1980 United States Senate election in New York

The 1980 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jacob Javits was defeated in the primary by Al D'Amato. D'Amato went on to win a plurality in the general election over Elizabeth Holtzman and Javits, who remained in the race as the candidate of the Liberal Party of New York.

1980 United States Senate election in New York

November 4, 1980

Nominee Al D'Amato Elizabeth Holtzman Jacob Javits Party Republican Democratic Liberal Alliance Conservative Right to Life Popular vote 2,699,652 2,618,661 664,544 Percentage 44.88% 43.54% 11.05%

County results D'Amato:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Holtzman:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Jacob Javits Republican Elected U.S. Senator Al D'Amato Republican

Background

Even as early as his time in the U.S. House in the 1940s, Jacob Javits had been one of the most liberal members of the Republican Party. However, his electability in an otherwise Democratic-leaning state and considerable influence within the Senate allowed him to maintain strength within the party, and he had been able to win election to four terms in the Senate even as his views became less and less popular among Republican loyalists. By 1979, he had become the longest-serving U.S. Senator in New York state history.

For years, Javits had been considered politically "invincible," but had become vulnerable in 1980 in part due to the rise of the Conservative Party of New York, which had cut into the Republican base. Conservatives argued that no Republican could win a general election without their endorsement. In 1970, liberal Republican Senator Charles Goodell lost re-election to Conservative James L. Buckley. In Javits's prior two re-elections in 1968 and 1974, he had been held to less than a majority by strong Conservative performances.

Javits also faced criticisms from liberals in the state over his tepid opposition to the Vietnam War nearly a decade prior; among other things, he had failed to co-sponsor Goodell's amendment to set a deadline for American withdrawal from Vietnam. Javits had also been outflanked by Buckley in 1974, when the Conservative Senator called for the resignation of Richard Nixon while Javits demurred.

Republican primary

Background

Before 1980, Javits had never faced a primary challenge. However, amid widespread speculation that he would not run, two challengers entered the race: Queens attorney James Eagan, a political unknown, and Hempstead supervisor Al D'Amato. D'Amato, who locked up support from Republican leaders on Long Island and had strong ties to the Conservative Party which would ensure his cross-endorsement, was considered a serious threat. On January 17, former Representative Bruce Caputo announced that he would enter the race for the Conservative and Republican nominations, assuming Javits ran. Both he and D'Amato argued that a Conservative-Republican fusion would be unbeatable if Javits remained on the Liberal ticket.

However, neither Caputo nor D'Amato were the Conservatives' first choice. Most speculation surrounded Representative Jack Kemp, a leading Conservative Party fundraiser and active supporter of Ronald Reagan's campaign for president. Kemp was all but assured of the Conservative nomination if he desired it. He told supporters that he would not challenge Javits, but publicly said there was "a good chance" he would run if Javits retired. The Conservatives withheld their formal endorsement from D'Amato, Caputo, or any other candidate in hopes that Javits would not run and Kemp would.

Javits initially said he would announce his intent before February 12, but delayed that decision two weeks, citing his health. Javits also refused to fundraise before formally announcing his campaign despite changes in the law that would have allowed it. When he did finally announce his re-election bid on February 25, Javits shocked supporters by revealing had been diagnosed with a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, eighteen months earlier. Javits said his diagnosis was "indolent." Dr. Jerome B. Posner of the Sloan-Kettering Institute confirmed that the disease would not affect Javits's cognition and said he believed Javits could serve out the six-year term. (Javits ultimately died in March 1986, roughly one year before his term would have ended.)

