1978 United States House of Representatives elections

1978 United States House of Representatives elections
All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives; 218 seats needed for a majority
	Results:; Democratic hold Democratic gain; Republican hold Republican gain; Conservative gain
Speaker before election; Tip O'Neill; Democratic	Elected Speaker ; Tip O'Neill; Democratic

The 1978 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives on November 7, 1978, to elect members to serve in the 96th United States Congress. They occurred in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term, amidst an energy crisis and rapid inflation. The Democratic Party lost a net of 15 seats to the Republican Party, and thus lost their two-thirds supermajority, but still maintained a large 277-seat majority.

Quick Facts All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority, Majority party ...

[a]

277	1	157
Democratic	C	Republican

Parties		Seats				Popular vote
Parties		Previous election	This election	+/-	Strength	Vote	%	Change
	Democratic	292	277	15	63.7%	29,317,222	53.7%	2.2%
	Republican	143	157	14	36.1%	24,464,665	44.8%	2.5%
	Independents					350,898	0.6%	0.2%
	American Independent					74,765	0.1%
	Conservative	0	1	1	0.2%	74,531	0.1%
	Libertarian					64,310	0.1%
	U.S. Labor					45,866	0.1%
	Liberal					44,807	0.1%
	Peace and Freedom					39,017	0.1%	0.1%
	American					34,110	0.1%	0.1%
	Socialist Workers					19,530	<0.1%
	Prohibition					9,992	<0.1%
	Communist					9,261	<0.1%
	La Raza Unida					7,185	<0.1%
	Liberty Union					6,505	<0.1%
	Peoples Independent Coalition					5,396	<0.1%
	Workers					2,709	<0.1%
	Socialist Labor					2,434	<0.1%
	Aloha Democratic					2,095	<0.1%
	Betsy Ross					1,629	<0.1%
	Socialist					978	<0.1%
	United Labor					712	<0.1%
	Others					5,305	<0.1%	0.3%
Total		435	435	0	100.0%	54,583,922	100.0%	-

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
New York 18	Ed Koch	Democratic	1968	Incumbent resigned December 31, 1977 to become Mayor of New York City. New member elected February 14, 1978. Winner was subsequently re-elected in November. Republican gain.	Y Bill Green (Republican) 50.5% Bella Abzug (Democratic) 48.6% Howard Lim Jr. (Conservative) 0.7% Paul Gallagher (Labor) 0.3%
New York 21	Herman Badillo	Democratic	1970	Incumbent resigned December 31, 1977 to become deputy mayor of New York City. New member elected February 14, 1978. Democratic hold.	Y Robert García (Democratic)^[c] 55.40% Louis Niñé (Democratic) 24.46% Ramon Velez (Victory) 15.87% Armando Montano (Build the Bronx) 2.74% Israel Ruiz Jr. (Alliance for Progress) 1.52%^[2]

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Alabama 1	Jack Edwards	Republican	1964	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Jack Edwards (Republican) 63.9% L. W. Noonan (Democratic) 36.1%
Alabama 2	William L. Dickinson	Republican	1964	Incumbent re-elected.	Y William L. Dickinson (Republican) 54.0% Wendell Mitchell (Democratic) 46.0%
Alabama 3	Bill Nichols	Democratic	1966	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bill Nichols (Democratic) Unopposed
Alabama 4	Tom Bevill	Democratic	1966	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Tom Bevill (Democratic) Unopposed
Alabama 5	Ronnie Flippo	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Ronnie Flippo (Democratic) 96.8% Harvey Nicholas Crumhorn (Libertarian) 3.2%
Alabama 6	John H. Buchanan Jr.	Republican	1964	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John H. Buchanan Jr. (Republican) 61.7% Don Hawkins (Democratic) 38.3%
Alabama 7	Walter Flowers	Democratic	1968	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. Democratic hold.	Y Richard Shelby (Democratic) 93.8% Fulton Gray (Con) 4.0% Jim Scruggs (Republican) 2.2%

