President -- Republican Ronald Reagan soundly defeated Democratic President Jimmy Carter to become the nation's 40th president. With 97 percent of the vote in, Reagan had at least 43 states and 51 percent of the popular vote, for a total of 480 Electoral College votes -- far more than the 270 needed to win.
Carter won six states and the District of Columbia, with 41 percent of the popular vote and 58 electoral votes. John Anderson, who took no Electoral College votes, captured 7 percent of the popular vote.
Senate -- Republicans took control of the Senate for the first time in 26 years. They seized at least nine seats from well-known Democratic liberals such as Birch Bayh, John Culver, Frank Church, George McGovern, Warren Magnuson and John Durkin.
House -- Democrats held onto their majority. With all 435 seats up for grabs, Democrats had won at least 245-250 seats. But among the two dozen or more seats they lost was that of the House's third-ranking Democrat, John Brademas of Indiana.
Governors -- Of the 13 governors' seats at stake, Republicans held onto the three they already occupied, and captured Democratic-held governorships in Missouri, Washington, Arkansas and North Dakota. The GOP gains close the Democrats' control over the nation's governorships to 27-23.
