1984 United States presidential election in Alabama
The 1984 United States presidential election in Alabama took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Alabama voters chose 9 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.
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 County Results
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| Elections in Alabama |
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 Government |
Alabama was won by incumbent United States President Ronald Reagan of California, who was running against former Vice President Walter Mondale of Minnesota. Reagan ran for a second time with former C.I.A. Director George H. W. Bush of Texas, and Mondale ran with Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York, the first major female candidate for the vice presidency.
Partisan background
The presidential election of 1984 was a very partisan election for Alabama, with just under 99 percent of the electorate voting only either Democratic or Republican.[1] Every county in the state gave either Reagan or Mondale a majority save Etowah County, which gave Reagan a plurality. Macon County gave Mondale 82.71% of the vote, which was the highest percentage he received in any county nationwide outside the District of Columbia.[2] Reagan's best county was Shelby, which gave him 77.88%.
Republican victory
Reagan won Alabama by a massive 22% landslide margin, a dramatic shift from 1980, when Reagan had won it by just 1.3% over Southerner Jimmy Carter. This was only the third time that the Republican nominee exceeded 60% of the vote in the Yellowhammer State, after 1964 and 1972. Mondale carried most of Alabama's Black Belt counties, but outside these predominantly African-American counties, he carried only Colbert, Lawrence, and Jackson Counties, which lay within the region serviced by the Tennessee Valley Authority (Colbert is home to Muscle Shoals). Overwhelmingly, the state's 'Wallace country' went red this election, unlike in 1976 or even 1980.[3] As an example, Reagan scored over 2/3 of the vote in Coffee County, Alabama, which had voted for Carter in 1976 by over 20% and had voted for Reagan in 1980 by just 4.7%.[4]
Alabama voted the same way as its neighbor and fellow Southern state Mississippi for the 29th time in a row, a trend dating back to 1872. The last time the two states voted differently was (and, as of 2020, remains) 1840, when Mississippi voted for William Henry Harrison, and Alabama, for Martin van Buren. (In 1868, Mississippi, unlike Alabama, hadn't yet been re-admitted to the Union.)
Results
| 1984 United States presidential election in Alabama | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Ronald Reagan | 872,849 | 60.54% | 9 | |
| Democratic | Walter Mondale | 551,899 | 38.28% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | David Bergland | 9,504 | 0.66% | 0 | |
