1984 United States presidential election in Louisiana

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Main article: 1984 United States presidential election
1984 United States presidential election in Louisiana
← 1980 November 6, 1984 1988 →
  Ronald Reagan presidential portrait (cropped).jpg Vice President Mondale 1977 closeup.jpg
Nominee Ronald Reagan Walter Mondale
Party Republican Democratic
Home state California Minnesota
Running mate George H. W. Bush Geraldine Ferraro
Electoral vote 10 0
Popular vote 1,037,299 651,586
Percentage 60.77% 38.18%
Louisiana Presidential Election Results 1984.svg
Parish Results
President before election

Ronald Reagan
Republican

Elected President

Ronald Reagan
Republican

The 1984 United States presidential election in Louisiana took place on November 6, 1984. All 50 states and the District of Columbia, were part of the 1984 United States presidential election. Louisiana voters chose 10 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president of the United States.

Louisiana 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 Louisiana, with just under 99 percent of the electorate voting only for either the Democratic or Republican parties, though eight parties appeared on the ballot.[1] All but two parishes gave either Mondale or Reagan a majority; East Feliciana gave Reagan a narrow plurality, and Madison Parish gave Mondale a narrow plurality. Of Louisiana's 64 parishes, a vast majority (53) gave Reagan a majority; nine gave Mondale a majority. Mondale's best showing was in Orleans Parish, the state's largest parish, where he got 57.9% of the vote; Reagan's was in thinly-populated LaSalle Parish, where he got 78.8% of the vote. However, Reagan exceeded 70% in eight parishes (including the highly populated New Orleans suburb of Jefferson Parish and the moderately populated New Orleans suburb of St Tammany Parish).

Louisiana weighed in for this election as 2% more Republican than the national average. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which St. John the Baptist Parish voted for a Republican presidential candidate.[2]

Democratic platform[]

Walter Mondale accepted the Democratic nomination for presidency after pulling narrowly ahead of Senator Gary Hart of Colorado and Rev. Jesse Jackson of Illinois - his main contenders during what would be a very contentious[3] Democratic primary. During the campaign, Mondale was vocal about reduction of government spending, and, in particular, was vocal against heightened military spending on the nuclear arms race against the Soviet Union,[4] which was reaching its peak on both sides in the early 1980s.

Taking a (what was becoming the traditional liberal) stance on the social issues of the day, Mondale advocated for gun control, the right to choose regarding abortion, and strongly opposed the repeal of laws regarding institutionalized prayer in public schools. He also criticized Reagan for his economic marginalization of the poor, stating that Reagan's reelection campaign was "a happy talk campaign," not focused on the real issues at hand.[5]

A very significant political move during this election: the Democratic Party nominated Representative Geraldine Ferraro to run with Mondale as Vice-President. Ferraro is the first female candidate to receive such a nomination in United States history. She said in an interview at the 1984 Democratic National Convention that this action "opened a door which will never be closed again,"[6] speaking to the role of women in politics.

Republican platform[]

Reagan challenging Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!," from the Brandenburg Gate in June, 1987. Reagan's firm stance with the Soviet Union was an important contributor to his 1984 reelection.
Elections in Louisiana
Federal government
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By 1984, Reagan was very popular with voters across the nation as the President who saw them out of the economic stagflation of the early and middle 1970s, and into a period of (relative) economic stability.[7]

The economic success seen under Reagan was politically accomplished (principally) in two ways. The first was initiation of deep tax cuts for the wealthy,[8] and the second was a wide-spectrum of tax cuts for crude oil production and refinement, namely, with the 1980 Windfall profits tax cuts.[9] These policies were augmented with a call for heightened military spending,[10] the cutting of social welfare programs for the poor,[11] and the increasing of taxes on those making less than $50,000 per year.[8] Collectively called "Reaganomics", these economic policies were established through several pieces of legislation passed between 1980 and 1987.

These new tax policies also arguably curbed several existing tax loopholes, preferences, and exceptions, but Reaganomics is typically remembered for its trickle down effect of taxing poor Americans more than rich ones. Reaganomics has (along with legislation passed under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton) been criticized by many analysts as "setting the stage" for economic troubles in the United States after 2007, such as the Great Recession.[12]

Virtually unopposed during the Republican primaries, Reagan ran on a campaign of furthering his economic policies. Reagan vowed to continue his "war on drugs," passing sweeping legislation after the 1984 election in support of mandatory minimum sentences for drug possession.[13] Furthermore, taking a (what was becoming the traditional conservative) stance on the social issues of the day, Reagan strongly opposed legislation regarding comprehension of gay marriage, abortion, and (to a lesser extent) environmentalism,[14] regarding the final as simply being bad for business.

