PolitiFinder

1976 California U.S. House District 37 Election

California · 3 candidates · See every 1976 U.S. House race

Who won the 1976 California U.S. House District 37 Election?

Shirley N. Pettis won the 1976 California U.S. House District 37 Election. Shirley N. Pettis received 133,634 popular votes (71.08%). The main challenger was Douglas C. Nilson Jr. (26.07%).

See the full head-to-head between Pettis and Jr.

Pettis +45.0 pts · won by 84,613 votes
Shirley N. PettisRepublicanWINNER71.08%
133,634 votes
Douglas C. Nilson Jr.Democratic26.07%
49,021 votes
Bernard WahlIndependent2.85%
5,352 votes
Popular-vote totals for U.S. House elections come from the MIT Election Data and Science Lab (1976–2024).

Data last verified July 28, 2026.