Election 1978 Results
Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.
- 2028 President, Senate, House and governors Forecast
- 2026 midterms Senate, House and governors Live count
- 2025 governors Results
- 2024 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 2023 governors Results
- 2022 Senate, House and governors Results
- 2021 governors Results
- 2020 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 2019 governors Results
- 2018 Senate, House and governors Results
- 2017 governors Results
- 2016 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 2015 governors Results
- 2014 Senate, House and governors Results
- 2013 governors Results
- 2012 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 2011 governors Results
- 2010 Senate, House and governors Results
- 2009 governors Results
- 2008 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 2007 governors Results
- 2006 Senate, House and governors Results
- 2005 governors Results
- 2004 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 2003 governors Results
- 2002 Senate, House and governors Results
- 2001 governors Results
- 2000 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 1999 governors Results
- 1998 Senate, House and governors Results
- 1997 governors Results
- 1996 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 1995 governors Results
- 1994 Senate, House and governors Results
- 1993 governors Results
- 1992 President, Senate, House and governors Results
- 1991 governors Results
- 1990 Senate, House and governors Results
- 1989 governors Results
- 1988 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1987 governors Results
- 1986 Senate and governors Results
- 1985 governors Results
- 1984 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1983 governors Results
- 1982 Senate and governors Results
- 1981 governors Results
- 1980 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1979 governors Results
- 1978 Senate and governors Results
- 1977 governors Results
- 1976 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1975 governors Results
- 1974 Senate and governors Results
- 1973 governors Results
- 1972 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1971 governors Results
- 1970 Senate and governors Results
- 1969 governors Results
- 1968 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1967 governors Results
- 1966 Senate and governors Results
- 1965 governors Results
- 1964 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1963 governors Results
- 1962 Senate and governors Results
- 1961 governors Results
- 1960 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1959 governors Results
- 1958 Senate and governors Results
- 1957 governors Results
- 1956 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1955 governors Results
- 1954 Senate and governors Results
- 1953 governors Results
- 1952 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1951 governors Results
- 1950 Senate and governors Results
- 1949 governors Results
- 1948 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1947 governors Results
- 1946 Senate and governors Results
- 1945 governors Results
- 1944 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1943 governors Results
- 1942 Senate and governors Results
- 1941 governors Results
- 1940 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1939 governors Results
- 1938 Senate and governors Results
- 1937 governors Results
- 1936 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1935 governors Results
- 1934 Senate and governors Results
- 1933 governors Results
- 1932 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1931 governors Results
- 1930 Senate and governors Results
- 1929 governors Results
- 1928 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1927 governors Results
- 1926 Senate and governors Results
- 1925 governors Results
- 1924 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1923 governors Results
- 1922 Senate and governors Results
- 1921 governors Results
- 1920 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1919 governors Results
- 1918 Senate and governors Results
- 1917 governors Results
- 1916 President, Senate and governors Results
- 1915 governors Results
- 1914 Senate and governors Results
- 1913 governors Results
- 1912 President and governors Results
- 1911 governors Results
- 1910 governors Results
- 1909 governors Results
- 1908 President and governors Results
- 1907 governors Results
- 1906 governors Results
- 1905 governors Results
- 1904 President and governors Results
- 1903 governors Results
- 1902 governors Results
- 1901 governors Results
- 1900 President and governors Results
- 1899 governors Results
- 1898 governors Results
- 1897 governors Results
- 1896 President and governors Results
- 1895 governors Results
- 1894 governors Results
- 1893 governors Results
- 1892 President and governors Results
- 1891 governors Results
- 1890 governors Results
- 1889 governors Results
- 1888 President and governors Results
- 1887 governors Results
- 1886 governors Results
- 1885 governors Results
- 1884 President and governors Results
- 1883 governors Results
- 1882 governors Results
- 1881 governors Results
- 1880 President and governors Results
- 1879 governors Results
- 1878 governors Results
- 1877 governors Results
- 1876 President and governors Results
- 1875 governors Results
- 1874 governors Results
- 1873 governors Results
- 1872 President and governors Results
- 1871 governors Results
- 1870 governors Results
- 1869 governors Results
- 1868 President and governors Results
- 1867 governors Results
- 1866 governors Results
- 1865 governors Results
1978 Senate election results by state and county
Republicans won 18 of the Senate seats up in Carter's midterm and gained three seats overall, as inflation and a tax revolt hurt the Democrats.