Republican victory[]

Reagan carried Louisiana by a landslide margin in excess of 22 points, a substantial improvement with respect to 1980, when he carried it over Southerner Jimmy Carter by just 5.45%. He became only the second Republican to break 60% in the Pelican State (after Nixon in 1972)--and remains, as of 2020, the last nominee of either party to do so. Mondale's strength was largely limited to Louisiana's largely African-American Black Belt parishes along the Mississippi River, along with Orleans Parish (coterminous with the city of New Orleans) and one parish in then-typically Democratic 'Imperial Calcasieu', Allen Parish. In none of these parishes did Mondale manage over 60% of the vote.

Reagan dominated the rest of the state, claiming a series of parishes near the border with Texas and in Acadiana that Carter had been able to hold in his competitive loss in the state in 1980. He also performed superlatively in New Orleans' two main suburban parishes, Jefferson and St Tammany; in both, he exceeded Richard Nixon's 1972 vote share, earning the highest vote share of any nominee in both parishes since the last time the Democratic Party had swept the South, in the 1944 election.

In 1988, Michael Dukakis would reclaim many Acadiana parishes, cutting the margin to 10.2%--still more Republican than the country, but rather less Republican than much of the rest of the South, and setting the stage for Bill Clinton's two solid wins in the state before it followed a trajectory in the 21st century of becoming a solid red state.

Results[]

United States presidential election in Louisiana, 1984
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Ronald Reagan 1,037,299 60.77% 10
Democratic Walter Mondale 651,586 38.18% 0
Citizen's Party Sonia Johnson 9,502 0.56% 0
Independent Lyndon LaRouche 3,552 0.21% 0
Libertarian David Bergland 1,876[a] 0.11% 0
America First Bob Richards 1,310[a] 0.08% 0
Socialist Workers Party Melvin Mason 1,164[a] 0.07% 0
New Alliance Party Dennis Serrette 533[a] 0.03% 0
Totals 1,706,822 100.0% 10

Results by parish[]

