1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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The 1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 1984, as part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Minnesota voted for the DFL candidate, former Vice President Walter Mondale. He narrowly won his home state over incumbent President Ronald Reagan by just 3,761 votes, giving him his only state victory in the election (Mondale also carried the District of Columbia), resulting in the state weighing in at around 18 percentage points more Democratic than the nation at large. Minnesota was the only state not to back Reagan in either of his two presidential campaigns. Although Mondale won only twenty of the state's 87 counties – making Reagan the only presidential nominee to win a majority of counties in every state – his large majorities in the heavily unionized Iron Range of the northeast overbalanced Reagan's majorities in the more Republican west of the state. Had Reagan overcome Mondale's 3,761 vote margin, he would have been the first nominee since 1820 to carry all the states, with Nixon's 1972 49-state victory being less narrow both on account of Massachusetts's 14 electoral votes and the margin of 220,000 votes (nearly 9%).
Since the Republican Reagan won all 49 other states in 1984, this established Minnesota's status as the state with the longest streak of voting Democratic. As of the 2024 presidential election[update], it still has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon carried it when he was re-elected in 1972, though is the closest that a Republican presidential candidate has come to carrying the state since then. However, the District of Columbia has voted Democratic in all presidential elections since 1964, when it was first granted the right to vote in presidential elections. As of 2020, only five of the 20 counties Mondale won in 1984 were won by either Hillary Clinton in 2016 or Joe Biden in 2020. Some examples of counties that have been lost to the Republican Party include those after 1996 (Anoka County), after 2008 (Aitkin County), or after 2012 (Itasca County). Minnesota regenerated as a left-leaning force in the 1990s, late 2000s and early 2010s, but has become a Democratic-leaning state in the 21st century, ironically with many former rural Mondale counties voting Republican in the 21st century. As Mondale won the state with a plurality, he became the only major party nominee to fail to get a majority of the vote in any state since William Howard Taft in 1912.
Despite Mondale carrying his home state, Republican Senator Rudy Boschwitz was re-elected the same night. When Reagan was asked in December 1984 what he wanted for Christmas, he joked, "Well, Minnesota would have been nice".[2] This marked the first time that a Republican won two terms without ever winning the state at least once and the second time since its statehood after 1916.
Results
[edit]| 1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota[3][4] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic-Farmer-Labor | Walter Mondale | 1,036,364 | 49.72% | 10 | |
| Republican | Ronald Reagan (incumbent) | 1,032,603 | 49.54% | 0 | |
