1978 United States Senate election in Iowa

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1978 United States Senate election in Iowa

← 1972 November 7, 1978 1984 →

Nominee Roger Jepsen Dick Clark Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 421,598 395,066 Percentage 51.12% 47.91%

County results Jepsen:      40–50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Clark:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Dick Clark Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Roger Jepsen Republican

Elections in Iowa
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v t e

The 1978 United States Senate election in Iowa took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic Senator Dick Clark ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Republican former Lieutenant Governor Roger Jepsen. This was the last time until 2014 that a Republican would win Iowa's class 2 Senate seat.

• Gerald Leo Baker, computer programmer and mathematician from Cedar Falls
• Dick Clark, incumbent Senator
• Robert L. Nereim, resident of Des Moines and candidate for Senate in 1966

Following his defeat, Gerald Leo Baker announced an independent campaign for the general election.

• Joe Bertroche
• Roger Jepsen, former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
• Maurie Van Nostrand

General election results^[3][4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Roger Jepsen	421,598	51.12%	7.03
	Democratic	Dick Clark (incumbent)	395,066	47.91%	7.16
	Independent	Gerald Leo Baker	4,223	0.51%	N/A
	Libertarian	Ben L. Olson	3,689	0.45%	N/A
	Write-in	All others	78	0.01%	N/A
Total votes			824,654	100.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

• 1978 United States Senate elections