1978 Uganda National League, Overview
The 1978 Uganda National League was contested by 15 teams and was won by Simba FC, while Uganda Police FC and Black Rhino were relegated.


1978 Uganda National League, Leading goalscorer
The top goalscorer in the 1978 season was Jimmy Kirunda of Kampala City Council FC with 32 goals.


1978 United Bank Tennis Classic
The 1978 United Bank Tennis Classic, also known as the Denver WCT, was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in Denver, Colorado in the United States that was part of the 1978 Grand Prix circuit. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and took place from February 20 through February 26, 1978. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title, his third at the event after 1975 and 1976.


1978 United Bank Tennis Classic, Finals, Doubles
Bob Hewitt /  Frew McMillan defeated  Fred McNair /  Sherwood Stewart 6–3, 6–2


1978 United Kingdom local elections
Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1978. Elections took place in the London boroughs and metropolitan districts.


1978 United Kingdom local elections
The main opposition Conservative Party gained 275 seats, bringing their number of councillors to 12,645. They gained Oldham and Havering from no overall control, and Ealing, Hillingdon, Wandsworth and Sandwell from Labour.


1978 United Kingdom local elections
The governing Labour Party lost 461 seats, leaving them with 6,644 councillors. In addition to their losses to the Conservatives they also lost South Tyneside, Hammersmith and Fulham and Wolverhampton to no overall control.


1978 United Kingdom local elections
The Liberal Party lost 163 seats in total, leaving them with 923 councillors.


1978 United Kingdom local elections, England, London boroughs
In all 32 London boroughs the whole council was up for election.


1978 United Kingdom local elections, England, Metropolitan boroughs
All 36 metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.


1978 United Kingdom local elections, England, District councils
In 44 districts one third of the council was up for election.


1978 United Kingdom local elections, England, District councils
These were the first councils which had passed a resolution under section 7 (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972, requesting a system of elections by thirds. They could do so because they had had their new ward boundaries introduced at the 1976 elections.


1978 United Malays National Organisation leadership election
A leadership election was held by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party on 15 September 1978. It was won by incumbent Prime Minister and acting President of UMNO, Hussein Onn.


1978 United Nations Security Council election
The 1978 United Nations Security Council election was held on 10 November 1978 during the Thirty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The General Assembly elected Bangladesh, Jamaica, Norway, Portugal, and Zambia, as the five new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for two-year mandates commencing on 1 January 1979. Notably, Bangladesh, Jamaica and Portugal were elected members of the council for the first time.


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Rules
The Security Council has 15 seats, filled by five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. Each year, half of the non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms. A sitting member may not immediately run for re-election.


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Rules
In accordance with the rules whereby the ten non-permanent UNSC seats rotate among the various regional blocs into which UN member states traditionally divide themselves for voting and representation purposes, the five available seats are allocated as follows:


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Rules
To be elected, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. If the vote is inconclusive after the first round, three rounds of restricted voting shall take place, followed by three rounds of unrestricted voting, and so on, until a result has been obtained. In restricted voting, only official candidates may be voted on, while in unrestricted voting, any member of the given regional group, with the exception of current Council members, may be voted on.


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Rules, Candidates
Prior to the election, Mr. Francis of New Zealand, in his capacity as chairman for the month of the Western European and Others Group, informed the General Assembly that there were three candidates from the group to the two vacancies, namely Malta, Norway, and Portugal. Next, Mr. Albornoz of Ecuador spoke for the Latin American Group and named Jamaica as the group's endorsed and single candidate.


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Result
The election was managed by then-President of the United Nations General Assembly Indalecio Liévano of Colombia. The United Nations had 151 member states at this time (for a timeline of UN membership, see Enlargement of the United Nations). Voting was conducted on single ballots. Ballots containing more states from a certain region than seats allocated to that region were invalidated.


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Result
In the first round of voting, Jamaica, Norway, and Zambia were elected, but the results for the Asian and Western European groups were inconclusive. In the second round, voting was restricted to the two most successful candidates of each group, namely Bangladesh and Japan for Asia, and Malta and Portugal for Western Europe, respectively. This second round of voting was also inconclusive, and the meeting rose.


1978 United Nations Security Council election, Result
Later the same day, on the 51st plenary meeting, prior to the third round of voting, Mr. Abe of Japan rose to speak and withdrew Japan's candidature, also stating that "the Government of Japan hopes to serve on the Security Council when there is an appropriate opportunity in the future". Hence Bangladesh was elected in the third round (second restricted), while the results for Western Europe remained inconclusive. Mr. Huq of Bangladesh rose to speak to thank the member states on the election and Japan on their withdrawal. The fourth round (third restricted) was also inconclusive. In the fifth round (unrestricted), Portugal was elected, and the election was concluded.