Candidates

• Al D'Amato, Presiding Supervisor of the Town of Hempstead
• Jacob Javits, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1957

Withdrew

• Bruce Caputo, former U.S. Representative from Yonkers and nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1978
• James Eagan, Queens attorney

Declined

• Jack Kemp, U.S. Representative from Buffalo
• Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State

Campaign

Conservative nomination: D'Amato vs. Caputo

Javits's announcement livened the race, which instantly centered on his long record. Though some continued to urge Kemp to run, he ruled himself out. Thus, the primary campaign essentially became a two-stage contest: between Caputo and D'Amato for the Conservative nomination and then between the Conservative choice and Javits for the Republican nomination, though Caputo pledged he would remain in the race if he lost the Conservative nomination, disputing the assumption that the two would split the anti-Javits vote. Caputo, considered a "handsome, media-wise candidate" with "something of a national reputation," was considered a stronger opponent against Javits but faced an uphill battle against D'Amato, who was considered the more conservative of the two, although unknown outside of Long Island. D'Amato campaigned on Caputo's support for the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act and opposition to the B-1 bomber.

On March 22, the Conservative state committee gave their informal endorsement to D'Amato, pledging to formalize the nomination in June. There was considerable haggling over whether the committee would weight their votes by party support, which D'Amato favored since most of his strength was in the Conservative base of Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. The final weighted vote backed D'Amato over Caputo nearly two-to-one.

In preliminary speeches, D'Amato backers stressed his long standing in the Conservative Party and his ability to get on the Republican primary ballot without resorting to an expensive petition drive, since he had the necessary party committee support.

1980 Conservative Party committee vote

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Al D'Amato	155,877	65.63%
	Conservative	Bruce Caputo	80,587	33.93%
	Conservative	James Eagan	1,048	0.44%
Total votes			237,512	100.00%

After the announcement, Caputo said he would remain in the race. D'Amato said he would contest the general election even if he lost the primary.

D'Amato vs. Javits

Few initially believed that D'Amato could unseat Javits in the primary.

Results

Primary results by county.

Map legend

•   D'Amato—70–80%
•   D'Amato—60–70%
•   D'Amato—50–60%
•   Tie—50%
•   Javits—50–60%
•   Javits—60–70%
•   Javits—70–80%

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Al D'Amato	323,468	55.68%
	Republican	Jacob Javits (incumbent)	257,433	44.32%
Total votes			580,901	100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Elizabeth Holtzman, U.S. Representative from Brooklyn
• John Lindsay, former Mayor of New York City and Republican U.S. Representative
• Bess Myerson, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs and Miss America 1945
• John J. Santucci, Queens County District Attorney

Declined

• Joseph A. Califano, former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare

Campaign

The Democratic field included four major candidates. Bess Myerson was the early favorite, having the support of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, New York City mayor Ed Koch, and Governor Hugh Carey. Nevertheless, Myerson's campaign was reliant on her statewide celebrity status as a former Miss America winner and TV personality. If she faltered, most expected Representative Elizabeth Holtzman to take the lead. She had already unseated House dean Emanuel Celler in 1972, and as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, took a leading role in the Nixon impeachment hearings. The third leading candidate, former mayor of New York City John Lindsay, was considered popular with minority voters but struggled to escape his controversial eight-year tenure as mayor, which some city residents blamed for the near-bankruptcy of the city in 1975.

Lindsay claimed that Carey told him that he regretted endorsing Myerson. Carey denied this, but his comment in the same interview that he viewed this senate seat as "a Jewish seat" led to criticism from the Anti-Defamation League and all four candidates.

Holtzman rose quickly in the primary, despite her difficulty expressing criticism of Senator Javits, who remained popular with the same liberal Democrats who supported her campaign. During the campaign, Holtzman boasted that she was "never been hand-picked by the bosses. I have never been hand-picked by anyone.", in a thinly-veiled dig to her opponents. Holtzman touted her legislative record, implicitly criticizing Myerson's lack of actual political experience, and her support for women's rights, having secured an extension for the Equal Rights Amendment's 1979 ratification. Myerson also struggled to define herself ideologically, and by late March Holtzman had already pulled ahead in at least one poll.