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Arizona 1	John Jacob Rhodes	Republican	1952	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John Jacob Rhodes (Republican) 71.0% Ken Graves (Democratic) 29.0%
Arizona 2	Mo Udall	Democratic	1961 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Mo Udall (Democratic) 52.5% Tom Richey (Republican) 45.4% Joe Bach (Libertarian) 1.1% Betsy McDonald (Socialist Workers) 0.9%
Arizona 3	Bob Stump	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bob Stump (Democratic) 85.0% Kathleen Cooke (Libertarian) 15.0%
Arizona 4	Eldon Rudd	Republican	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Eldon Rudd (Republican) 63.1% Michael McCormick (Democratic) 33.8% Lawrence W. Jerome (Libertarian) 3.1%

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
California 1	Bizz Johnson	Democratic	1958	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bizz Johnson (Democratic) 59.4% James E. Taylor (Republican) 40.6%
California 2	Don Clausen	Republican	1963	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Don Clausen (Republican) 52.0% Norma K. Bork (Democratic) 45.3% Irv Sutley (Peace and Freedom) 2.8%
California 3	John E. Moss	Democratic	1952	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	Y Bob Matsui (Democratic) 53.4% Sandy Smoley (Republican) 46.6%
California 4	Robert Leggett	Democratic	1962	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	Y Vic Fazio (Democratic) 55.4% Rex Hime (Republican) 44.6%
California 5	John Burton	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John Burton (Democratic) 66.8% Dolores Skore (Republican) 33.2%
California 6	Phillip Burton	Democratic	1964	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Phillip Burton (Democratic) 68.3% Tom Spinosa (Republican) 28.0% Raymond O. "Ray" Heaps (American Independent) 3.7%
California 7	George Miller	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y George Miller (Democratic) 63.4% Paula Gordon (Republican) 33.7% Melvin E. Stanley (American Independent) 2.8%
California 8	Ron Dellums	Democratic	1970	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Ron Dellums (Democratic) 57.4% Charles V. Hughes (Republican) 42.6%
California 9	Pete Stark	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Pete Stark (Democratic) 65.4% Robert S. Allen (Republican) 30.5% Lawrence J. Phillips (Peace and Freedom) 4.1%
California 10	Don Edwards	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Don Edwards (Democratic) 67.1% Rudy Hansen (Republican) 32.9%
California 11	Leo Ryan	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected, Following the election, Ryan was murdered while investigating the Peoples Temple in Guyana	Y Leo Ryan (Democratic) 60.5% Dave Welch (Republican) 35.6% Nicholas W. Kudrovzeff (American Independent) 3.9%
California 12	Pete McCloskey	Republican	1967	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Pete McCloskey (Republican) 73.1% Kirsten Olsen (Democratic) 21.5% Harold R. Boylan (American Independent) 3.5% Adele Fumino (Peace and Freedom) 1.9%
California 13	Norman Mineta	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Norman Mineta (Democratic) 57.5% Dan O'Keefe (Republican) 39.5% Robert Goldsborough III (Peace and Freedom) 3.0%
California 14	John J. McFall	Democratic	1956	Incumbent lost re-election. Republican gain.	Y Norman D. Shumway (Republican) 53.4% John J. McFall (Democratic) 42.6% George Darold Waldron (American Independent) 4.0%
California 15	B. F. Sisk	Democratic	1954	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	Y Tony Coelho (Democratic) 60.1% Chris Patterakis (Republican) 39.9%
California 16	Leon Panetta	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Leon Panetta (Democratic) 61.4% Eric Seastrand (Republican) 38.6%
California 17	John Hans Krebs	Democratic	1974	Incumbent lost re-election. Republican gain.	Y Chip Pashayan (Republican) 54.5% John Hans Krebs (Democratic) 45.5%
