1982Final results
1982 election for Iowa's 5th District
U.S. House · Iowa
Tom Harkin (D) won with 58.9% of the vote, defeating Arlyn E. Danker (R) by 17.7 points.
Tom HarkinDemocrat · winner
58.9%93,333
Arlyn E. DankerRepublican
41.1%65,200
158,563 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.
Tom HarkinArlyn E. Danker
$335.1K
Raised by the campaign
$153.8K
$312.8K
Spent by the campaign
$153.8K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1982.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1982