| Independent Democrat | Lyndon LaRouche | 3,865 | 0.19% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | Melvin Mason | 3,180 | 0.15% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | David Bergland | 2,996 | 0.14% | 0 | |
| America First | Bob Richards | 2,377 | 0.11% | 0 | |
| Citizens | Sonia Johnson | 1,219 | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 723 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Communist | Gus Hall | 630 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Workers League | Edward Winn | 260 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| New Alliance | Dennis Serrette | 232 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Invalid or blank votes | — | ||||
| Totals | 2,084,449 | 100.00% | 10 | ||
| Voter turnout | 68% | — | |||
Results by county
[edit]| County | Walter Mondale DFL |
Ronald Reagan Republican |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Aitkin | 3,943 | 53.17% | 3,422 | 46.14% | 51 | 0.69% | 521 | 7.03% | 7,416 |
| Anoka | 50,305 | 51.63% | 46,578 | 47.80% | 557 | 0.57% | 3,727 | 3.83% | 97,440 |
| Becker | 5,456 | 41.65% | 7,553 | 57.65% | 92 | 0.70% | -2,097 | -16.00% | 13,101 |
| Beltrami | 7,481 | 49.88% | 7,414 | 49.43% | 103 | 0.69% | 67 | 0.45% | 14,998 |
| Benton | 4,922 | 41.42% | 6,830 | 57.48% | 131 | 1.10% | -1,908 | -16.06% | 11,883 |
| Big Stone | 1,994 | 51.83% | 1,821 | 47.34% | 32 | 0.83% | 173 | 4.49% | 3,847 |
| Blue Earth | 11,877 | 45.08% | 14,298 | 54.27% | 172 | 0.65% | -2,421 | -9.19% | 26,347 |
| Brown | 4,469 | 34.44% | 8,399 | 64.72% | 109 | 0.84% | -3,930 | -30.28% | 12,977 |
| Carlton | 9,189 | 64.70% | 4,877 | 34.34% | 137 | 0.96% | 4,312 | 30.36% | 14,203 |
| Carver | 6,725 | 35.75% | 11,963 | 63.60% | 121 | 0.64% | -5,238 | -27.85% | 18,809 |
| Cass | 4,773 | 41.61% | 6,619 | 57.71% | 78 | 0.68% | -1,846 | -16.10% | 11,470 |
| Chippewa | 3,047 | 43.01% | 3,964 | 55.95% | 74 | 1.04% | -917 | -12.94% | 7,085 |
| Chisago | 6,683 | 51.21% | 6,279 | 48.12% | 87 | 0.67% | 404 | 3.09% | 13,049 |
| Clay | 10,294 | 46.84% | 11,565 | 52.62% | 119 | 0.54% | -1,271 | -5.78% | 21,978 |
| Clearwater | 1,917 | 47.63% | 2,066 | 51.33% | 42 | 1.04% | -149 | -3.70% | 4,025 |
| Cook | 1,129 | 47.82% | 1,219 | 51.63% | 13 | 0.55% | -90 | -3.81% | 2,361 |
| Cottonwood | 3,073 | 41.61% | 4,275 | 57.89% | 37 | 0.50% | -1,202 | -16.28% | 7,385 |
| Crow Wing | 8,719 | 43.10% | 11,362 | 56.16% | 151 | 0.75% | -2,643 | -13.06% | 20,232 |
| Dakota | 49,125 | 46.83% | 55,119 | 52.54% | 667 | 0.64% | -5,994 | -5.71% | 104,911 |
| Dodge | 2,786 | 38.36% | 4,428 | 60.97% | 48 | 0.66% | -1,642 | -22.61% | 7,262 |
| Douglas | 5,444 | 37.43% | 9,005 | 61.92% | 94 | 0.65% | -3,561 | -24.49% | 14,543 |
| Faribault | 3,993 | 41.01% | 5,690 | 58.44% | 53 | 0.54% | -1,697 | -17.43% | 9,736 |
| Fillmore | 4,351 | 40.44% | 6,342 | 58.94% | 67 | 0.62% | -1,991 | -18.50% | 10,760 |
| Freeborn | 9,338 | 52.26% | 8,413 | 47.09% | 116 | 0.65% | 925 | 5.17% | 17,867 |
| Goodhue | 8,679 | 43.44% | 11,171 | 55.92% | 128 | 0.64% | -2,492 | -12.48% | 19,978 |
| Grant | 1,867 | 46.73% | 2,111 | 52.84% | 17 | 0.43% | -244 | -6.11% | 3,995 |
