1980Final results
1980 election for Illinois's 5th District
U.S. House · Illinois
John G. Fary (D) won with 79.6% of the vote, defeating Robert V. Kotowski (R) by 59.3 points.
John G. FaryDemocrat · winner
79.6%106,142
Robert V. KotowskiRepublican
20.4%27,136
133,279 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.
John G. FaryRobert V. Kotowski
$69.3K
Raised by the campaign
$6.9K
$66K
Spent by the campaign
$6.9K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980; FEC, through Oct 27, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980