1978Final results
1978 election for Massachusetts's 5th District
U.S. House · Massachusetts
James M. Shannon (D) won with 52.2% of the vote, defeating John J. Buckley (R) by 24.0 points.
James M. ShannonDemocrat · winner
52.2%90,156
John J. BuckleyRepublican
28.2%48,685
James J. Gaffney IIIIndependent
19.6%33,835
172,681 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