1980 United States Senate election in Vermont explained

Election Name:1980 United States Senate election in Vermont
Country:Vermont
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1974 United States Senate election in Vermont
Previous Year:1974
Next Election:1986 United States Senate election in Vermont
Next Year:1986
Image1:File:Patrick Leahy 1979 congressional photo.jpg
Nominee1:Patrick Leahy
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:104,089
Percentage1:49.76%
Nominee2:Stewart Ledbetter
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:101,647
Percentage2:48.59%
Map Size:219px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:Patrick Leahy
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Patrick Leahy
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 1980 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy narrowly won reelection to a second term, defeating Republican Stewart Ledbetter, the former Vermont Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.

Background

The state of Vermont was a Republican stronghold, albeit one with independent leanings. For many years, the state had a predisposition for electing moderate Republicans to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.[1] Even on the presidential level, due to a strong third party candidacy from John Anderson, who performed well in the state's presidential primary, the state became close though ultimately favoring Ronald Reagan.[2]

Under this background, freshman Democrat Patrick Leahy, the first Democrat ever elected to represent Vermont in the United States Senate, entered his re-election campaign as one of the most vulnerable incumbents up that cycle.[3] Leahy himself knew this would be a tough race, and even though early polls showed him up, he noticed a much more sour tone among voters while campaigning.[4]

Democratic primary

Leahy declared his bid for re-election on May 9, 1980, and was unopposed in the state's primary.[5]

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

The majority of the candidates in the Republican primary field were conservative Republicans, with Ledbetter being seen as the only moderate.

Over the course of the campaign, a dispute broke out between T. Garry Buckley, a former Lieutenant Governor, and James Mullin, the former Vermont GOP Chair. Buckley vigorously attacked Mullin for being a Mormon, claiming that if elected, Mullin would be the "third Senator from Utah."[11] Mullin in turned accused Buckley of bigotry, stating, "I thought this nonsense went out when Jack Kennedy was elected President."[11] The amount of spending in this primary was a record for the time.[12]

Ledbetter, who had resigned his position to run for Senate, ran a different campaign, notably walking 450 miles across the state to gain attention for his candidacy, and to draw a contrast between Mullin's high spending campaign.[13] He also emphasized his moderate credentials, claiming they would make him the best candidate to win the election.

Results

Ledbetter would end up the victor, due in part to his appeal to the Vermont Republican establishment. On election night, he was joined by Mullins, Evslin, and Schuettinger as a sign of unity against Leahy.[14]

Liberty Union primary

Results

General election

Campaign

As the environment of 1980 became increasingly Republican leaning, Leahy faced a tough battle. Ledbetter focused on his calls for a balanced budget, and criticized Leahy for votes against spending for the B1 Bomber. In turn, Leahy criticized Ledbetter for dirty campaign tactics, which he contended went against how Vermont politics went.[15]

There was also a large amount of attention from special interest groups targeting Leahy and other vulnerable Democrats.[16] Owing to the successful efforts by these groups to oust Iowa Senator Dick Clark in 1978, these groups took an increasing role this cycle, adding pressure to assailable Democrats.[17]

Per public polling, Leahy held a comfortable lead, and was the favorite to beat Ledbetter.[18] However, he later acknowledged in his memoirs that he had seen a different mood among voters, and his internal polls, conducted late in the campaign, showed him trailing.

Results

Even though Republicans performed strongly in Vermont, winning the Presidential, Gubernatorial, and House elections, Leahy pulled ahead by a narrow margin. However, due to how close the outcome was, neither candidate claimed victory or defeat that night.[19] In the following weeks, recounts were conducted by the state's courts to see if Leahy's victory would hold up.[20] Ultimately, the recounts showed Leahy's victory would stand, and it would be certified. Despite protestation, Ledbetter would concede the race on December 22.[21] This would be Patrick Leahy's closest race during his 48-year tenure in the U.S. Senate.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Childs, Marquis . Carter May Carry Vermont . Daytona Beach Morning Journal . October 17, 1980 . 4A . en.
  2. Book: Riechman, Ron . Thirty seven electoral votes at stake in New England . The Telegraph . November 3, 1980 . 21 . en.
  3. Book: Witt, Evans . 13 Candidates Already in Presidential Race . The Virgin Islands Daily News . November 8, 1979 . 29 . en.
  4. Book: Leahy, Patrick . The Road Taken: A Memoir . Simon & Schuster . 2022 . 978-1982157357 . 130.
  5. Book: Norton, Kathleen M. . Leahy announces re-election bid . The Lewiston Journal . May 9, 1980 . 9 . en.
  6. Web site: Warped Sense of Issues. Rutland Herald. August 4, 1980. April 25, 2022.
  7. Web site: It's Buckley's 'last hurrah', but Mullin, Evslin may be back. Bennington Banner. Vita. Matthew. September 10, 1980. April 24, 2022.
  8. Web site: Stewart Ledbetter bets $170,000 voters want Middle-of-Road Senator. Barre-Montpelier Times Argus. August 27, 1980. April 24, 2022.
  9. Web site: Remark about Ellsworth Bunker Shadows James Mullin. Rutland Daily Herald. Baumann. Steve. March 14, 1980. April 24, 2022.
  10. Web site: Candidate Schuettinger sticks to the far right. The Brattleboro Reformer. Page. Candace. August 16, 1980. April 24, 2022.
  11. Web site: Mullin, the top spender, sees Buckley as threat. Bennington Banner. Miller Group. August 18, 1980. September 7, 2022. Vita. Matthew. Associated Press.
  12. Book: Cash Doesn't Carry For Primary Losers . Lakeland Ledger . September 14, 1980 . 2C . en.
  13. Book: Assosciated Press . 'Ronald Reagn Clone' Loses Badly In Senate GOP Primary In Vermont . Ocala Star-Banner . September 10, 1980 . Montpelier, Vermont . 5D . en.
  14. Book: Vita, Matthew . Leahy Will Find the Going Tougher . The Lewiston Daily Sun . September 12, 1980 . 17 . en.
  15. News: Lyons . Richard L. . 1980-10-28 . GOP Battling for Senate Seats in New Hampshire and Vermont . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-06-23 . 0190-8286.
  16. Book: UPI . Proxmire, Clark say Republicans can win majority by 1983 . Bulletin Journal . January 2, 1979 . 11 . en.
  17. News: Roberts. Steven V.. 1979-04-22 . Democratic Senators Showing Fears on '80 . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-06-23 . 0362-4331.
  18. News: Miller . Judith . October 17, 1980 . Senator Leahy Expected to be Re-Elected in Vermont . A20 . The New York Times . live . June 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230623002330/https://www.nytimes.com/1980/10/17/archives/senator-leahy-expected-to-be-reelected-in-vermont-the-race-for.html . June 23, 2023.
  19. Book: Vita, Matthew . Leahy apparent winner in Vermont . The Lewiston Journal . November 5, 1980 . 22 . en.
  20. Book: Associated Press . Vt. Ballots Set for a Recount . The Lewiston Daily Sun . December 2, 1980 . Montpelier, Vermont . 16 . en.
  21. Book: Associated Press . Ledbetter ends his challenge to Sen. Leahy . The Lewiston Daily Sun . December 23, 1980 . 22 . en.