33 Senate races were held in 1978, plus 2 special elections. Democrats won 14 and Republicans 19.
The closest were Virginia (R+0.4), Texas (R+0.5) and West Virginia (D+1.0). 12 seats changed party: Colorado to the Republicans, Iowa to the Republicans, Maine to the Republicans, Massachusetts to the Democrats, Michigan to the Democrats, Minnesota to the Republicans, Mississippi to the Republicans, Nebraska to the Democrats, New Hampshire to the Republicans, New Jersey to the Democrats, Oklahoma to the Democrats and South Dakota to the Republicans.
Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.
About the 1978 Senate elections
By 1978 inflation was high and California's Proposition 13 had set off a national revolt against taxes. Republicans won 18 Senate races and Democrats 15. Turnover was heavy, and Republicans made a net gain of three while Democrats kept a large majority. Republicans beat several liberal incumbents. Gordon Humphrey unseated Thomas McIntyre in New Hampshire, Roger Jepsen beat Dick Clark in Iowa, and William Cohen took Maine from William Hathaway. Minnesota elected two Republicans. In Mississippi, Thad Cochran became the first Republican elected to the Senate from the state since Reconstruction. Nancy Kassebaum won in Kansas. Democrats had wins too. Paul Tsongas beat Edward Brooke in Massachusetts, Carl Levin unseated Robert Griffin in Michigan, and Bill Bradley won New Jersey. The closest races went the Republicans' way: John Warner won Virginia by 0.4 points and John Tower held Texas by 0.5 points. Jennings Randolph held West Virginia by a point, and Charles Percy and Jesse Helms were re-elected.
Every race
| State | Democrat | Votes | Republican | Votes | Others | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Howell Heflin | 547,054 (94.0%) | none | Jerome B. Couch (Prohibition) 34,951 (6.0%) |
D+94.0 | |
| Alabama (special) | Donald Stewart | 401,852 (55.1%) | James D. Martin | 316,170 (43.3%) | 11,820 | D+11.7 |
| Alaska | Donald Hobbs | 29,574 (24.1%) | Ted Stevens | 92,783 (75.6%) | 384 | R+51.5 |
| Arkansas | David H. Pryor | 395,506 (76.5%) | Thomas Kelly Jr. | 84,308 (16.3%) | John G. Black (Independent) 37,211 (7.2%) |
D+60.2 |
| Colorado flip | Floyd K. Haskell | 330,148 (40.3%) | William L. Armstrong | 480,801 (58.7%) | 8,307 | R+18.4 |
| Delaware | Joseph R. Biden Jr. | 93,930 (58.0%) | James H. Baxter Jr. | 66,479 (41.0%) | 1,663 | D+16.9 |
| Georgia | Sam Nunn | 536,320 (83.1%) | John W. Stokes | 108,808 (16.9%) | D+66.3 | |
| Idaho | Dwight Jensen | 89,635 (31.6%) | James A. McClure | 194,412 (68.4%) | R+36.9 | |
| Illinois | Alex Seith | 1,448,187 (45.5%) | Charles H. Percy | 1,698,711 (53.3%) | 37,866 | R+7.9 |
| Iowa flip | Dick Clark | 395,066 (47.9%) | Roger W. Jepsen | 421,598 (51.1%) | 7,912 | R+3.2 |
| Kansas | Bill Roy | 317,602 (42.4%) | Nancy Landon Kassebaum | 403,354 (53.9%) | 27,883 | R+11.5 |
| Kentucky | Walter D. Huddleston | 290,730 (61.0%) | Louie Guenthner Jr. | 175,766 (36.9%) | 10,287 | D+24.1 |
