1979 United States elections

Elections were held on November 6, 1979. This off-year election primarily involved local, state, and congressional elections.

Background

The 1979 elections occurred in the final year of President Jimmy Carter's first and only term. Minor gains occurred for the Republican party as a result of increasing stagflation.

Congressional elections

Two special elections were held to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives. The most notable race was that for California's eleventh district, whose previous representative had been shot and killed by members of the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana.
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Gubernatorial elections

Three states held gubernatorial elections in 1979.

State	Incumbent	First elected	Result	Candidates
Kentucky	Julian Carroll	1974	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold.
Louisiana	Edwin Edwards	1972	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain.
Mississippi	Cliff Finch	1975	Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold.

State legislative elections

State legislative elections were also held in various states across the country. These elections determined the control of state legislatures, which would play a crucial role in the redistricting process following the 1980 census.

Local elections

In addition to state and congressional races, numerous local elections were held. These elections included mayoral races, city council elections, and referendums on key issues such as taxation and public services.San Francisco: Incumbent mayor Dianne Feinstein was reëlected with 53.96 percent of the second round vote.Boston: Incumbent mayor Kevin White was reëlected to a fourth term in a rematch, receiving 54.82% of the vote.