1980Final results
1980 election for Arkansas's 2nd District
U.S. House · Arkansas
Ed Bethune (R) won with 78.9% of the vote, defeating James G. "jim" Reid (D) by 58.0 points.
Ed BethuneRepublican · winner
78.9%159,148
James G. "jim" ReidDemocrat
21.0%42,278
201,655 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1980
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
James G. "jim" ReidEd Bethune
$14.9K
Raised by the campaign
$262.7K
$14.9K
Spent by the campaign
$193.2K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Nov 24, 1980; FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980