1980Final results
1980 election for Connecticut's 5th District
U.S. House · Connecticut
William R. Ratchford (D) won with 50.4% of the vote, defeating Edward M. Donahue (R) by 0.7 points.
William R. RatchfordDemocrat · winner
50.4%117,316
Edward M. DonahueRepublican
49.6%115,614
232,943 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.
William R. RatchfordEdward M. Donahue
$107.9K
Raised by the campaign
$52.5K
$105.9K
Spent by the campaign
$52.7K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980