1996Final results
1996 election for Michigan's 5th District
U.S. House · Michigan
James Barcia (D) won with 70.0% of the vote, defeating Lawrence H. Sims (R) by 41.8 points.
James BarciaDemocrat · winner
70.0%162,675
Lawrence H. SimsRepublican
28.2%65,542
Mark OwenLibertarian
1.3%2,906
Brian D. EllisonNatural Law
0.5%1,272
232,451 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.
James BarciaLawrence H. Sims
$205.4K
Raised by the campaign
$168.2K
$200.6K
Spent by the campaign
$162.7K
$66.8K
Cash on hand
$5.5K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996
The candidates
James Barcia (D)Lawrence H. Sims (R)
Also on the ballot: Mark Owen (Libertarian), 1.3%; Brian D. Ellison (Natural Law), 0.5%