1980 United States Senate election in Alabama

none March 2026 September 2023 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama Alabama presidential no 1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama 1978 (special) 1986 United States Senate election in Alabama 1986 November 4, 1980 150x150px JeremiahDentonSenate (cropped).jpg Jeremiah Denton Republican Party (United States) 650,363 50.15% Jim Folsom Jr. (cropped).jpg Jim Folsom Jr. Democratic Party (United States) 610,175 47.05% File:1980 United States Senate election in Alabama results map by county.svg 250px County resultsDenton: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70%Folsom: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% U.S. Senator Donald Stewart Democratic Party (United States) Jeremiah Denton Republican Party (United States) 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.Wayne Stephen 2008 Parties and Elections in America: The Electoral Process Fifth Edition Rowman & Littlefield Democratic primary Candidates Jim Folsom Jr., Public Service Commissioner and son of former governor Jim Folsom Finis St. John, state senator from Cullman Donald Stewart, incumbent U.S. senator Margaret E. Stewart, genealogist and perennial candidate Results 1980 Democratic U.S. Senate primary Democratic Party (US) Donald Stewart (incumbent) 222,540 48.63% Democratic Party (US) Jim Folsom Jr. 163,196 35.67% Democratic Party (US) Finis St. John 51,260 11.20% Democratic Party (US) Margaret E. Stewart 20,582 4.50% 457,578 100.00% Runoff results 1980 Democratic U.S. Senate primary Democratic Party (US) Jim Folsom Jr. 204,186 50.60% Democratic Party (US) Donald Stewart (incumbent) 199,365 49.40% 403,551 100.00% Republican primary Candidates Jeremiah Denton, U.S. Navy veteran and former prisoner of war Armistead I. Selden Jr., former Democratic U.S. representative from Tuscaloosa and U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa Results 1980 Democratic U.S. Senate primary Republican Party (US) Jeremiah Denton 73,708 63.80% Republican Party (US) Armistead I. Selden Jr. 41,825 36.20% 115,533 100.00% General election Candidates William A. Crew (Libertarian) Jeremiah Denton, U.S. Navy veteran and former prisoner of war (Republican) Michael R. A. Erdey (Conservative) Sallie M. Hadnott (National Democratic) Jim Folsom Jr., Public Service Commissioner and son of former governor Jim Folsom (Democratic) Mohammed Oliver (Socialist Workers) Jim Partain (Statesman) Results 1980 United States Senate election in Alabama http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1980election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1980 U.S. Government Printing Office 1981 Clerk of the United States House of Representatives Clerk of the United States House of Representatives Republican Party (US) Jeremiah Denton 650,362 50.15% Democratic Party (US) Jim Folsom 610,175 47.05% Conservative Party (US) Michael R. A. Erdey 15,989 1.23% Libertarian Party (US) William A. Crew 13,098 1.01% National Democratic Party of Alabama Sallie M. Hadnott 2,973 0.23% Statesman Party Jim Partain 2,649 0.20% Socialist Workers Party (US) Mohammed Oliver 1,511 0.12% 40,187 3.10% 1,296,757 Republican Party (US) Democratic Party (US) See also 1980 United States Senate elections Reagan's coattails References Category:1980 Alabama elections Alabama 1980