Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1980

Arkansas gubernatorial election, 1980

November 4, 1980

Nominee Frank D. White Bill Clinton Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 435,684 403,241 Percentage 51.93% 48.07%

Election results by county

Governor before election Bill Clinton Democratic Elected Governor Frank D. White Republican

Elections in Arkansas
Federal government Presidential elections 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Presidential primaries Democratic 2008 Republican 2008 2012 U.S. Senate elections 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 U.S. House elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Special elections to U.S. Congress 3rd District, 2001
State government Gubernatorial elections 1966 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 State elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Ballot measures 2004 Constitutional Amendment 3 2008 Proposed Initiative Act No. 1

The Arkansas gubernatorial election of 1980 was only that state's third election since Reconstruction when a Republican candidate won the governorship, and the first in which an incumbent was defeated.

One-term Democratic Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton was narrowly defeated by Republican Frank D. White, which made him, as he joked, "the youngest ex-governor in the nation." He ran again two years later and regained the governorship, continuing to serve until he was elected President of the United States in 1992. Both the Democratic and Republican primaries were held on May 27.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bill Clinton, incumbent Governor
• Monroe Schwarzlose, State Representative and candidate for Governor in 1978

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Marshall Chrisman, former State Representative
• Frank D. White, former head of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission

Results

Campaign

Schwarzlose's unexpected strong challenge in primaries and his 31 percent of the primary vote foreshadowed that Clinton could be in trouble for the upcoming general election.^[2]

Clinton's increase in the cost of automobile registration tags was also unpopular. He was also hurt by President Jimmy Carter's decision to send thousands of Cuban refugees, some unruly, to a detention camp at Fort Chaffee, outside Fort Smith in Sebastian County in western Arkansas.^[2][3] (See Mariel boatlift.)

1980 general election was marked by decisive Republican victories—the GOP won the White House, a majority in United States Senate and 34 seats in the United States House of Representatives. Clinton's narrow loss was viewed as part of Reagan's coattails.

Result

Frank White narrowly won the election.^[1](p48)[2]

References

Arkansas gubernatorial elections (1966-present)
1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014