1978Final results
1978 election for California's 38th District
U.S. House · California
Jerry M. Patterson (D) won with 58.6% of the vote, defeating Dan Goedeke (R) by 17.2 points.
Jerry M. PattersonDemocrat · winner
58.6%75,471
Dan GoedekeRepublican
41.4%53,298
128,769 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