1978Final results
1978 election for Tennessee's 1st District
U.S. House · Tennessee
James Quillen (R) won with 64.5% of the vote, defeating William Gordon Ball (D) by 29.0 points.
James QuillenRepublican · winner
64.5%92,143
William Gordon BallDemocrat
35.5%50,694
142,841 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