.86

8,844
0.47

244,318
12.97
1,883,910
WA

West Virginia
6
405,483
55.11
6
328,125
44.60




77,358
10.51
735,742
WV

Wisconsin
11
1,198,800
54.19
11
995,847
45.02

4,884
0.22

202,953
9.18
2,212,016
WI

Wyoming
3
133,241
70.51
3
53,370
28.24

2,357
1.25

79,871
42.27
188,968
WY
TOTALS:
538
54,455,472
58.77
525
37,577,352
40.56
13
228,111
0.25

16,878,120
18.22
92,653,233
US


Close states


Margin of victory less than 1% (10 electoral votes):


  1. Minnesota, 0.18%

Margin of victory less than 5% (17 electoral votes):[70][71]



  1. Massachusetts, 2.79%

  2. Rhode Island, 3.65%


Margin of victory more than 5%, but less than 10% (90 electoral votes):[70][71]



  1. Maryland, 5.49%

  2. Pennsylvania, 7.35%

  3. Iowa, 7.38%

  4. New York, 8.01%

  5. Wisconsin, 9.17%



Voter demographics




















































































































































































The 1984 presidential vote by demographic subgroup
Demographic subgroup
Mondale
Reagan
% of
total vote
Total vote
41
59
100
Ideology

Liberals
71
29
16

Moderates
46
54
42

Conservatives
18
82
33
Party

Democrats
74
26
38

Republicans
7
93
35

Independents
36
64
26
Gender
Men
38
62
47
Women
42
58
53
Race

White
34
66
86

Black
91
9
10

Hispanic
66
34
3
Age
18–24 years old
39
61
11
25–29 years old
43
57
12
30–49 years old
42
58
34
50–64 years old
39
61
23
65 and older
36
64
19
Family income
Under $12,500
54
46
15
$12,500–25,000
42
58
27
$25,000–35,000
40
60
20
$35,000–50,000
32
68
17
Over $50,000
31
69
12
Region

East
47
53
26

Midwest
38
62
30

South
36
64
27

West
38
62
17
Union households

Union
54
46
26

Source: CBS News and The New York Times exit poll from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (9,174 surveyed)[72]



Notable expressions and phrases




  • Where's the beef?: A slogan used by Wendy's Restaurant to suggest that their competitors have smaller portions of meat in their sandwiches, but used in the Democratic primaries by Mondale to criticize Gary Hart's positions as lacking substance.


  • Morning in America: Slogan used by the Reagan campaign.



See also



  • 1984 United States Senate elections

  • 1984 United States House of Representatives elections

  • 1984 United States gubernatorial elections

  • History of the United States (1980–1991)

  • Second inauguration of Ronald Reagan




References





  1. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 21, 2012.


  2. ^ Raines, Howell (November 7, 1984). "Reagan Wins By a Landslide, Sweeping at Least 48 States; G.O.P. Gains Strength in House". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2013.


  3. ^ https://www.thoughtco.com/landslide-presidential-elections-by-electoral-votes-3367489


  4. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  5. ^ "1984 PRESIDENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENT SPEECH OF GEORGE McGOVERN". 4president.org. September 13, 1983. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  6. ^ Skipper, John C. The Iowa Caucuses: First Tests of Presidential Aspiration, 1972–2008, pg. 72–73


  7. ^ Larry J. Sabato's Feeding Frenzy (July 21, 1998). "Jesse Jackson's 'Hymietown' Remark – 1984". Washington Post. Retrieved May 26, 2010.


  8. ^ ab Thomas, Evan; Allis, Sam; Beckwith, David (July 2, 1984). "Trying to Win the Peace". Time Magazine.


  9. ^ Kurt Andersen, "A Wild Ride to the End", Time, May 28, 1984


  10. ^ Ruth Marcus, "Parsing Tsunami Tuesday", Washington Post, January 16, 2008


  11. ^ "Candidate – Jim Bates". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  12. ^ abcdefghijklm "Democrats Choose Delegates". The New York Times. January 24, 1984. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  13. ^ abcd "US President – D Primaries – Feb 01, 1984". Our Campaigns. February 7, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2008.


