1980Final results
1980 election for U.S. Senate in Kentucky
U.S. Senate · Kentucky
Wendell Ford (D) won with 65.1% of the vote, defeating Mary Louise Foust (R) by 30.3 points.
Wendell FordDemocrat · winner
65.1%720,891
Mary Louise FoustRepublican
34.9%386,029
1,106,920 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.
Wendell FordMary Louise Foust
$571.8K
Raised by the campaign
$4K
$472.5K
Spent by the campaign
$4.2K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980; FEC, through Nov 30, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980