United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1978

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1978

November 7, 1978

Nominee Howard Baker Jane Eskind Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 642,644 466,228 Percentage 55.54% 40.30%

Senator before election Howard Baker Republican Elected Senator Howard Baker Republican

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United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1978 took place on November 7, as a part of the Senate class 2 election.

Situation

Two-term popular incumbent Howard Baker, who had served as United States Senate Minority Leader since 1977, ran for reelection against first-time candidate and Democratic Party activist Jane Eskind.

Democratic nomination

Candidates:

• Jame Boyd
• Walter Bradley
• Former State Senate Majority Leader Bill Bruce
• Jane Eskind
• James Foster
• Douglas L. Heinsohn
• J. D. Lee
• Virginia Nyabongo
• Charles Gordon Vick

In the primary, held on August 3, Eskind won in an open primary against eight other candidates:^[1]

• Eskind - 196,156 (34.52%)
• Bruce - 170,795 (30.06%)
• Lee - 89,939 (15.83%)
• Boyd - 48,458 (8.53%)
• Bradley - 22,130 (3.90%)
• Heinsohn - 17,787 (3.13%)
• Foster - 10,671 (1.88%)
• Nyabongo - 7,682 (1.35%)
• Vick - 4,414 (0.78%)
• Write-in - 147 (0.03%)

Republican nomination

Candidates:

• Incumbent United States Senator and Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker
• J. Durelle Boles
• Harvey Howard
• Hubert David Patty
• Dayton Seiler
• Francis Trapp

In the primary, held on August 3, Baker easily emerged as the winner:^[2]

• Baker - 205,680 (83.44%)
• Howard - 21,154 (8.58%)
• Boles - 8,899 (3.61%)
• Patty - 3,941 (1.60%)
• Seiler - 3,831 (1.55%)
• Trapp - 2,994 (1.22%)

General election

Baker won with a 15-point margin in the general election, held on November 7:^[3]

References