Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign Ronald Reagan, the 33rd Governor of California (served 1967–1975), announced his candidacy for President of the United States in New York City on November 13, 1979. On July 17, 1980, he became the nominee of the Republican Party for the 1980 presidential election. After receiving the Republican nomination, he selected one of his opponents in the primary elections, George H. W. Bush, to be his running mate. On November 4, 1980, Reagan carried 44 states and received 489 electoral votes to win the election. Jimmy Carter, the incumbent president, carried six states, as well as
Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C., as they were leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Hinckley's motivation for the attack was to impress actress Jodie Foster, who had played the role of a child prostitute in the 1976 film "Taxi Driver". After seeing the film, Hinckley had developed an obsession with Foster. Reagan was struck by a single bullet that broke a rib, punctured a lung, and caused serious internal bleeding, but he recovered quickly. No formal