1996Final results
1996 election for California's 12th District
U.S. House · California
Tom Lantos (D) won with 71.7% of the vote, defeating Storm Jenkins (R) by 48.0 points.
Tom LantosDemocrat · winner
71.7%149,049
Storm JenkinsRepublican
23.7%49,276
Christopher Va SchmidtLibertarian
2.9%6,111
Richard BorgNatural Law
1.7%3,472
207,908 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 1996
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 LantosStorm Jenkins
$246.3K
Raised by the campaign
$4.5K
$591.3K
Spent by the campaign
$4K
$158.3K
Cash on hand
$519
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996; FEC, through Jun 30, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996
The candidates
Tom Lantos (D)Storm Jenkins (R)
Also on the ballot: Christopher Va Schmidt (Libertarian), 2.9%; Richard Borg (Natural Law), 1.7%