California 18	Vacant			William M. Ketchum (Republican) died June 24, 1978 Republican hold.	Y Bill Thomas (Republican) 59.3% Bob Sogge (Democratic) 40.7%
California 19	Robert Lagomarsino	Republican	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Robert Lagomarsino (Republican) 71.7% Jerry Zamos (Democratic) 24.3% Milton Shiro Takei (Peace and Freedom) 4.0%
California 20	Barry Goldwater Jr.	Republican	1969	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Barry Goldwater Jr. (Republican) 66.4% Patti Lear Corman (Democratic) 33.6%
California 21	James C. Corman	Democratic	1960	Incumbent re-elected.	Y James C. Corman (Democratic) 59.5% Rod Walsh (Republican) 35.9% Bill Hill (Peace and Freedom) 4.6%
California 22	Carlos Moorhead	Republican	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Carlos Moorhead (Republican) 64.6% Robert S. Henry (Democratic) 35.4%
California 23	Anthony Beilenson	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Anthony Beilenson (Democratic) 65.6% Joseph Barbara (Republican) 34.4%
California 24	Henry Waxman	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Henry Waxman (Democratic) 62.7% Howard G. Schaefer (Republican) 32.6% Kevin Casey Peters (Peace and Freedom) 4.8%
California 25	Edward R. Roybal	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Edward R. Roybal (Democratic) 67.4% Robert K. Watson (Republican) 32.6%
California 26	John H. Rousselot	Republican	1960 1962 (defeated) 1970 (Special)	Incumbent re-elected.	Y John H. Rousselot (Republican) Unopposed
California 27	Bob Dornan	Republican	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bob Dornan (Republican) 51.0% Carey Peck (Democratic) 49.0%
California 28	Yvonne Brathwaite Burke	Democratic	1972	Incumbent retired to run for Attorney General of California. Democratic hold.	Y Julian Dixon (Democratic) Unopposed
California 29	Augustus Hawkins	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Augustus Hawkins (Democratic) 85.0% Uriah J. Fields (Republican) 15.0%
California 30	George E. Danielson	Democratic	1970	Incumbent re-elected.	Y George E. Danielson (Democratic) 71.4% Henry Ares (Republican) 28.6%
California 31	Charles H. Wilson	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Charles H. Wilson (Democratic) 67.8% Don Grimshaw (Republican) 32.2%
California 32	Glenn M. Anderson	Democratic	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Glenn M. Anderson (Democratic) 71.4% Sonya Mathison (Republican) 22.4% Ida Bader (American Independent) 6.1%
California 33	Del M. Clawson	Republican	1963	Incumbent retired. Republican hold.	Y Wayne R. Grisham (Republican) 56.0% Dennis S. Kazarian (Democratic) 44.0%
California 34	Mark W. Hannaford	Democratic	1974	Incumbent lost re-election. Republican gain.	Y Dan Lungren (Republican) 53.7% Mark W. Hannaford (Democratic) 43.7% Lawrence John Stafford (American Independent) 2.6%
California 35	James F. Lloyd	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y James F. Lloyd (Democratic) 54.0% David Dreier (Republican) 46.0%
California 36	George Brown Jr.	Democratic	1962 1970 (Retired) 1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y George Brown Jr. (Democratic) 62.9% Dana Warren Carmody (Republican) 37.1%
California 37	Shirley Neil Pettis	Republican	1975	Incumbent retired. Republican hold.	Y Jerry Lewis (Republican) 61.4% Dan Corcoran (Democratic) 34.8% Bernard Wahl (American Independent) 3.8%
California 38	Jerry M. Patterson	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Jerry M. Patterson (Democratic) 58.6% Dan Goedeke (Republican) 41.4%
California 39	Charles E. Wiggins	Republican	1966	Incumbent retired. Republican hold.	Y William E. Dannemeyer (Republican) 63.7% William E. "Bill" Farris (Democratic) 36.3%
California 40	Robert Badham	Republican	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Robert Badham (Republican) 65.9% Jim McGuy (Democratic) 34.1%