1978 United States Grand Prix
The 1978 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 1, 1978, at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. This event was also referred to as the United States Grand Prix East in order to distinguish it from the United States Grand Prix West held on April 2, 1978, in Long Beach, California.


1978 United States Grand Prix
At the preceding Italian Grand Prix, Mario Andretti had secured the driver's championship. At Watkins Glen, Andretti put his Lotus 79 on the pole before a record crowd of over 150,000 fans, but Ferrari's Carlos Reutemann completed a sweep of the two United States races in 1978 by finishing 19 seconds ahead of Australian Alan Jones. Andretti developed brake problems early on and would retire with a blown engine.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Background and practice sessions
Ronnie Peterson had been killed following a multiple car pile-up at the Italian Grand Prix. Following the race, the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) had a meeting centering on Riccardo Patrese, who the GPDA blamed for the crash. The GPDA filed an injunction to bar Patrese from participating in the 1978 United States Grand Prix weekend, which was allowed. Patrese, who believed that he was not to blame for the fatal accident at Monza, was furious at this action taken, and he tried unsuccessfully to stop the race from taking place.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Background and practice sessions
Replacing the late Peterson for this race and the next one in Canada was Jean-Pierre Jarier.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Background and practice sessions
Friday was warm and sunny, and Andretti set a new track record of 1:39.82. He later lowered that to 1:38.92, ahead of the Ferraris of Reutemann and Canadian rookie Gilles Villeneuve, then the two Brabhams of Niki Lauda and John Watson. American Brett Lunger, about to drive in his last Formula One race, was at the wheel of an Ensign for the first time, after his McLaren was damaged in the opening lap crash at Monza that claimed the life of Peterson. Bobby Rahal had been enlisted from Formula Atlantic to partner Jody Scheckter, as Canadian Walter Wolf was running two cars for the first time.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Background and practice sessions
Starting carefully in his first F1 drive, Rahal took more than a second off his lap time in the Friday afternoon session, then another half-second on Saturday and qualified 20th. High winds on Saturday meant that only eight drivers improved their times, with Alan Jones jumping up to third spot on his last lap. Despite the wind, Andretti improved his pace-setting time to 1:38.114, more than a second ahead of Reutemann.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Background and practice sessions
After Friday's qualifying, Andretti had been so pleased with his car that he said, "We don't know any more that we can do. She is so right. What can I say?" Race organizers feared that an Andretti win would trigger pandemonium in the massive crowd, and they had Mario and his wife, Dee Ann, pose for photos on the podium with the winner's trophy before the race.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Race
Sunday produced threatening skies, but no rain. On the last lap of the morning warm-up, the rear stub axle on Andretti's Lotus broke in the left-hander entering The Anvil (nicknamed "Ickx's Corner" after a crash the Belgian had there in 1976). The car spun several times and then hit the barrier, knocking off a rear wheel. Faulty material in the part was blamed, and, with no time to test the spare car, Andretti used his teammate Jean-Pierre Jarier's car for the race.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Race
At the start, Andretti took the lead, while Emerson Fittipaldi and Héctor Rebaque (in 13th and 23rd places) both immediately burned out their clutches. Rebaque's race was over, but Fittipaldi managed to get his car in gear, nursed it around for a lap while it cooled off, and then drove through the field to finish fifth.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Race
After one lap, Andretti had a four car-length lead over Reutemann and Villeneuve. They were followed by Jones, Lauda, Jarier, Hunt, Watson and Scheckter. Knowing the car had a brake problem, Andretti was hoping he could cope with it, as he had at Monza. Immediately, his lead began to disintegrate. On lap three, Reutemann went by, and on lap four, Villeneuve. As the Ferraris pulled away, Jarier came in on lap 11 from 11th place to change a deflating front tire. After going back out, the car was still bottoming, but once his fuel load lightened, he set the race's fastest lap, which would have qualified him third.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Race
Nearing the halfway point, the Ferraris were running first and second. Then, on lap 23, Villeneuve's engine blew a piston, and Jones, who had overtaken Andretti two laps earlier, inherited second, 35 seconds behind Reutemann. On lap 25, Lauda passed Andretti for third, and three laps later, Andretti's engine blew. Scheckter and Jean-Pierre Jabouille's Renault were battling for fourth, which became third when Lauda also blew up just a lap after Andretti. Jarier was immediately behind them and closing rapidly.