| Hennepin | 272,401 | 51.47% | 253,921 | 47.98% | 2,912 | 0.55% | 18,480 | 3.49% | 529,234 |
| Houston | 3,512 | 37.99% | 5,645 | 61.06% | 88 | 0.95% | -2,133 | -23.07% | 9,245 |
| Hubbard | 2,806 | 37.50% | 4,621 | 61.76% | 55 | 0.74% | -1,815 | -24.26% | 7,482 |
| Isanti | 5,378 | 48.38% | 5,660 | 50.91% | 79 | 0.71% | -282 | -2.53% | 11,117 |
| Itasca | 11,455 | 54.68% | 9,306 | 44.42% | 187 | 0.89% | 2,149 | 10.26% | 20,948 |
| Jackson | 3,437 | 51.89% | 3,131 | 47.27% | 55 | 0.83% | 306 | 4.62% | 6,623 |
| Kanabec | 2,660 | 46.47% | 3,027 | 52.88% | 37 | 0.65% | -367 | -6.41% | 5,724 |
| Kandiyohi | 8,402 | 46.41% | 9,539 | 52.69% | 163 | 0.90% | -1,137 | -6.28% | 18,104 |
| Kittson | 1,610 | 48.07% | 1,716 | 51.24% | 23 | 0.69% | -106 | -3.17% | 3,349 |
| Koochiching | 4,238 | 54.74% | 3,466 | 44.77% | 38 | 0.49% | 772 | 9.97% | 7,742 |
| Lac qui Parle | 2,685 | 48.84% | 2,731 | 49.68% | 81 | 1.47% | -46 | -0.84% | 5,497 |
| Lake | 4,468 | 68.43% | 2,003 | 30.68% | 58 | 0.89% | 2,465 | 37.75% | 6,529 |
| Lake of the Woods | 824 | 42.47% | 1,094 | 56.39% | 22 | 1.13% | -270 | -13.92% | 1,940 |
| Le Sueur | 5,070 | 45.47% | 6,033 | 54.10% | 48 | 0.43% | -963 | -8.63% | 11,151 |
| Lincoln | 1,827 | 48.04% | 1,905 | 50.09% | 71 | 1.87% | -78 | -2.05% | 3,803 |
| Lyon | 5,389 | 42.57% | 7,170 | 56.64% | 100 | 0.79% | -1,781 | -14.07% | 12,659 |
| Mahnomen | 1,241 | 47.79% | 1,328 | 51.14% | 28 | 1.08% | -87 | -3.35% | 2,597 |
| Marshall | 2,705 | 43.58% | 3,433 | 55.31% | 69 | 1.11% | -728 | -11.73% | 6,207 |
| Martin | 4,673 | 38.80% | 7,308 | 60.67% | 64 | 0.53% | -2,635 | -21.87% | 12,045 |
| McLeod | 4,864 | 35.43% | 8,728 | 63.58% | 135 | 0.98% | -3,864 | -28.15% | 13,727 |
| Meeker | 4,156 | 42.76% | 5,511 | 56.70% | 53 | 0.55% | -1,355 | -13.94% | 9,720 |
| Mille Lacs | 4,011 | 47.92% | 4,307 | 51.45% | 53 | 0.63% | -296 | -3.53% | 8,371 |
| Morrison | 6,225 | 44.85% | 7,556 | 54.44% | 99 | 0.71% | -1,331 | -9.59% | 13,880 |
| Mower | 12,498 | 60.53% | 8,054 | 39.01% | 95 | 0.46% | 4,444 | 21.52% | 20,647 |
| Murray | 2,741 | 49.17% | 2,780 | 49.87% | 54 | 0.97% | -39 | -0.70% | 5,575 |
| Nicollet | 5,789 | 43.37% | 7,472 | 55.97% | 88 | 0.66% | -1,683 | -12.60% | 13,349 |
| Nobles | 4,619 | 48.09% | 4,876 | 50.77% | 110 | 1.15% | -257 | -2.68% | 9,605 |
| Norman | 2,202 | 50.31% | 2,152 | 49.17% | 23 | 0.53% | 50 | 1.14% | 4,377 |
| Olmsted | 16,335 | 36.44% | 28,129 | 62.76% | 359 | 0.80% | -11,794 | -26.32% | 44,823 |
| Otter Tail | 9,714 | 38.02% | 15,664 | 61.30% | 173 | 0.68% | -5,950 | -23.28% | 25,551 |
| Pennington | 2,913 | 44.89% | 3,536 | 54.49% | 40 | 0.62% | -623 | -9.60% | 6,489 |
| Pine | 5,223 | 53.41% | 4,493 | 45.95% | 63 | 0.64% | 730 | 7.46% | 9,779 |
| Pipestone | 2,391 | 43.46% | 3,043 | 55.32% | 67 | 1.22% | -652 | -11.86% | 5,501 |
| Polk | 7,033 | 44.56% | 8,617 | 54.60% | 132 | 0.84% | -1,584 | -10.04% | 15,782 |
| Pope | 2,757 | 47.03% | 3,064 | 52.27% | 41 | 0.70% | -307 | -5.24% | 5,862 |
| Ramsey | 141,623 | 59.15% | 95,667 | 39.95% | 2,153 | 0.90% | 45,956 | 19.20% | 239,443 |
| Red Lake | 1,294 | 51.91% | 1,184 | 47.49% | 15 | 0.60% | 110 | 4.42% | 2,493 |