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Colorado 1	Pat Schroeder	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Pat Schroeder (Democratic) 61.5% Gene Hutcheson (Republican) 37.0% Susan Lorraine Adley (Socialist Workers) 1.5%
Colorado 2	Tim Wirth	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Tim Wirth (Democratic) 52.9% Ed Scott (Republican) 47.1%
Colorado 3	Frank Evans	Democratic	1964	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	Y Ray Kogovsek (Democratic) 49.3% Harold L. McCormick (Republican) 49.0% Henry John Olshaw (Independent) 1.7%
Colorado 4	James Paul Johnson	Republican	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y James Paul Johnson (Republican) 61.2% Morgan Smith (Democratic) 38.8%
Colorado 5	William L. Armstrong	Republican	1972	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. Republican hold.	Y Ken Kramer (Republican) 59.8% Gerry Frank (Democratic) 34.4% L. W. Dan Bridges (Independent) 5.8%

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Connecticut 1	William R. Cotter	Democratic	1970	Incumbent re-elected.	Y William R. Cotter (Democratic) 59.6% Ben F. Andrews Jr. (Republican) 39.3% Donna C. McDonough (Lab) 1.1%
Connecticut 2	Chris Dodd	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Chris Dodd (Democratic) 69.9% Thomas Hudson Connell (Republican) 30.1%
Connecticut 3	Robert Giaimo	Democratic	1958	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Robert Giaimo (Democratic) 58.1% John G. Pucciano (Republican) 40.0% Joelle R. Fishman (Communist) 1.8%
Connecticut 4	Stewart McKinney	Republican	1970	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Stewart McKinney (Republican) 58.4% Michael G. Morgan (Democratic) 41.6%
Connecticut 5	Ronald A. Sarasin	Republican	1972	Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Connecticut. Democratic gain.	Y William R. Ratchford (Democratic) 52.3% George C. Guidera (Republican) 47.7%
Connecticut 6	Toby Moffett	Democratic	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Toby Moffett (Democratic) 64.2% Daniel F. Mackinnon (Republican) 35.8%

District	Incumbent	Party	First elected	Result	Candidates
Florida 1	Bob Sikes	Democratic	1940 1944 (resigned) 1944	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	Y Earl Hutto (Democratic) 63.3% Warren Briggs (Republican) 36.7%
Florida 2	Don Fuqua	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Don Fuqua (Democratic) 81.7% Pete Brathwaite (Republican) 18.3%
Florida 3	Charles E. Bennett	Democratic	1948	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Charles E. Bennett (Democratic) Unopposed
Florida 4	Bill Chappell	Democratic	1968	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bill Chappell (Democratic) 73.1% Tom Boney (Republican) 26.9%
Florida 5	Richard Kelly	Republican	1974	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Richard Kelly (Republican) 51.1% David Ryan Best (Democratic) 48.9%
Florida 6	Bill Young	Republican	1970	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Bill Young (Republican) 78.8% Jim Christison (Democratic) 21.2%
Florida 7	Sam Gibbons	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Sam Gibbons (Democratic) Unopposed
Florida 8	Andy Ireland	Democratic	1976	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Andy Ireland (Democratic) Unopposed
Florida 9	Louis Frey Jr.	Republican	1968	Incumbent retired to run for Governor of Florida. Democratic gain.	Y Bill Nelson (Democratic) 61.5% Edward Gurney (Republican) 38.5%
Florida 10	Skip Bafalis	Republican	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Skip Bafalis (Republican) Unopposed
Florida 11	Paul Rogers	Democratic	1954	Incumbent retired. Democratic hold.	Y Dan Mica (Democratic) 55.3% Bill James (Republican) 44.7%
Florida 12	J. Herbert Burke	Republican	1966	Incumbent lost re-election. Democratic gain.	Y Edward J. Stack (Democratic) 61.6% J. Herbert Burke (Republican) 38.4%
Florida 13	William Lehman	Democratic	1972	Incumbent re-elected.	Y William Lehman (Democratic) Unopposed
Florida 14	Claude Pepper	Democratic	1962	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Claude Pepper (Democratic) 63.1% Al Cárdenas (Republican) 36.9%
Florida 15	Dante Fascell	Democratic	1954	Incumbent re-elected.	Y Dante Fascell (Democratic) 74.2% Herbert J. Hoodwin (Republican) 25.8%

Overall results

Special elections

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

See also

Notes

References

Works cited