| Independent | Gus Hall | 4,671 | 0.32% | 0 | |
| Independent | Bob Richards | 1,401 | 0.10% | 0 | |
| Independent | Melvin Mason | 730 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| Independent | Dennis Serrette | 659 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,441,713 | 100.0% | 9 | ||
Results by county
| County | Ronald Reagan Republican |
Walter Mondale Democratic |
David Bergland[5] Libertarian |
Gus Hall[5] Independent |
Various candidates[5] Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Autauga | 8,350 | 70.07% | 3,366 | 28.25% | 165 | 1.38% | 15 | 0.13% | 21 | 0.18% | 4,984 | 41.82% | 11,917 |
| Baldwin | 24,964 | 75.55% | 7,272 | 22.01% | 337 | 1.02% | 29 | 0.09% | 443 | 1.34% | 17,692 | 53.54% | 33,045 |
| Barbour | 5,459 | 53.73% | 4,591 | 45.18% | 89 | 0.88% | 7 | 0.07% | 15 | 0.15% | 868 | 8.54% | 10,161 |
| Bibb | 3,487 | 61.32% | 2,167 | 38.10% | 13 | 0.23% | 6 | 0.11% | 14 | 0.25% | 1,320 | 23.21% | 5,687 |
| Blount | 8,508 | 68.16% | 3,738 | 29.95% | 102 | 0.82% | 21 | 0.17% | 113 | 0.91% | 4,770 | 38.22% | 12,482 |
| Bullock | 1,697 | 32.02% | 3,537 | 66.75% | 49 | 0.92% | 4 | 0.08% | 12 | 0.23% | -1,840 | -34.72% | 5,299 |
| Butler | 4,941 | 56.73% | 3,641 | 41.81% | 116 | 1.33% | 5 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.07% | 1,300 | 14.93% | 8,709 |
| Calhoun | 23,291 | 61.16% | 12,752 | 33.49% | 400 | 1.05% | 1,143 | 3.00% | 496 | 1.30% | 10,539 | 27.67% | 38,082 |
| Chambers | 8,024 | 59.60% | 5,302 | 39.38% | 113 | 0.84% | 10 | 0.07% | 14 | 0.10% | 2,722 | 20.22% | 13,463 |
| Cherokee | 3,225 | 51.04% | 3,029 | 47.93% | 55 | 0.87% | 3 | 0.05% | 7 | 0.11% | 196 | 3.10% | 6,319 |
| Chilton | 8,243 | 70.53% | 2,934 | 25.10% | 93 | 0.80% | 388 | 3.32% | 30 | 0.26% | 5,309 | 45.42% | 11,688 |
| Choctaw | 3,960 | 53.88% | 3,373 | 45.90% | 6 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.10% | 587 | 7.99% | 7,349 |
| Clarke | 6,282 | 58.11% | 4,452 | 41.18% | 67 | 0.62% | 4 | 0.04% | 6 | 0.06% | 1,830 | 16.93% | 10,811 |
| Clay | 3,432 | 68.19% | 1,456 | 28.93% | 70 | 1.39% | 63 | 1.25% | 12 | 0.24% | 1,976 | 39.26% | 5,033 |
| Cleburne | 3,259 | 70.50% | 1,238 | 26.78% | 43 | 0.93% | 33 | 0.71% | 50 | 1.08% | 2,021 | 43.72% | 4,623 |
| Coffee | 10,558 | 69.84% | 4,370 | 28.91% | 141 | 0.93% | 10 | 0.07% | 39 | 0.26% | 6,188 | 40.93% | 15,118 |
| Colbert | 9,530 | 45.31% | 11,008 | 52.34% | 231 | 1.10% | 29 | 0.14% | 234 | 1.11% | -1,478 | -7.03% | 21,032 |
| Conecuh | 3,538 | 55.86% | 2,735 | 43.18% | 36 | 0.57% | 14 | 0.22% | 11 | 0.17% | 803 | 12.68% | 6,334 |
| Coosa | 2,585 | 58.95% | 1,781 | 40.62% | 9 | 0.21% | 7 | 0.16% | 3 | 0.07% | 804 | 18.34% | 4,385 |
| Covington | 9,944 | 71.63% | 3,812 | 27.46% | 55 | 0.40% | 45 | 0.32% | 27 | 0.19% | 6,132 | 44.17% | 13,883 |
| Crenshaw | 3,261 | 61.86% | 1,904 | 36.12% | 32 | 0.61% | 65 | 1.23% | 10 | 0.19% | 1,357 | 25.74% | 5,272 |