  14. ^ abc Lynn, Frank (January 15, 1984). "State Drawing Presidential Hopefuls". The New York Times. New York State. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  15. ^ "IA US President – D Caucuses Race – Jan 24, 1984". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  16. ^ "NY US President – D Primary Race – Apr 03, 1984". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  17. ^ abcd Raines, Howell (January 29, 1984). "Southern Primaries Could Spell Trouble For Glenn". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  18. ^ abcd Raines, Howell (October 20, 1983). "Democrats Pursue Southern Support". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  19. ^ Boyd, Gerald M. (December 11, 1983). "Alabama Blacks' Group Decides To Back Mondale-Jackson Ticket". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  20. ^ ab Raines, Howell (December 12, 1983). "MONDALE HAD GOOD '83 – NOW THE REAL TEST BEGINS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  21. ^ abc Smith, Hedrick (February 25, 1984). "Experts Say The South Looks Blead For Glenn". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  22. ^ ab HOWELL RAINES, Special to the New York Times (November 4, 1983). "A Provocative Candidate". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  23. ^ ab Gailey, Phil (December 5, 1983). "Political Potholes Ahead For Traveling Democrats". The New York Times. Chicago (Ill). Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  24. ^ Raines, Howell (October 19, 1983). "Politics – Hart'S Tactics Askew'S Train And Film Anxieties". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  25. ^ HOWELL RAINES, Special to the New York Times (February 26, 1984). "8 DEMOCRATS GIRD FOR KEY PRIMARY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE". The New York Times. New Hampshire. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  26. ^ "Ourcampaigns.com". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  27. ^ ab Plotz, David (August 20, 1999) Warren Beatty, Slate.com


  28. ^ Smothers, Ronald (November 1, 1983). "Democratic Candidates Welcome Jackson Bid For Nomination". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  29. ^ abc Smothers, Ronald (November 4, 1983). "Jackson Declares Formal Candidacy". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  30. ^ "Candidate – Orval E. Faubus". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  31. ^ Smothers, Ronald (December 28, 1983). "Jackson Wins Attention But Strength Is Unclear". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  32. ^ ab Ronald Smothers (March 12, 1984). "Alabama Black Leaders Are Urging Pragmatism In Supporting Mondale". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  33. ^ ab Smothers, Ronald (January 15, 1984). "Jackson Attracts Crowds, But Planning Is Erratic". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  34. ^ "Candidate – Marion S. Barry, Jr". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  35. ^ abc Boyd, Gerald M. (February 14, 1984). "Black Churches A Mainspring Of Jackson'S Efforts". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  36. ^ Raines, Howell (December 2, 1983). "Jackson Gets Support, Apparently Without Poll Of The Group". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2014.


  37. ^ "Barry Commoner Vows To Back Jesse Jackson". Nytimes.com. August 30, 1983. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  38. ^ "South Carolina Political Collections" (PDF).


  39. ^ Tom Sherwood (December 15, 1983). "Del. Pickett to Head Mondale's Va. Race".


  40. ^ ab https://newspaperarchive.com/winchester-star-feb-10-1984-p-18/. Missing or empty |title= (help)


  41. ^ "Anna Belle Clement O'Brien passes away at 86". Archived from the original on 6 Sep 2009.


  42. ^ "Our Campaigns – GA US President – D Primary Race – Mar 13, 1984". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  43. ^ "MA US President – D Primary Race – Mar 13, 1984". Our Campaigns. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  44. ^ "GLENN SEEKING TO TURN A HERO'S IMAGE INTO VOTES". Nytimes.com. June 15, 1983. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  45. ^ "Our Campaigns – AL US President – D Primary Race – Mar 13, 1984". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  46. ^ "Our Campaigns – FL US President – D Primary Race – Mar 13, 1984". Ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  47. ^ "ASKEW TELLS MOBILE HE 'FEELS GOOD' ABOUT RACE". Nytimes.com. February 7, 1984. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  48. ^ Howell Raines (July 20, 1984). "Party Nominates Rep. Ferraro; Mondale, in Acceptance, Vows Fair Policies and Deficit Cut". New York Times. p. A1.


  49. ^ abcd Church, George L.; Magnuson, Ed (July 23, 1984). "Geraldine Ferraro: A Break with Tradition". Time. Retrieved March 26, 2011.


  50. ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (September 8, 2008). "When the Press Vetted Geraldine Ferraro". The New York Times. Retrieved March 26, 2011.


