1976Final results
1976 election for U.S. Senate in California
U.S. Senate · California
S. I. (sam) Hayakawa (R) won with 50.2% of the vote, defeating John V. Tunney (D) by 3.3 points.
S. I. (sam) HayakawaRepublican · winner
50.2%3,748,973
John V. TunneyDemocrat
46.9%3,502,862
David WaldPeace and Freedom
1.4%104,383
Jack McCoyAmerican Independent
1.1%82,739
Omari MusaIndependent
0.4%31,629
7,470,586 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1976
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The candidates
S. I. (sam) Hayakawa (R)John V. Tunney (D)
Also on the ballot: David Wald (Peace and Freedom), 1.4%; Jack McCoy (American Independent), 1.1%; Omari Musa (Independent), 0.4%