1980 United States Senate election in Oregon

none March 2026 September 2023 1980 United States Senate election in Oregon Oregon presidential no 1974 United States Senate election in Oregon 1974 1986 United States Senate election in Oregon 1986 November 4, 1980 150x150px RWPackwood.jpg Bob Packwood Republican Party (United States) 594,290 52.13% Ted Kulongoski 1980.jpg Ted Kulongoski Democratic Party (United States) 501,963 44.03% 1980 United States Senate election in Oregon results map by county.svg 260px County resultsPackwood: #FFB2B2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70%Kulongoski: #A5B0FF 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% U.S. Senator Bob Packwood Republican Party (United States) Bob Packwood Republican Party (United States) The 1980 Oregon United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1980 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Republican candidate Bob Packwood was re-elected to a third term, defeating Democratic state senator (and future governor) Ted Kulongoski and Libertarian Tonie Nathan. Primaries Volcano eruption thumb|left|115px|Mount St. Helens erupted two days before the Oregon primaries. 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens The primary elections were held on May 20, 1980 in conjunction with the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries. Interest in the primaries was somewhat subdued because they occurred just two days after the eruption of Mount St. Helens, about 60 mi km north of Oregon's most populous city, Portland.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sKISAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_vYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4570,5122162 Early turnout moderate as primary vote begins The Bulletin (Bend) May 20, 1980 March 23, 2010 Sand Joseph R.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zlYgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KNIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3377,2670006 Volcano upstages Oregon primary Wicker Tom Tom Wicker May 21, 1980 March 23, 2010 Daytona Beach Morning Journal The eruption (which was a VEI = 5 event) was the first significant one to occur in the contiguous 48 U.S. states since the 1915 eruption of California's Lassen Peak.Fisher, R.V., Heiken, G. & Hulen, J. 1998. Volcanoes:Crucibles of Change, Princeton University Press, 334pp. Republican primary Campaign In the Republican primary, incumbent Senator Bob Packwood was running for a third term. With his moderate stance on issues such as abortion, several conservative challengers filed to challenge Packwood in the Republican primary. These included Brenda Jose, the vice chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, and Rosalie Huss, who was the wife of Walter Huss, an ultraconservative minister who had been chair of the Oregon Republican Party before being ousted by a moderate and liberal coalition, which included Packwood and Republican governor Victor G. Atiyeh.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19800126&id=1MYUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5OEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6799,6805779 Jose defends run against Packwood The Register-Guard Willis Henny January 26, 1980 March 23, 2010https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0AYzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5311%2C9271329 Mrs. Huss to run AP The Register-Guard December 28, 1979 April 10, 2024https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19800126&id=1MYUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5OEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6799,6805779 Atiyeh urges Huss ouster The Bulletin (Bend) April 19, 1979 March 23, 2010 Packwood went on to defeat all challengers by a wide margin.https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=259576 Oregon US Senate Republican Primary Race, May 20, 1980 ourcampaigns.com March 23, 2010 Results Republican primary for the United States Senate from Oregon, 1980 Republican Party (United States) Bob Packwood (incumbent) 191,127 62.43% Republican Party (United States) Brenda Jose 45,973 15.02% Republican Party (United States) Kenneth Brown 23,599 7.71% Republican Party (United States) Rosalie Huss 22,929 7.49% Republican Party (United States) William D. Severn 22,281 6.08% Republican Party (United States) miscellaneous 227 0.07% 306,136 100.00% Democratic primary Campaign In the Democratic primary, several high-profile Democrats considered a run, including incumbent U. S. Congressmen Les AuCoin and Jim Weaver and Portland mayor Neil Goldschmidt, but ultimately opted not to challenge the incumbent Packwood.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hnw1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=LOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6639,1849907 AuCoin opts not to challenge Packwood The Register-Guard August 7, 1979 March 23, 2010https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GMASAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5676,3280350 Weaver says he will make re-election bid The Bulletin (Bend) October 3, 1979 March 23, 2010 In October 1979, Ted Kulongoski, a labor lawyer and state senator from Junction City, became the first major candidate to declare his candidacy, claiming that Packwood was beholden to large corporate special interests.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HMASAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4918,4449589 Attorney makes Senate bid The Bulletin (Bend) October 10, 1979 March 23, 2010 Kulongoski had the field to himself until March, when former two-term U. S. Congressman Charles O. Porter joined the race. Porter, a Eugene attorney, was a supporter of Edward Kennedy's bid for President and planned to campaign on a strong anti-war platform.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WG4RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1787%2C1603122 Porter joins race for Packwood's seat in U. S. Senate The Register-Guard Willis Henny March 6, 1980 March 23, 2010 Porter and Kulongski agreed on most major issues, clashing only on gun control and nationalization of energy resources, both of which Porter favored and Kulongoski opposed.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lIMRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3eEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6902,6217419& Senate contenders find only two issues to disagree on The Register-Guard Willis Henny April 21, 1980 March 23, 2010 Though the race was expected to be close, Kulongoski defeated Porter handily by a 5–2 margin.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n3cRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3OEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4302,6435059 https://archive.today/20130125001207/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n3cRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3OEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4302,6435059 dead January 25, 2013 Packwood, Kulongoski get set for Senate campaign debates The Register-Guard Willis Henny May 21, 1980 March 23, 2010 Results Democratic primary for the United States Senate from Oregon, 1980http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=259577 Oregon US Senate Democratic Primary Race, May 20, 1980 ourcampaigns.com March 23, 2010 Democratic Party (United States) Ted Kulongoski 161,153 47.66% Democratic Party (United States) Charles O. Porter 69,646 20.60% Democratic Party (United States) Jack Sumner 46,107 13.64% Democratic Party (United States) John Sweeney 39,961 11.82% Democratic Party (United States) Gene Arvidson 20,548 6.08% Democratic Party (United States) miscellaneous 692 0.21% 338,110 100.00% General election In addition to the candidates chosen in the primaries, Tonie Nathan was chosen as the Libertarian Party candidate at that party's convention in June.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n3cRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3OEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4302,6435059 https://archive.today/20130125001207/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n3cRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3OEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4302,6435059 dead January 25, 2013 Nathan, Wright named nominees by Libertarians The Register-Guard June 2, 1980 March 23, 2010 Previously, Nathan had been the Libertarian vice presidential candidate in the 1972 presidential election, and was the first woman to ever receive an electoral vote in a U.S. presidential election from a faithless elector who voted for her. Boaz David http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/08/29/first-woman/ First Woman Cato @ Liberty (Cato Institute) August 29, 2008 March 23, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100320054135/http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2008/08/29/first-woman/ March 20, 2010 dead Campaign As a well-funded incumbent, Packwood was expected to have a fairly easy road to re-election and led by double digit margins in most early polls.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3KArAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b_wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7169,5334968 Campaign '80: Oregon is interested in home races The Telegraph (Nashua) Sand Joseph R. September 25, 1980 March 23, 2010https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a5oSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ufYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4981,50446 Poll shows Packwood well ahead of his foe The Bulletin (Bend) August 18, 1980 March 23, 2010 Packwood chose defense spending as his key issue in the campaign while Kulongoski focused on the economy and unemployment. Nathan hammered at core Libertarian principles of limited government, with a goal of 5% of votes which would keep the party as a valid minor party.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oYQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3762%2C484112 Senate race stirs memories of 1968 The Register-Guard November 2, 1980 March 23, 2010 The three candidates agreed to three debates, to be held across the state in the summer of 1980.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=84URAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7eEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6758,2798679 https://archive.today/20130124124629/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=84URAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7eEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6758,2798679 dead January 24, 2013 Senate contestants schedule 3 debates The Register-Guard July 12, 1980 March 23, 2010 As the challenger, Kulongoski aggressively attempted to engage Packwood in the debates, but the debate format did not allow the candidates to ask follow-up questions or rebut each other's statements and Packwood was largely able to avoid confrontation and stay above the fray. As the campaign wore on, Kulongoski grew more confident and tried to appeal to Oregonians' independent values by saying that Packwood's enormous cash advantage was due to "eastern" money. Kulongoski closed to within a few points in some late polls, but with no mistakes made by Packwood and with the coattail effect of Ronald Reagan's Presidential victory, the incumbent achieved an electoral majority and a fairly comfortable 8-point margin over Kulongoski. Nathan finished with less than 4% of the vote, short of her goal of 5%.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pIQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3025%2C1340762 Packwood wins Senate race The Register-Guard November 5, 1980 March 23, 2010 With Republicans taking control of the U.S. Senate, Packwood was in line to become chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. Fellow Oregon Republican Senator Mark Hatfield was also elevated to chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, giving Oregon power in the Senate it had never seen before.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qIQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3800,2703098& Never has state had so much power Forrester Steve The Register-Guard November 9, 1980 March 23, 2010 September 6, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230906221105/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qIQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3800,2703098& dead Results United States Senate election in Oregon, 1980http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3869 Oregon US Senate Race, Nov 4, 1980 ourcampaigns.com March 23, 2010 Republican Party (United States) Bob Packwood (incumbent) 594,290 52.13% Democratic Party (United States) Ted Kulongoski 501,963 44.03% Libertarian Party (United States) Tonie Nathan 43,686 3.83% 1,139,939 100.00% Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) Aftermath Packwood served as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee until his appointment to chair the Finance Committee in 1985.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AWgVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WeEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5011,7823895 Never has state had so much power The Register-Guard November 29, 1984 March 23, 2010 He was re-elected to two more terms, in 1986 and 1992. Shortly after the 1992 election, allegations of sexual harassment revealed by The Washington Post led to his eventual resignation from the Senate in 1995.https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/frenzy/packwood.htm Senator Robert Packwood's History of Sexual Harassment Washington Post March 23, 2010 July 21, 1998 Following his unexpectedly good showing in this race, Kulongoski was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1982, but lost badly to Republican incumbent Victor G. Atiyeh. In 1987, he was appointed state insurance commissioner by Governor Neil Goldschmidt. In 1992, he was elected Oregon Attorney General. In 1996, he was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court.https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Documents/elections/history-officials.pdf Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Supreme Court Justices of Oregon Oregon Secretary of State March 23, 2010 In 2002, 20 years after his initial gubernatorial attempt, Kulongoski was elected as Oregon's 36th governor, and was re-elected in 2006. Nathan ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress against Peter DeFazio in 1986 and 1990.http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=14696 Theodora Nathan ourcampaigns.com March 23, 2010 See also 1980 United States Senate elections References 30em Oregon 1980 Senate