PolitiFinder

1980 California U.S. House District 16 Election

California · 4 candidates · See every 1980 U.S. House race

Who won the 1980 California U.S. House District 16 Election?

Leon E. Panetta won the 1980 California U.S. House District 16 Election. Leon E. Panetta received 158,360 popular votes (71%). The main challenger was W.A. Jack Roth (24.51%).

See the full head-to-head between Panetta and Roth

Panetta +46.5 pts · won by 103,685 votes
Leon E. PanettaDemocraticWINNER71%
158,360 votes
W.A. Jack RothRepublican24.51%
54,675 votes
Kenton H. BowersLibertarian3.05%
6,802 votes
Jeff MauroIndependent1.43%
3,198 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.