Parish Ronald Wilson Reagan
Republican 		Walter Frederick Mondale
Democratic 		Sonia Ann Johnson
Citizens 		Lyndon Hermyle LaRocuche
Independent 		Margin Total votes cast[15]
# % # % # % # % # %
Acadia 14,906 61.00% 9,262 37.90% 174 0.71% 96 0.39% 5,644 23.10% 24,438
Allen 4,474 47.75% 4,842 51.68% 15 0.16% 38 0.41% -368 -3.93% 9,369
Ascension 11,945 51.73% 11,048 47.84% 26 0.11% 73 0.32% 897 3.88% 23,092
Assumption 5,433 52.67% 4,660 45.17% 202 1.96% 21 0.20% 773 7.49% 10,316
Avoyelles 9,402 56.56% 6,808 40.96% 364 2.19% 48 0.29% 2,594 15.61% 16,622
Beauregard 7,353 63.30% 4,199 36.15% 10 0.09% 55 0.47% 3,154 27.15% 11,617
Bienville 4,587 56.10% 3,530 43.17% 29 0.35% 31 0.38% 1,057 12.93% 8,177
Bossier 22,638 76.15% 7,006 23.57% 21 0.07% 64 0.22% 15,632 52.58% 29,729
Caddo 63,429 63.81% 35,727 35.94% 79 0.08% 165 0.17% 27,702 27.87% 99,400
Calcasieu 35,566 51.52% 33,214 48.11% 69 0.10% 189 0.27% 2,352 3.41% 69,038
Caldwell 3,341 69.47% 1,348 28.03% 110 2.29% 10 0.21% 1,993 41.44% 4,809
Cameron 2,265 58.27% 1,608 41.37% 2 0.05% 12 0.31% 657 16.90% 3,887
Catahoula 3,640 67.71% 1,649 30.67% 76 1.41% 11 0.20% 1,991 37.03% 5,376
Claiborne 4,349 60.76% 2,788 38.95% 9 0.13% 12 0.17% 1,561 21.81% 7,158
Concordia 6,177 63.92% 3,332 34.48% 140 1.45% 14 0.14% 2,845 29.44% 9,663
De Soto 5,989 55.98% 4,642 43.39% 33 0.31% 35 0.33% 1,347 12.59% 10,699
East Baton Rouge 95,704 62.63% 56,673 37.09% 199 0.13% 230 0.15% 39,031 25.54% 152,806
East Carroll 1,974 48.01% 2,089 50.80% 41 1.00% 8 0.19% -115 -2.80% 4,112
East Feliciana 4,199 49.98% 4,122 49.06% 52 0.62% 29 0.35% 77 0.92% 8,402
Evangeline 8,680 55.15% 6,981 44.35% 41 0.26% 38 0.24% 1,699 10.79% 15,740
Franklin 6,708 68.02% 2,937 29.78% 194 1.97% 23 0.23% 3,771 38.24% 9,862
Grant 5,334 66.03% 2,588 32.04% 136 1.68% 20 0.25% 2,746 33.99% 8,078
Iberia 17,727 62.30% 10,170 35.74% 516 1.81% 43 0.15% 7,557 26.56% 28,456
Iberville 6,455 42.71% 8,587 56.82% 42 0.28% 28 0.19% -2,132 -14.11% 15,112
Jackson 5,034 65.08% 2,568 33.20% 119 1.54% 14 0.18% 2,466 31.88% 7,735
Jefferson 123,997 74.84% 41,183 24.86% 198 0.12% 296 0.18% 82,814 49.99% 165,674
Jefferson Davis 8,296 57.61% 5,962 41.40% 72 0.50% 71 0.49% 2,334 16.21% 14,401
Lafayette 44,344 69.10% 19,265 30.02% 445 0.69% 124 0.19% 25,079 39.08% 64,178
Lafourche 20,930 65.54% 10,186 31.90% 729 2.28% 90 0.28% 10,744 33.64% 31,935
LaSalle 5,404 78.76% 1,318 19.21% 121 1.76% 18 0.26% 4,086 59.55% 6,861
Lincoln 9,087 61.95% 5,432 37.03% 132 0.90% 17 0.12% 3,655 24.92% 14,668
Livingston 17,465 65.85% 8,913 33.61% 66 0.25% 78 0.29% 8,552 32.24% 26,522
Madison 2,849 48.80% 2,906 49.78% 71 1.22% 12 0.21% -57 -0.98% 5,838
Morehouse 8,585 62.92% 4,829 35.39% 207 1.52% 24 0.18% 3,756 27.53% 13,645
Natchitoches 8,836 59.23% 5,806 38.92% 242 1.62% 33 0.22% 3,030 20.31% 14,917
Orleans 86,316 41.83% 119,478 57.90% 239 0.12% 314 0.15% -33,162 -16.07% 206,347
Ouachita 37,270 69.72% 15,525 29.04% 558 1.04% 104 0.19% 21,745 40.68% 53,457
Plaquemines 7,655 69.93% 3,261 29.79% 11 0.10% 20 0.18% 4,394 40.14% 10,947
Pointe Coupee 5,477 44.69% 6,732 54.93% 22 0.18% 24 0.20% -1,255 -10.24% 12,255
Rapides 32,879 65.95% 16,121 32.34% 754 1.51% 101 0.20% 16,758 33.61% 49,855
Red River 3,060 60.65% 1,958 38.81% 9 0.18% 18 0.36% 1,102 21.84% 5,045
Richland 5,980 66.08% 2,918 32.24% 130 1.44% 22 0.24% 3,062 33.83% 9,050
Sabine 6,295 66.46% 2,980 31.46% 162 1.71% 35 0.37% 3,315 35.00% 9,472
Saint Bernard 24,428 74.95% 8,076 24.78% 32 0.10% 58 0.18% 16,352 50.17% 32,594
Saint Charles 10,185 59.78% 6,784 39.82% 29 0.17% 40 0.23% 3,401 19.96% 17,038
Saint Helena 2,366 43.75% 2,956 54.66% 49 0.91% 37 0.68% -590 -10.91% 5,408
Saint James 4,627 43.39% 5,989 56.17% 30 0.28% 17 0.16% -1,362 -12.77% 10,663
Saint John the Baptist 9,093 54.09% 7,646 45.48% 37 0.22% 36 0.21% 1,447 8.61% 16,812
Saint Landry 19,055 51.32% 17,950 48.35% 73 0.20% 49 0.13% 1,105 2.98% 37,127
Saint Martin 9,698 52.35% 8,589 46.36% 206 1.11% 33 0.18% 1,109 5.99% 18,526
Saint Mary 15,275 61.28% 9,411 37.76% 206 0.83% 33 0.13% 5,864 23.53% 24,925
Saint Tammany 38,664 76.32% 11,719 23.13% 146 0.29% 132 0.26% 26,945 53.19% 50,661
Tangipahoa 19,580 60.27% 12,799 39.39% 52 0.16% 58 0.18% 6,781 20.87% 32,489
Tensas 1,956 53.78% 1,628 44.76% 46 1.26% 7 0.19% 328 9.02% 3,637
Terrebonne 23,696 69.70% 9,640 28.35% 604 1.78% 59 0.17% 14,056 41.34% 33,999
Union 6,585 67.87% 2,916 30.05% 173 1.78% 29 0.30% 3,669 37.81% 9,703
Vermilion 12,721 57.00% 9,033 40.47% 510 2.29% 54 0.24% 3,688 16.52% 22,318
Vernon 9,035 67.72% 4,076 30.55% 180 1.35% 50 0.37% 4,959 37.17% 13,341
Washington 11,185 59.06% 7,680 40.55% 30 0.16% 44 0.23% 3,505 18.51% 18,939
Webster 12,055 64.76% 6,509 34.97% 14 0.08% 37 0.20% 5,546 29.79% 18,615
West Baton Rouge 4,189 47.31% 4,631 52.30% 21 0.24% 13 0.15% -442 -4.99% 8,854
West Carroll 3,874 71.04% 1,474 27.03% 85 1.56% 20 0.37% 2,400 44.01% 5,453
West Feliciana 2,097 47.60% 2,296 52.12% 5 0.11% 7 0.16% -199 -4.52% 4,405
Winn 4,934 64.04% 2,633 34.17% 107 1.39% 31 0.40% 2,301 29.86% 7,705
Totals 1,037,299 60.77% 651,586 38.18% 9,502 0.56% 3,552 0.21% 385,713 22.60% 1,706,822

