1980Final results
1980 election for Indiana's 5th District
U.S. House · Indiana
Elwood H. Hillis (R) won with 61.7% of the vote, defeating Nels J. Ackerson (D) by 23.4 points.
Elwood H. HillisRepublican · winner
61.7%129,474
Nels J. AckersonDemocrat
38.3%80,378
209,852 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.
Nels J. AckersonElwood H. Hillis
$102.7K
Raised by the campaign
$134.7K
$106.4K
Spent by the campaign
$173.5K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980