Akashic
1876–2024
Elections / 1980 · Senate · SD

The Republican candidate won South Dakota's Senate seat R+18.8.

South Dakota, 1980. Candidate results and statewide totals below. The presidential race shared this ballot.

South Dakota — 1980 Senate result
Source: MIT Election Data + Science Lab, 1976–2024 Senate returns (party-classified by literal ballot party).
Democratic (D)
129,018
39.4%
Republican (R)
190,594
58.2%
All others
7,866
2.4%
Margin
R+18.8
Candidates
Statewide candidate totals — MIT Election Data + Science Lab, 1980 Senate returns.
CandidatePartyVotesShare
James AbdnorRRepublican190,59458.2%
George McGovernDDemocrat129,01839.4%
Wayne PetersonOIndependent7,8662.4%
South Dakota's Senate margins
Every contest in our store, 1978–2022
South Dakota's Senate marginsDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1978 to 2022. Most recent: −43.5% in 2022.flipped R · 2010−43.5%DR19782022
South Dakota's Senate margins
YearMargin (D minus R)
1978−33.7%
1980−18.8%
1984−49.0%
1986+3.2%
1990−7.3%
1992+32.4%
1996+2.6%
1998+25.7%
2002+0.2%
2004−1.2%
2008+25.0%
2010−100.0%
2014−20.9%
2016−43.7%
2020−31.5%
2022−43.5%