| Cullman | 14,782 | 63.92% | 7,989 | 34.55% | 143 | 0.62% | 176 | 0.76% | 36 | 0.16% | 6,793 | 29.37% | 23,126 |
| Dale | 10,319 | 75.37% | 3,215 | 23.48% | 133 | 0.97% | 8 | 0.06% | 17 | 0.12% | 7,104 | 51.88% | 13,692 |
| Dallas | 9,585 | 46.26% | 10,955 | 52.88% | 151 | 0.73% | 13 | 0.06% | 14 | 0.07% | -1,370 | -6.61% | 20,718 |
| DeKalb | 12,098 | 62.53% | 7,212 | 37.27% | 19 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.03% | 15 | 0.08% | 4,886 | 25.25% | 19,349 |
| Elmore | 11,694 | 72.74% | 4,198 | 26.11% | 162 | 1.01% | 7 | 0.04% | 16 | 0.10% | 7,496 | 46.63% | 16,077 |
| Escambia | 8,694 | 68.33% | 3,853 | 30.28% | 70 | 0.55% | 77 | 0.61% | 30 | 0.24% | 4,841 | 38.05% | 12,724 |
| Etowah | 19,243 | 49.62% | 19,074 | 49.18% | 184 | 0.47% | 252 | 0.65% | 28 | 0.07% | 169 | 0.44% | 38,781 |
| Fayette | 4,654 | 64.63% | 2,533 | 35.18% | 9 | 0.12% | 4 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.01% | 2,121 | 29.45% | 7,201 |
| Franklin | 5,304 | 52.90% | 4,601 | 45.89% | 100 | 1.00% | 8 | 0.08% | 14 | 0.14% | 703 | 7.01% | 10,027 |
| Geneva | 6,308 | 70.00% | 2,330 | 25.86% | 80 | 0.89% | 282 | 3.13% | 11 | 0.12% | 3,978 | 44.15% | 9,011 |
| Greene | 1,361 | 26.13% | 3,675 | 70.55% | 51 | 0.98% | 122 | 2.34% | 0 | 0.00% | -2,314 | -44.42% | 5,209 |
| Hale | 2,691 | 44.44% | 3,289 | 54.31% | 60 | 0.99% | 4 | 0.07% | 12 | 0.20% | -598 | -9.87% | 6,056 |
| Henry | 3,952 | 63.34% | 2,231 | 35.76% | 17 | 0.27% | 24 | 0.38% | 15 | 0.24% | 1,721 | 27.58% | 6,239 |
| Houston | 20,854 | 75.82% | 6,488 | 23.59% | 56 | 0.20% | 90 | 0.33% | 17 | 0.06% | 14,366 | 52.23% | 27,505 |
| Jackson | 6,730 | 46.15% | 7,635 | 52.36% | 169 | 1.16% | 15 | 0.10% | 33 | 0.23% | -905 | -6.21% | 14,582 |
| Jefferson | 158,362 | 59.41% | 107,506 | 40.33% | 485 | 0.18% | 72 | 0.03% | 122 | 0.05% | 50,856 | 19.08% | 266,547 |
| Lamar | 3,943 | 67.21% | 1,910 | 32.55% | 4 | 0.07% | 1 | 0.02% | 9 | 0.15% | 2,033 | 34.65% | 5,867 |
| Lauderdale | 15,354 | 53.57% | 12,907 | 45.04% | 352 | 1.23% | 23 | 0.08% | 23 | 0.08% | 2,447 | 8.54% | 28,659 |
| Lawrence | 4,466 | 47.04% | 4,866 | 51.25% | 77 | 0.81% | 71 | 0.75% | 14 | 0.15% | -400 | -4.21% | 9,494 |
| Lee | 16,757 | 64.05% | 9,077 | 34.70% | 289 | 1.10% | 17 | 0.06% | 21 | 0.08% | 7,680 | 29.36% | 26,161 |
| Limestone | 8,423 | 60.12% | 5,410 | 38.62% | 160 | 1.14% | 12 | 0.09% | 5 | 0.04% | 3,013 | 21.51% | 14,010 |
| Lowndes | 1,629 | 31.02% | 3,567 | 67.92% | 38 | 0.72% | 5 | 0.10% | 13 | 0.25% | -1,938 | -36.90% | 5,252 |
| Macon | 1,543 | 16.24% | 7,857 | 82.71% | 52 | 0.55% | 19 | 0.20% | 28 | 0.29% | -6,314 | -66.47% | 9,499 |
| Madison | 50,428 | 64.54% | 26,881 | 34.40% | 683 | 0.87% | 58 | 0.07% | 84 | 0.11% | 23,547 | 30.14% | 78,134 |
| Marengo | 5,261 | 51.51% | 4,811 | 47.11% | 101 | 0.99% | 8 | 0.08% | 32 | 0.31% | 450 | 4.41% | 10,213 |
| Marion | 6,771 | 63.20% | 3,918 | 36.57% | 17 | 0.16% | 4 | 0.04% | 3 | 0.03% | 2,853 | 26.63% | 10,713 |
