1980Final results
1980 election for Illinois's 21st District
U.S. House · Illinois
Edward Madigan (R) won with 67.6% of the vote, defeating Penny L. Severns (D) by 35.1 points.
Edward MadiganRepublican · winner
67.6%132,186
Penny L. SevernsDemocrat
32.4%63,476
195,662 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.
Penny L. SevernsEdward Madigan
$33.3K
Raised by the campaign
$147.5K
$27.6K
Spent by the campaign
$148.1K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980