1978Final results
1978 election for California's 16th District
U.S. House · California
Leon Panetta (D) won with 61.4% of the vote, defeating Eric Seastrand (R) by 22.7 points.
Leon PanettaDemocrat · winner
61.4%104,550
Eric SeastrandRepublican
38.6%65,808
170,358 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 1978
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET