1978Final results
1978 election for Iowa's 5th District
U.S. House · Iowa
Tom Harkin (D) won with 58.9% of the vote, defeating Julian B. Garrett (R) by 17.9 points.
Tom HarkinDemocrat · winner
58.9%82,333
Julian B. GarrettRepublican
41.1%57,377
139,710 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