  51. ^ Buckley, Cara (March 28, 2011). "Of Ferraro's Roles in Many Arenas, a Favorite: Gerry From Queens". The New York Times. pp. A18. Retrieved March 30, 2011.


  52. ^ New York Times, June 11, 1983


  53. ^ New York Times, November 9, 1983


  54. ^ New York Times, April 20, 1984


  55. ^ New York Times, April 27, 1984


  56. ^ New York Times, May 4, 1984


  57. ^ New York Times, August 28, 1984


  58. ^ "Former Congressman John Anderson Runs for President Again in 1984". Archives.nbclearn.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  59. ^ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dU4tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VM8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3911,4640110&dq=gene-burns+radio&hl=en


  60. ^ ab Martin, Douglas (March 27, 2011). "Geraldine A. Ferraro, First Woman on Major Party Ticket, Dies at 75". The New York Times. pp. A1. Retrieved March 26, 2011.


  61. ^ "Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015.


  62. ^ "1984 Presidential Candidate Debate: President Reagan and Walter Mondale – 10/7/84". Debates. October 7, 1984. Retrieved January 15, 2011.


  63. ^ Reagan, Ronald; Mondale, Walter (April 27, 2009). 1984 Presidential Candidate Debate: President Reagan and Walter Mondale – 10/21/84. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. Event occurs at 32:55.


  64. ^ Mondale, Walter. "1984: There You Go Again... Again / Debating Our Destiny Transcript". PBS Newshour (Interview). Interviewed by Lehrer, Jim. Archived from the original on 2000-12-12. Retrieved February 29, 2012.


  65. ^ abcd "CPD: 1984 Debates". www.debates.org. Retrieved 2019-01-08.


  66. ^ ab Prendergast, William B. (1999). The Catholic vote in American politics. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. pp. 186, 191–193. ISBN 0-87840-724-3.


  67. ^ "Minnesota heads Reagan's wish list". The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Associated Press. December 4, 1984. p. 27. Retrieved July 18, 2012.


  68. ^ ab "Historical U.S. Presidential Elections 1789-2016". Retrieved 2018-10-12.


  69. ^ "1984 Presidential General Election Data – National". Retrieved March 17, 2013.


  70. ^ ab "POPULAR VOTE AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE BY STATE" (TXT). Psephos.adam-carr.net. Retrieved 18 January 2015.


  71. ^ ab "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections – County Data". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved January 16, 2011.


  72. ^ "How Groups Voted in 1984". ropercenter.cornell.edu. Retrieved February 1, 2018.




Further reading




  • Jonathan Moore, ed. (1986). Campaign for President: The Managers Look at '84. Dover: Auburn House. ISBN 0-86569-132-0.


  • Ladd, Everett Carll (1985). "On Mandates, Realignments, and the 1984 Presidential Election". Political Science Quarterly. 100 (1): 1–24. JSTOR 2150858.


  • Leuchtenburg, William E. (1986). The 1984 Election in Historical Perspective. Waco: Baylor University Press. ISBN 0-918954-45-2.


  • Morris, Lorenzo (1990). The Social and Political Implications of the 1984 Jesse Jackson Presidential Campaign. New York: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-92785-7.


  • Sandoz, E.; Crabb, C. V., Jr., eds. (1985). Election 84: Landslide Without a Mandate?. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-62424-6.


  • Stempel, Guido H., III; John W. Windhauser (1991). The Media in the 1984 and 1988 Presidential Campaigns. New York: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-26527-5.

  • Richard W. Boyd, Paul R. Mencher, Philip J. Paseltiner, Ezra Paul, Alexander S. Vanda, The 1984 Election as Anthony Downs and Stanley Kelley Might Interpret It, Political Behavior, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Autumn, 1988), pp. 197-213.



External links




  • United States presidential election of 1984 at Encyclopædia Britannica

  • The Election Wall's 1984 Election Video Page

  • 1984 popular vote by counties

  • 1984 popular vote by states

  • 1984 popular vote by states (with bar graphs)

  • Campaign commercials from the 1984 election


  • Democratic primaries at the Wayback Machine (archived October 26, 2009)


  • "How close was the 1984 election?". Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2010.CS1 maint: Unfit url (link) Michael Sheppard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

  • Election of 1984 in Counting the Votes














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