| Redwood | 2,957 | 32.64% | 6,020 | 66.45% | 82 | 0.91% | -3,063 | -33.81% | 9,059 |
| Renville | 3,972 | 41.25% | 5,571 | 57.86% | 86 | 0.89% | -1,599 | -16.61% | 9,629 |
| Rice | 10,880 | 50.55% | 10,456 | 48.58% | 189 | 0.88% | 424 | 1.97% | 21,525 |
| Rock | 2,188 | 42.11% | 2,971 | 57.18% | 37 | 0.71% | -783 | -15.07% | 5,196 |
| Roseau | 2,319 | 39.91% | 3,445 | 59.28% | 47 | 0.81% | -1,126 | -19.37% | 5,811 |
| St. Louis | 77,683 | 68.83% | 34,162 | 30.27% | 1,013 | 0.90% | 43,521 | 38.56% | 112,858 |
| Scott | 9,452 | 42.71% | 12,573 | 56.81% | 108 | 0.49% | -3,121 | -14.10% | 22,133 |
| Sherburne | 6,140 | 43.98% | 7,738 | 55.43% | 82 | 0.59% | -1,598 | -11.45% | 13,960 |
| Sibley | 2,761 | 36.97% | 4,638 | 62.10% | 69 | 0.92% | -1,877 | -25.13% | 7,468 |
| Stearns | 20,944 | 40.55% | 30,216 | 58.51% | 485 | 0.94% | -9,272 | -17.96% | 51,645 |
| Steele | 5,060 | 36.38% | 8,780 | 63.12% | 70 | 0.50% | -3,720 | -26.74% | 13,910 |
| Stevens | 2,451 | 42.66% | 3,251 | 56.58% | 44 | 0.77% | -800 | -13.92% | 5,746 |
| Swift | 3,531 | 54.42% | 2,893 | 44.59% | 64 | 0.99% | 638 | 9.83% | 6,488 |
| Todd | 4,657 | 41.19% | 6,585 | 58.25% | 63 | 0.56% | -1,928 | -17.06% | 11,305 |
| Traverse | 1,325 | 48.30% | 1,399 | 51.00% | 19 | 0.69% | -74 | -2.70% | 2,743 |
| Wabasha | 3,872 | 41.87% | 5,299 | 57.31% | 76 | 0.82% | -1,427 | -15.44% | 9,247 |
| Wadena | 2,454 | 36.13% | 4,306 | 63.40% | 32 | 0.47% | -1,852 | -27.27% | 6,792 |
| Waseca | 3,527 | 38.80% | 5,509 | 60.60% | 55 | 0.60% | -1,982 | -21.80% | 9,091 |
| Washington | 28,527 | 49.23% | 29,046 | 50.13% | 369 | 0.64% | -519 | -0.90% | 57,942 |
| Watonwan | 2,425 | 40.57% | 3,526 | 58.98% | 27 | 0.45% | -1,101 | -18.41% | 5,978 |
| Wilkin | 1,410 | 37.14% | 2,367 | 62.36% | 19 | 0.50% | -957 | -25.22% | 3,796 |
| Winona | 9,577 | 43.99% | 11,981 | 55.03% | 212 | 0.97% | -2,404 | -11.04% | 21,770 |
| Wright | 12,486 | 44.45% | 15,399 | 54.82% | 205 | 0.73% | -2,913 | -10.37% | 28,090 |
| Yellow Medicine | 3,018 | 43.64% | 3,819 | 55.22% | 79 | 1.14% | -801 | -11.58% | 6,916 |
| Totals | 1,036,364 | 49.72% | 1,032,603 | 49.54% | 15,482 | 0.74% | 3,761 | 0.18% | 2,084,449 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
[edit]Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
[edit]See also
[edit]- 1984 United States presidential election in the District of Columbia, the only other place that voted Democratic in the 1984 presidential election.
- 1972 United States presidential election in Massachusetts, the only state to vote Democratic in 1972, like Minnesota was in 1984.
- United States presidential elections in Minnesota
References
[edit]- ^ "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "Minnesota heads Reagan's wish list". The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Associated Press. December 4, 1984. p. 27. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- ^ "1984 Presidential Election Results – Minnesota". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
- ^ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Voter Participation and Vote for President and Vice President, ... November 6, 1984 General Election," The Minnesota Legislative Manual 1985-1986 (St. Paul, 1985)
