1978Final results
1978 election for Pennsylvania's 12th District
U.S. House · Pennsylvania
John Murtha (D) won with 68.7% of the vote, defeating Luther V. Elkin (R) by 37.4 points.
John MurthaDemocrat · winner
68.7%104,216
Luther V. ElkinRepublican
31.3%47,442
151,658 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