See also[]

  • Presidency of Ronald Reagan

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Totals for this candidate were not separated by parish but only listed as a statewide total which is included in the statewide aggregate below.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "1984 Presidential General Election Results – Louisiana". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
  3. ^ Kurt Andersen, "A Wild Ride to the End", Time, May 28, 1984
  4. ^ Trying to Win the Peace, by Even Thomas, Time, July 2, 1984
  5. ^ Mondale's Acceptance Speech, 1984, AllPolitics
  6. ^ Martin, Douglas (2011-03-27). "Geraldine A. Ferraro, First Woman on Major Party Ticket, Dies at 75". The New York Times. pp. A1. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  7. ^ Raines, Howell (November 7, 1984). "Reagan Wins By a Landslide, Sweeping at Least 48 States; G.O.P. Gains Strength in House". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "U.S. Federal Individual Income Tax Rates History, 1913–2011 (Nominal and Inflation-Adjusted Brackets)". Tax Foundation. September 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  9. ^ Joseph J. Thorndike (Nov 10, 2005). "Historical Perspective: The Windfall Profit Tax". Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  10. ^ Historical tables, Budget of the United States Government Archived 2012-04-17 at the Wayback Machine, 2013, table 6.1.
  11. ^ Niskanen, William A. (1992). "Reaganomics". In David R. Henderson (ed.). Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (1st ed.). Library of Economics and Liberty. OCLC 317650570, 50016270, 163149563
  12. ^ Jerry Lanson (2008-11-06). "A historic victory. A changed nation. Now, can Obama deliver?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  13. ^ Alexander, Michelle (2010). The New Jim Crow. New York: The New Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-1595581037.
  14. ^ Prendergast, William B. (1999). The Catholic vote in American politics. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. pp. 186, 191–193. ISBN 0-87840-724-3.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b "LA US President Race, November 06, 1984". Our Campaigns.
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