1982Final results
1982 election for Florida's 7th District
U.S. House · Florida
Sam Gibbons (D) won with 74.2% of the vote, defeating Ken Ayers (R) by 48.4 points.
Sam GibbonsDemocrat · winner
74.2%85,331
Ken AyersRepublican
25.8%29,632
114,963 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.
Sam GibbonsKen Ayers
$118.1K
Raised by the campaign
$13.3K
$93.5K
Spent by the campaign
$13.3K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1982.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1982