| Louisiana | J. Bennett Johnston | 498,773 (59.4%) | none | Woody Jenkins (Democratic) 340,896 (40.6%) |
D+59.4 | |
| Louisiana: Decided in the open primary, where the winner took a majority. | ||||||
| Maine flip | William Hathaway | 127,327 (33.9%) | William Cohen | 212,294 (56.6%) | Hayes E. Gahagan (Independent) 27,824 (7.4%) |
R+22.7 |
| Massachusetts flip | Paul E. Tsongas | 1,093,283 (55.1%) | Edward W. Brooke | 890,584 (44.8%) | 1,833 | D+10.2 |
| Michigan flip | Carl Levin | 1,484,193 (52.1%) | Robert P. Griffin | 1,362,165 (47.9%) | 272 | D+4.3 |
| Minnesota flip | Wendell Anderson | 638,375 (40.4%) | Rudolph E. Boschwitz | 894,092 (56.6%) | 48,155 | R+16.2 |
| Minnesota (special) flip | Bob Short | 538,675 (34.6%) | David Durenberger | 957,908 (61.5%) | 61,793 | R+26.9 |
| Mississippi flip | Maurice Dantin | 187,541 (31.8%) | Thad Cochran | 267,302 (45.3%) | Charles Evers (Independent) 133,646 (22.6%) |
R+13.5 |
| Montana | Max Baucus | 160,353 (55.7%) | Larry Williams | 127,589 (44.3%) | D+11.4 | |
| Nebraska flip | J. James Exon | 334,276 (67.6%) | Donald Shasteen | 159,806 (32.3%) | 286 | D+35.3 |
| New Hampshire flip | Thomas J. McIntyre | 127,945 (48.5%) | Gordon J. Humphrey | 133,745 (50.7%) | 2,070 | R+2.2 |
| New Jersey flip | Bill Bradley | 1,082,960 (55.3%) | Jeffrey Bell | 844,200 (43.1%) | 30,355 | D+12.2 |
| New Mexico | Toney Anaya | 160,045 (46.6%) | Pete V. Domenici | 183,442 (53.4%) | R+6.8 | |
| North Carolina | John Randolph Ingram | 516,663 (45.5%) | Jesse Helms | 619,151 (54.5%) | R+9.0 | |
| Oklahoma flip | David Lyle Boren | 493,953 (65.5%) | Robert B. Kamm | 247,857 (32.9%) | 12,454 | D+32.6 |
| Oregon | Vern Cook | 341,616 (38.3%) | Mark Hatfield | 550,165 (61.6%) | 737 | R+23.4 |
| Rhode Island | Claiborne Pell | 229,557 (75.1%) | James Reynolds | 76,061 (24.9%) | D+50.2 | |
| South Carolina | Charles D. Ravenel | 280,146 (44.3%) | Strom Thurmond | 351,917 (55.7%) | R+11.4 | |
| South Dakota flip | Don Barnett | 84,767 (33.2%) | Larry Pressler | 170,832 (66.8%) | R+33.7 | |
| Tennessee | Jane Eskind | 466,228 (40.3%) | Howard H. Baker | 642,644 (55.5%) | 48,222 | R+15.3 |
| Texas | Robert Krueger | 1,139,149 (49.3%) | John G. Tower | 1,151,376 (49.8%) | 22,015 | R+0.5 |
| Virginia | Andrew P. Miller | 608,511 (49.8%) | John William Warner | 613,232 (50.2%) | 513 | R+0.4 |
| West Virginia | Jennings Randolph | 249,034 (50.5%) | Arch A. Moore Jr. | 244,317 (49.5%) | D+1.0 | |
| Wyoming | Raymond B. Whitaker | 50,456 (37.8%) | Alan Simpson | 82,908 (62.2%) | R+24.3 | |
Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Margins are Democrat minus Republican, of all votes. Certified results, from the states' own archives, the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, Heideman (2026) and Algara & Amlani (2021). By county: "As they were" draws each county as it stood on election day; "Today's" shares the old votes among today's counties by area. County boundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5). How these results were checked.