1978 United States Grand Prix, Summary, Race
When Jabouille ran into brake trouble, he was caught by both Scheckter and Jarier. Jarier went by both of them to take third, while Scheckter also passed Jabouille to regain fourth. Jarier's race ended with three and a half laps to go when he ran out of fuel, giving Scheckter the final podium position. Reutemann came home almost twenty seconds ahead of Jones to take the eighth Grand Prix win of his career, the third in the US. Jabouille's fourth place scored the first points for Renault and the first for a turbocharged engine; within a few years, turbocharged engines dominated Formula One.


1978 United States Grand Prix West
The 1978 United States Grand Prix West (officially the Long Beach Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on April 2, 1978, at Long Beach, California.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
Carlos Reutemann took over at the halfway mark from Ferrari teammate Gilles Villeneuve, when the Canadian crashed out of the lead, and won by eleven seconds. It was the second American victory for the Argentine, who also won for Brabham at Watkins Glen in 1974. American Mario Andretti finished second to maintain a share of the Championship lead with Reutemann.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
At the start of the weekend, though only 22 cars would make the grid, there were 30 entries, requiring a one-hour pre-qualifying session on Friday morning for the eight non-FICA members. From these eight, the fastest four would join the rest of the field in qualifying for one of the 22 starting spots.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
Niki Lauda, who had placed his Ferrari on pole for the previous year's race, again set the early pace, this time in a Brabham. Late in the Friday morning session, however, Reutemann suddenly jumped to the top of the sheets with a 1:20.99 and eventually posted the day's best of 1:20.636. As usual at Long Beach, a number of drivers suffered from broken gearboxes, and on Saturday, though the weather was better, no one was able to better Reutemann's time. The first three rows of the final grid were occupied by just three teams, as Villeneuve completed the all-Ferrari front row, Brabham teammates Lauda and John Watson were third and fifth, and the Lotus pair of Andretti and Ronnie Peterson were fourth and sixth.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
A beautiful California day and 75,000 paying fans showed up for the race on Sunday. The start had been moved from in front of the pits on Ocean Boulevard to the curving "straight" on Shoreline Drive in order to avoid another first corner tangle. The strategy seemed to work, as everyone got through cleanly, though John Watson's late braking maneuver down the inside caused him to exit wide from the hairpin and force polesitter Reutemann wide with him, so Villeneuve tucked into the lead as they exited.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
After one lap, the order was Villeneuve, Watson, Lauda, Reutemann, Andretti, Alan Jones, James Hunt and Peterson. In the lead of a Grand Prix for the first time, Villeneuve was driving superbly, as he began to extend his lead. On lap six, Hunt struck the wall at the apex of the last turn before the pit straight and knocked his right front wheel off. Three laps later, Watson retired from second with a blown engine. Andretti was dropping back in fourth, having chosen the wrong Goodyears and a poor top gear, and Jones was closing on him quickly. On lap 19, the Williams went through and took off after Reutemann.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
With Villeneuve's lead at two seconds, Reutemann was pushing Lauda hard for second place. Suddenly, on lap 28, the Brabham went straight on at Turn One, looking as if his brakes had failed. Lauda stopped safely, however, stepped out and removed his helmet. An electrical failure had cut the motor. Meanwhile, Jones had caught up to Reutemann, and the top three were separated by just 2.5 seconds.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
On lap 39, just before the halfway point, Villeneuve came up to lap Clay Regazzoni, who was in a battle with Jean-Pierre Jabouille's Renault. Rather than wait until the straight, the Canadian tried to get by in the twisty section leading up to Ocean Boulevard. There simply wasn't room, however, and, when Regazzoni braked earlier than Villeneuve expected, the Ferrari's right front wheel hit the left rear of the Shadow and was launched over the white car into the wall. Fortunately, no one was hurt.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
This left Reutemann in the lead, ahead of Jones, then a long gap back to Andretti. Lap after lap, Jones hounded Reutemann, but the Ferrari was too fast down the straight for him to get by. On about lap 47, with Jones still on the Ferrari's tail, the front wings of the Williams strangely flopped down, the result of a fabrication failure. Jones continued to battle, but began losing around a second a lap. Adding to the Aussie's misery, his fuel pressure began fluctuating. His head jerked back and forth as the engine sputtered and, sometimes, cut out entirely. As one car after another passed, the struggling Williams fell all the way to eighth place. Recording the fastest lap of the race on lap 27 and repassing Emerson Fittipaldi on the last lap for seventh place were his only consolations after a spectacular drive.


