1980Final results
1980 election for President in Montana
President · Montana
Ronald Reagan (R) won with 56.8% of the vote, defeating Jimmy Carter (D) by 24.4 points.
Ronald ReaganRepublican · winner
56.8%206,814
Jimmy CarterDemocrat
32.4%118,032
John B. AndersonIndependent
8.0%29,281
Edward ""ed"" ClarkLibertarian
2.7%9,825
363,952 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)John B. Anderson (I)
Also on the ballot: Edward ""ed"" Clark (Libertarian), 2.7%