Elections / 1980 · Senate · ID
The Republican candidate won Idaho's Senate seat R+1.0.
Idaho, 1980. Candidate results and statewide totals below. The presidential race shared this ballot.
Idaho — 1980 Senate result
Source: MIT Election Data + Science Lab, 1976–2024 Senate returns (party-classified by literal ballot party).
Democratic (D)
214,439
48.8%
Republican (R)
218,701
49.7%
All others
6,507
1.5%
Margin
R+1.0
Candidates
Statewide candidate totals — MIT Election Data + Science Lab, 1980 Senate returns.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Symms | RRepublican | 218,701 | 49.7% |
| Frank Church | DDemocrat | 214,439 | 48.8% |
| Larry Fullmer | OLibertarian | 6,507 | 1.5% |
Idaho's Senate margins
Every contest in our store, 1978–2022
| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 1978 | −36.9% |
| 1980 | −1.0% |
| 1984 | −46.2% |
| 1986 | −3.1% |
| 1990 | −22.6% |
| 1992 | −13.0% |
| 1996 | −17.1% |
| 1998 | −41.1% |
| 2002 | −32.6% |
| 2004 | −100.0% |
| 2008 | −23.5% |
| 2010 | −46.3% |
| 2014 | −30.7% |
| 2016 | −38.4% |
| 2020 | −29.4% |
| 2022 | −31.9% |