1980Final results
1980 election for President in Arkansas
President · Arkansas
Ronald Reagan (R) won with 48.1% of the vote, defeating Jimmy Carter (D) by 0.6 points.
Ronald ReaganRepublican · winner
48.1%403,164
Jimmy CarterDemocrat
47.5%398,041
John B. AndersonIndependent
2.7%22,468
Edward ""ed"" ClarkLibertarian
1.1%8,970
Barry CommonerOther party
0.3%2,345
Benjamin ""ben"" BubarOther party
0.2%1,350
Gus HallCommunist
0.1%1,244
837,582 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
The candidates
Ronald Reagan (R)Jimmy Carter (D)
Also on the ballot: John B. Anderson (Independent), 2.7%; Edward ""ed"" Clark (Libertarian), 1.1%; Barry Commoner (Other party), 0.3%; Benjamin ""ben"" Bubar (Other party), 0.2%; Gus Hall (Communist), 0.1%