1978Final results
1978 election for Illinois's 18th District
U.S. House · Illinois
Robert Michel (R) won with 65.9% of the vote, defeating Virgil R. Grunkmeyer (D) by 31.8 points.
Robert MichelRepublican · winner
65.9%85,973
Virgil R. GrunkmeyerDemocrat
34.1%44,527
130,514 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