1982Final results
1982 election for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island
U.S. Senate · Rhode Island
John Chafee (R) won with 51.2% of the vote, defeating Julius C. Michaelson (D) by 2.4 points.
John ChafeeRepublican · winner
51.2%175,495
Julius C. MichaelsonDemocrat
48.8%167,283
342,778 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.
Julius C. MichaelsonJohn Chafee
$391.7K
Raised by the campaign
$1M
$379K
Spent by the campaign
$1M
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1982.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1982