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1980 Arkansas gubernatorial election

← 1978 November 4, 1980 1982 →

Nominee Frank D. White Bill Clinton Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 435,684 403,241 Percentage 51.93% 48.07%

County results White:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Clinton:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor before election Bill Clinton Democratic Elected Governor Frank D. White Republican

Elections in Arkansas
Federal government Presidential elections 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1836 1837 1840 1843 1844 sp 1846 1848 1848 sp 1853 1855 1859 1868 1870 1876 1877 1878 1883 1885 1885 sp 1889 1891 1895 1897 1901 1903 1906 1907 1909 1913 1913 sp 1914 1916 sp 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1932 sp 1936 1937 sp 1938 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1836 1837 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1847 AL sp 1848 1851 1852 1853 1854 1856 1858 1860 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1885 3rd sp 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 2nd sp 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 6th sp 1914 1916 1918 1920 1921 6th sp 1922 1923 6th sp 1924 1926 1928 1930 4th sp 1932 1933 5th sp 1934 1936 1938 1939 4th sp 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1961 6th sp 1962 1964 1966 4th sp 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2001 3rd sp 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government State elections 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1836 1840 1844 1848 1849 sp 1852 1856 1860 1862 (C) 1864 (U) 1868 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1913 sp 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 Lieutenant gubernatorial elections 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2022 Treasurer elections 2022 2024 (special) Senate elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 House of Representatives elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 1990 Amendment 3 2004 Amendment 3 2008 Act 1 2012 Issue 1 2018 Issue 5
Little Rock Mayoral elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Fayetteville Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Fort Smith Mayoral elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Springdale Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Jonesboro Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Rogers Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Conway Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
v t e

The 1980 Arkansas gubernatorial election was a biennial election for the governorship of Arkansas. One-term Democratic governor and future president Bill Clinton was narrowly defeated by Republican Frank D. White. It was only the third time since Reconstruction that a Republican candidate had won the state's governorship.

Clinton ran again two years later and regained the governorship, continuing to serve until he was elected to the presidency in 1992.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Bill Clinton, incumbent governor
• Monroe Schwarzlose, candidate for governor in 1978 and Republican candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1974

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Marshall Chrisman, former state representative
• Frank D. White, Savings and Loan executive and former head of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission

Results

Campaign

Schwarzlose's unexpected strong challenge in primaries and his 31 percent of the primary vote foreshadowed that Clinton could be in trouble for the upcoming general election.

Clinton's increase in the cost of automobile registration tags had been unpopular. He was also hurt by President Jimmy Carter's decision to send thousands of Cuban refugees, some unruly, to a detention camp at Fort Chaffee, outside Fort Smith in Sebastian County in western Arkansas. (See Mariel boatlift.)

The 1980 general election was marked by decisive Republican victories—the GOP won the White House, a majority in United States Senate and 34 seats in the United States House of Representatives. Clinton's narrow loss was viewed as part of Reagan's coattails.

Result

Frank White narrowly won the election.

Effect

After Clinton lost the election in 1980, Max Brantley said: "The guy was like a death in the family. He was really destroyed after that election". Rudy Moore also added: "He never blamed anybody else. He accepted the responsibility. He didn't whine about it. In fact, it was within days, we were trying to figure out what we could to do to improve his political life after that".

After Clinton was defeated, he was offered the chance to lead the Democratic National Committee, instead of seeking reelection as Governor of Arkansas. When he campaigned for election in 1982 against White, he said that he had learned the importance of adaptability and compromise from his defeat two years beforehand.

See also

• 1980 United States presidential election in Arkansas

References

1. "Monroe Schwarzlose (1902–1990)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
2. ^ "1980 Arkansas Elections". Arkansas Secretary of State. January 1982. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 11, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
3. ^ "Frank Durward White (1933–2003)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
4. "Bill Clinton (1946–)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
5. ^ Takiff, Michael. A Complicated Man : The Life of Bill Clinton as Told by Those Who Know Him. New Haven, US: Yale University Press, 2010. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 19 April 2017.
6. Clinton House Museum. CHM, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

v t e Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States (1993–2001) 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)
Presidency (timeline)	Transition 1st inauguration 2nd inauguration Timeline 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 January 2001 Economic policy AmeriCorps Health care plan North American Free Trade Agreement Balanced Budget Foreign policy International trips Clinton Doctrine Oslo I Accord Israel–Jordan peace treaty Dayton Agreement 2000 Camp David Summit Cruise missile strikes on Iraq 1993 1996 Operation Infinite Reach Bombing of Yugoslavia Bombing of Iraq (1998) National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 Transportation Equity Act One America Initiative Riegle-Neal Act Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Regulation Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 Telecommunications Act of 1996 Communications Decency Act Section 230 Nannygate Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy Commerce Department trade mission controversy 1996 United States campaign finance controversy Clinton–Lewinsky scandal Starr Report Impeachment efforts inquiry trial White House Millennium Council Pardons list Cabinet Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Executive Orders Presidential Proclamations Presidential transition of George W. Bush
Life and legacy	Childhood home Early life and career Governorships of Arkansas Presidential Library Post-presidency Clinton Foundation Clinton School of Public Service Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Chairman, National Constitution Center Honors and awards Public image Troopergate Sexual misconduct allegations Whitewater controversy
Speeches	Joint session of Congress (1993) Joint session of Congress (health care reform) (1993) State of the Union addresses 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Elections	U.S. House 1974 Gubernatorial 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1990 Presidential 1992 campaign "Make America Great Again" primaries running mate selection convention debates election theme song 1996 campaign primaries convention debates election
Books	Between Hope and History (1996) My Life (2004) Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World (2007) Back to Work (2011) The President Is Missing (2018) The President's Daughter (2021) Citizen: My Life After the White House (2024)
Namesakes	William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building Bill Clinton Boulevard Clinton National Airport
Popular culture	Saturday Night Live parodies of Bill Clinton The War Room (1993 documentary) The Silence of the Hams (1994 film) Primary Colors (1998 film) The Final Days (2000 short film) The Hunting of the President (2004 film) The Special Relationship (2010 film) Clinton (2012 film) Hillary and Clinton (2016 play) Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021 miniseries) The American Presidency with Bill Clinton (2022 documentary series)
Family	Hillary Rodham Clinton (wife) Chelsea Clinton (daughter) William Jefferson Blythe Jr. (father) Virginia Clinton Kelley (mother) Roger Clinton Sr. (first stepfather) Roger Clinton Jr. (brother) Jeff Dwire (second stepfather) Socks (cat) Buddy (dog) Whitehaven (residence)
← George H. W. Bush George W. Bush → Category

• 1980s
• Politics
• United States

• 1980 Arkansas elections
• Arkansas gubernatorial elections
• 1980 United States gubernatorial elections
• November 1980 events in the United States