1980Final results
1980 election for President in West Virginia
President · West Virginia
Jimmy Carter (D) won with 49.8% of the vote, defeating Ronald Reagan (R) by 4.5 points.
Jimmy CarterDemocrat · winner
49.8%367,462
Ronald ReaganRepublican
45.3%334,206
John B. AndersonIndependent
4.3%31,691
Edward ""ed"" ClarkLibertarian
0.6%4,356
737,715 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
Jimmy Carter (D)Ronald Reagan (R)
Also on the ballot: John B. Anderson (Independent), 4.3%; Edward ""ed"" Clark (Libertarian), 0.6%