1982Final results
1982 election for Missouri's 8th District
U.S. House · Missouri
Bill Emerson (R) won with 53.1% of the vote, defeating Jerry Ford (D) by 6.2 points.
Bill EmersonRepublican · winner
53.1%86,493
Jerry FordDemocrat
46.9%76,413
162,906 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.
Jerry FordBill Emerson
$115.1K
Raised by the campaign
$460.8K
$97.8K
Spent by the campaign
$452.3K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1982.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1982