1982Final results
1982 election for California's 12th District
U.S. House · California
Ed Zschau (R) won with 63.0% of the vote, defeating Emmett Lynch (D) by 29.5 points.
Ed ZschauRepublican · winner
63.0%115,365
Emmett LynchDemocrat
33.5%61,372
Bill WhiteLibertarian
3.5%6,471
183,208 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 1982
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.
Emmett LynchEd Zschau
$61.1K
Raised by the campaign
$647.8K
$61K
Spent by the campaign
$630.8K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1982.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1982