1980Final results
1980 election for Massachusetts's 5th District
U.S. House · Massachusetts
James M. Shannon (D) won with 66.0% of the vote, defeating William C. Sawyer (R) by 31.9 points.
James M. ShannonDemocrat · winner
66.0%136,758
William C. SawyerRepublican
34.0%70,547
207,321 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.
James M. ShannonWilliam C. Sawyer
$330.4K
Raised by the campaign
$79.4K
$326.6K
Spent by the campaign
$75.4K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980