1980Final results
1980 election for Florida's 5th District
U.S. House · Florida
Bill McCollum (R) won with 55.8% of the vote, defeating David Best (D) by 11.5 points.
Bill McCollumRepublican · winner
55.8%177,603
David BestDemocrat
44.2%140,903
318,506 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.
David BestBill McCollum
$155.9K
Raised by the campaign
$269.3K
$151.9K
Spent by the campaign
$263.7K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980