| Marshall | 12,330 | 60.47% | 7,704 | 37.78% | 305 | 1.50% | 32 | 0.16% | 20 | 0.10% | 4,626 | 22.69% | 20,391 |
| Mobile | 81,923 | 62.56% | 47,252 | 36.08% | 804 | 0.61% | 772 | 0.59% | 208 | 0.16% | 34,671 | 26.47% | 130,959 |
| Monroe | 5,917 | 60.65% | 3,725 | 38.18% | 55 | 0.56% | 40 | 0.41% | 19 | 0.19% | 2,192 | 22.47% | 9,756 |
| Montgomery | 43,328 | 57.77% | 31,206 | 41.61% | 337 | 0.45% | 19 | 0.03% | 115 | 0.15% | 12,122 | 16.16% | 75,005 |
| Morgan | 24,301 | 67.99% | 11,324 | 31.68% | 73 | 0.20% | 12 | 0.03% | 31 | 0.09% | 12,977 | 36.31% | 35,741 |
| Perry | 2,600 | 48.08% | 2,731 | 50.50% | 66 | 1.22% | 5 | 0.09% | 6 | 0.11% | -131 | -2.42% | 5,408 |
| Pickens | 4,685 | 56.47% | 3,586 | 43.23% | 9 | 0.11% | 6 | 0.07% | 10 | 0.12% | 1,099 | 13.25% | 8,296 |
| Pike | 6,231 | 62.60% | 3,541 | 35.58% | 146 | 1.47% | 12 | 0.12% | 23 | 0.23% | 2,690 | 27.03% | 9,953 |
| Randolph | 4,940 | 65.74% | 2,439 | 32.46% | 124 | 1.65% | 6 | 0.08% | 6 | 0.08% | 2,501 | 33.28% | 7,515 |
| Russell | 6,654 | 46.04% | 7,610 | 52.66% | 166 | 1.15% | 6 | 0.04% | 16 | 0.11% | -956 | -6.62% | 14,452 |
| Shelby | 21,858 | 77.88% | 5,884 | 20.96% | 271 | 0.97% | 20 | 0.07% | 6 | 0.02% | 15,974 | 56.91% | 28,068 |
| St. Clair | 10,408 | 71.02% | 4,000 | 27.30% | 232 | 1.58% | 8 | 0.05% | 35 | 0.24% | 6,408 | 43.73% | 14,654 |
| Sumter | 2,493 | 35.65% | 4,478 | 64.04% | 16 | 0.23% | 1 | 0.01% | 5 | 0.07% | -1,985 | -28.39% | 6,993 |
| Talladega | 14,067 | 61.11% | 8,490 | 36.88% | 220 | 0.96% | 209 | 0.91% | 34 | 0.15% | 5,577 | 24.23% | 23,020 |
| Tallapoosa | 9,045 | 66.19% | 4,458 | 32.62% | 139 | 1.02% | 11 | 0.08% | 13 | 0.10% | 4,587 | 33.57% | 13,666 |
| Tuscaloosa | 28,075 | 62.75% | 16,066 | 35.91% | 533 | 1.19% | 37 | 0.08% | 28 | 0.06% | 12,009 | 26.84% | 44,739 |
| Walker | 12,852 | 54.11% | 10,591 | 44.59% | 94 | 0.40% | 194 | 0.82% | 22 | 0.09% | 2,261 | 9.52% | 23,753 |
| Washington | 4,434 | 58.78% | 3,081 | 40.85% | 17 | 0.23% | 2 | 0.03% | 9 | 0.12% | 1,353 | 17.94% | 7,543 |
| Wilcox | 2,337 | 38.81% | 3,663 | 60.83% | 8 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.07% | 10 | 0.17% | -1,326 | -22.02% | 6,022 |
| Winston | 6,845 | 72.22% | 2,624 | 27.69% | 5 | 0.05% | 3 | 0.03% | 1 | 0.01% | 4,221 | 44.53% | 9,478 |
| Totals | 873,067 | 60.59% | 550,899 | 38.23% | 9,504 | 0.66% | 4,671 | 0.32% | 2,800 | 0.19% | 322,168 | 22.36% | 1,440,950 |
See also
References
- "1984 Presidential General Election Results – Alabama". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections; 1984 Presidential Election Statistics
- "CQ Almanac Online Edition". library.cqpress.com. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- "CQ Almanac Online Edition". library.cqpress.com. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- "AL US President Race, November 06, 1984". Our Campaigns.
