▁The ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁election ▁in ▁Georgia ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁November ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Inc umb ent ▁Democratic ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁and ▁former ▁Governor ▁of ▁Georgia ▁H erman ▁Tal mad ge ▁ran ▁for ▁re e lection ▁to ▁a ▁fifth ▁term , ▁but ▁lost ▁narrow ly ▁to ▁Mack ▁Matt ingly , ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Georgia ▁Republican ▁Party . ▁Matt ingly ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁ever ▁Republican ▁popular ly ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁in ▁Georgia . ▁This ▁race ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁lands lide ▁national ▁election ▁for ▁Republic ans ▁that ▁would ▁come ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Re agan ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁ ▁C andid ates ▁ ▁Dec la red ▁ ▁John ▁Francis ▁Collins ▁ ▁Daw son ▁Math is , ▁U . S . ▁Represent ative ▁from ▁Georgia ' s ▁ 2 nd ▁con gression al ▁district ▁▁ ▁Z ell ▁Miller , ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ▁ ▁J . B . ▁St on er , ▁white ▁supre mac ist ▁and ▁terror ist ▁ ▁H erman ▁Tal mad ge , ▁inc umb ent ▁Senator ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁ ▁Norman ▁Under wood , ▁Judge ▁of ▁the ▁Georgia ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁ ▁Camp aign ▁Tal mad ge ' s ▁eth ical ▁issues ▁made ▁him ▁uniqu ely ▁vulner able . ▁Because ▁Georgia ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁strongly ▁Democratic ▁state , ▁five ▁primary ▁oppon ents ▁declared ▁their ▁cand ida cies ▁for ▁the ▁Democratic ▁nom ination . ▁Str ong est ▁among ▁these ▁candidates