1980 United States Senate election in Alabama

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| <- 1978 (special) | November 4, 1980 | 1986 ->

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Nominee  | Jeremiah Denton | Jim Folsom |
Party  | Republican | Democratic
Popular vote  | 650,363 | 610,175
Percentage  | 50.15% | 47.05%

* * *

County results
Denton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70%
Folsom: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%

* * *

| U.S. senator before election

Donald Stewart
Democratic

| Elected U.S. Senator

Jeremiah Denton
Republican

|

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The 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama took place on November 4, 1980, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Donald Stewart, elected in a special election to finish the term of the seat left vacant by the death of Senator James B. Allen, decided to run for a full term, but was defeated in the primary by Jim Folsom, who lost the general election to Republican Jeremiah Denton.

Denton was the first Republican elected to the Senate from Alabama since the end of Reconstruction in 1879 and the first Republican elected since the passage of the 17th Amendment requiring the direct election of senators. He would lose reelection in 1986 to Democratic nominee Richard Shelby, who later joined the Republican Party in 1994.[1]

## Candidates[edit]

### Democratic[edit]

* Jim Folsom, Public Service Commissioner
* Donald Stewart, incumbent U.S. Senator

### Republican[edit]

* Jeremiah Denton, U.S. Navy veteran
* Armistead I. Selden Jr., former Democratic U.S. Representative and Ambassador to New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa

## Results[edit]

1980 United States Senate election in Alabama[2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Jeremiah Denton | 650,362  | 50.15%
| Democratic | Jim Folsom | 610,175  | 47.05%
| Conservative | Michael R. A. Erdey  | 15,989  | 1.23%
| Libertarian | William A. Crew  | 13,098  | 1.01%
| National Democrat  | Sallie M. Hadnott  | 2,973  | 0.23%
| Statesman Party  | Jim Partain  | 2,649  | 0.20%
| Socialist Workers | Mohammed Oliver  | 1,511  | 0.12%
Majority  | 40,187  | 3.10%
Turnout | 1,296,757  |
| Republican gain from Democratic

## See also[edit]

* 1980 United States Senate elections
* Reagan's coattails

## References[edit]

1. ^ Wayne, Stephen (2008). Parties and Elections in America: The Electoral Process Fifth Edition. Rowman & Littlefield.
2. ^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives (1981). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1980" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.

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(1979 <-)  1980 United States elections (-> 1981)

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