1978Final results
1978 election for Washington's 5th District
U.S. House · Washington
Thomas Foley (D) won with 48.0% of the vote, defeating Duane Alton (R) by 5.2 points.
Thomas FoleyDemocrat · winner
48.0%77,201
Duane AltonRepublican
42.7%68,761
Mel TonasketIndependent
9.3%14,887
160,849 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