Endorsements

Elizabeth Holtzman

Statewide officials

• Robert Abrams, 60th Attorney General of New York (1979–1993)

State legislature

• Carol Berman, member of the New York State Senate from the 9th district (1979–1984)
• Jerry Kremer, member of the New York State Assembly from the 20th district (1966–1988)

Bess Myerson

Statewide officials

• Hugh Carey, 51st Governor of New York (1975–1982)

Local officials

• Ed Koch, 105th Mayor of New York City (1978–1989)

Results

New York Senate Democratic primary election, 1980

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Elizabeth Holtzman	378,567	40.74%
	Democratic	Bess Myerson	292,767	31.51%
	Democratic	John Lindsay	146,815	15.80%
	Democratic	John J. Santucci	36,770	11.96%
Total votes			854,919	100.00%

Liberal nomination

• Jacob Javits, incumbent U.S. Senator (registered Republican)

Although Elizabeth Holtzman sought the Liberal Party nomination, the party stuck with Javits, a decision which was to prove pivotal in the general election.

General election

Campaign

D'Amato, also running on the Conservative line, proceeded to defeat Democratic U.S. Representative Elizabeth Holtzman and Javits, who ran on the Liberal Party ticket. In the traditionally liberal state of New York, Javits split the Democratic vote with Holtzman, to give D'Amato a close victory.

Javits' campaign did well financially after his defeat in the Republican primary and his contributions exceeded D'Amato. He raised $289,062 between August 21 and September 30, while D'Amato raised $217,969 and Holtzman raised $294,708 in that same period. Gerald Ford and Arthur Goldberg wrote to possible donors on Javits' behalf and U.S. Senator Charles H. Percy hosted a fundraiser for Javits. By this point Javits' campaign spent $697,625, D'Amato spent $867,535, and Holtzman spent $1.3 million.

On October 13, Javits stated that might consider dropping out at a press conference, but stated that he was "in this race to stay" on October 14. Sol Chaikin, president of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, and Victor Gotbaum, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 37, attempted to convince Javits to drop out to prevent him from splitting the vote with Holtzman and allowing D'Amato to win. The New York Times and Constance E. Cook, who previously co-chaired Javits' campaign, also called on him to drop out. On October 31, the New York Daily News reported that Javits stated that he would have dropped out if Holtzman had asked him, but he denied it the next day.

The three candidates participated in a debate hosted by the Buffalo Courier-Express on October 22.

Endorsements

Elizabeth Holtzman

U.S. Congress

• Tip O'Neill, member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1953–1987) and 47th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1977–1987)

State legislators

• Constance E. Cook, member of the New York State Assembly from the 128th district (1963–1974)

Local officials

• Ed Koch, 105th Mayor of New York City (1978–1989)

Organizations

• New York State Teachers Association

Newspapers

• The Ithaca Journal

Jacob Javits

U.S. Congress

• Bill Green, member of the United States House of Representatives (1978–1993)

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Al D'Amato Republican	Elizabeth Holtzman Democratic	Jacob Javits Liberal	Other / Undecided
New York Daily News Richard F. Link and Associates	October 1980	2,479 (RV)		34%	29%	23%	14%

Results

General election results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Al D'Amato	2,272,082	37.77%
	Conservative	Al D'Amato	275,100	4.57%	11.36
	Right to Life	Al D'Amato	152,470	2.53%	N/A
	Total	Al D'Amato	2,699,652	44.88%	N/A
	Democratic	Elizabeth Holtzman	2,618,661	43.54%	5.31
	Liberal	Jacob Javits (incumbent)	664,544	11.05%
	Libertarian	Richard Savadel	21,465	0.36%	N/A
	Communist	William R. Scott	4,161	0.07%	0.01
	Workers World	Thomas Soto	3,643	0.06%
	Socialist Workers	Victor A. Nieto	2,715	0.05%	0.10
	Write-in		73	0.00%
Majority			80,991	1.34%
Total votes			6,014,914	100.00%
	Republican hold		Swing

See also

• 1980 United States Senate elections