1986Final results
1986 election for Arizona's 5th District
U.S. House · Arizona
James Kolbe (R) won with 64.9% of the vote, defeating Joel Ireland (D) by 29.7 points.
James KolbeRepublican · winner
64.9%119,647
Joel IrelandDemocrat
35.1%64,848
184,495 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 1986
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.
Joel IrelandJames Kolbe
$31.2K
Raised by the campaign
$629.6K
$31.2K
Spent by the campaign
$619.3K
$0
Cash on hand
$21.7K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986