1978Final results
1978 election for California's 6th District
U.S. House · California
Phillip Burton (D) won with 68.3% of the vote, defeating Tom Spinosa (R) by 40.3 points.
Phillip BurtonDemocrat · winner
68.3%81,801
Tom SpinosaRepublican
28.0%33,515
Raymond O. HeapsAmerican Independent
3.7%4,452
119,768 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