2004Final results
2004 election for Illinois's 5th District
U.S. House · Illinois
Rahm Emanuel (D) won with 76.2% of the vote, defeating Bruce Best (R) by 52.4 points.
Rahm EmanuelDemocrat · winner
76.2%158,400
Bruce BestRepublican
23.8%49,530
207,930 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 2004
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.
Rahm EmanuelNo Republican
$1.6M
Raised by the campaign
—
$689.5K
Spent by the campaign
—
$1.1M
Cash on hand
—
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 2004.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 2004