1986Final results
1986 election for California's 6th District
U.S. House · California
Barbara Boxer (D) won with 73.9% of the vote, defeating Franklin "harry" Ernst III (R) by 47.7 points.
Barbara BoxerDemocrat · winner
73.9%142,946
Franklin "harry" Ernst IIIRepublican
26.1%50,606
193,552 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.
Barbara BoxerFranklin "harry" Ernst III
$358K
Raised by the campaign
$10.2K
$279.7K
Spent by the campaign
$10.2K
$134.5K
Cash on hand
$103
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986