1980Final results
1980 election for California's 6th District
U.S. House · California
Phillip Burton (D) won with 69.4% of the vote, defeating Tom Spinosa (R) by 43.7 points.
Phillip BurtonDemocrat · winner
69.4%93,400
Tom SpinosaRepublican
25.6%34,500
Roy ChildsLibertarian
5.0%6,750
134,650 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 1980
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Phillip BurtonTom Spinosa
$141K
Raised by the campaign
$6.9K
$140.8K
Spent by the campaign
$6.9K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980