1980Final results
1980 election for U.S. Senate in Idaho
U.S. Senate · Idaho
Steven Symms (R) won with 49.7% of the vote, defeating Frank Church (D) by 1.0 points.
Steven SymmsRepublican · winner
49.7%218,701
Frank ChurchDemocrat
48.8%214,439
Larry FullmerLibertarian
1.5%6,507
439,647 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.
Frank ChurchSteven Symms
$1.7M
Raised by the campaign
$1.5M
$1.7M
Spent by the campaign
$1.6M
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980