1978 United States Grand Prix West, Summary
Reutemann cruised to the finish, maintaining a twelve to fifteen second gap over Andretti, who had a similar cushion over Patrick Depailler in third.


1978 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska
The Alaska congressional election of 1978 was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1978. The term of the state's sole Representative to the United States House of Representatives expired on January 3, 1979. The winning candidate would serve a two-year term from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1981.


1978 United States House of Representatives election in District of Columbia
The 1978 congressional election for the Delegate from the District of Columbia was held on November 7, 1978. The winner of the race was Walter E. Fauntroy (D), who won his fourth re-election. All elected members would serve in 96th United States Congress.


1978 United States House of Representatives election in District of Columbia
The non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the District of Columbia is elected for two-year terms, as are all other Representatives and Delegates minus the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, who is elected to a four-year term.


1978 United States House of Representatives election in District of Columbia, Candidates
Walter E. Fauntroy, a Democrat, sought re-election for his fifth term to the United States House of Representatives. Fauntroy was opposed in this election by Republican challenger Jackson R. Champion and Statehood Party candidate Gregory Rowe who received 12.02% and 4.04%, respectively. This resulted in Fauntroy being elected with 79.59% of the vote.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections
The 1978 United States House of Representatives elections was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1978 which occurred in the middle of President Jimmy Carter's term, when the country was going through an energy crisis and facing rapid inflation. The President's Democratic Party lost seats to the opposition Republican Party, in this case a net of 15 meaning the loss of their two-thirds majority but the Democrats still retained a rather large majority. This was the last midterm election where the Democrats managed to maintain a majority under a Democratic president and a registered third party member was elected.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in California
The United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1978 was an election for California's delegation to the United States House of Representatives, which occurred as part of the general election of the House of Representatives on November 7, 1978. Republicans knocked off three Democratic incumbents.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in California, Results
Final results from the Clerk of the House of Representatives:


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland
The 1978 congressional elections in Maryland were held on November 7, 1978, to determine who will represent the state of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives. Maryland has eight seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1970 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 96th Congress from January 3, 1979 until January 3, 1981.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
The 1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 7, 1978, to select six Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. The primary elections for the Democrats and the Republicans were held on June 13. All five incumbents who ran were re-elected, but the open seat in the 4th congressional district was taken by the Republicans from the Democrats. The composition of the state delegation after the elections was four Democrats and two Republicans.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1st congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Mendel Jackson Davis of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1971, defeated Benjamin Frasier in the Democratic primary and Republican C.C. Wannamaker in the general election.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 2nd congressional district
Incumbent Republican Congressman Floyd Spence of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1971, defeated Democratic challenger Jack Bass.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 3rd congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Butler Derrick of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1975, defeated Republican challenger Anthony J. Panuccio.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 4th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman James R. Mann of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1969, opted to retire. Carroll A. Campbell Jr., a Republican state senator from Greenville, defeated Robert Watkins in the Republican primary and Democrat Max M. Heller in the general election.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 5th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Kenneth Lamar Holland of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1975, defeated Colleen H. Yates in the Democratic primary and Independent Harold Hough in the general election.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 6th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John Jenrette of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1975, defeated Jeryl Best in the Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election.


1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia
The 1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 7, 1978 to determine who will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. Virginia had ten seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1970 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama
The 1978 United States Senate election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Sparkman decided to retire and Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin was elected to succeed him.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama
Heflin won the Democratic primary against Rep. Walter Flowers and faced only nominal opposition from Prohibition Party nominee Jerome Couch in the general election.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama, Democratic primary, Campaign
Prior to 1978, Alabama had never popularly elected any Senator from a party other than the Democratic Party, and Democratic candidates typically faced nominal opposition in the general election. Therefore, victory in the Democratic primary was considered tantamount to election.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama, Democratic primary, Campaign
Incumbent Democrat John Sparkman declined to seek a seventh consecutive term in office. Senator Sparkman retired as the longest-serving Senator in Alabama history.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama, Democratic primary, Campaign
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Howell Heflin and Congressman Walter Flowers of Tuscaloosa were the leading candidates. Heflin came from a noted Alabama political family which included former Senator James Thomas Heflin, a famous advocate of white supremacy. Flowers was a strong ally of Governor George Wallace, a critic of President Carter, and had cast a crucial vote to impeach Richard Nixon, despite Nixon's strong support in the state.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama, Democratic primary, Campaign
During the campaign, Heflin attempted to tie himself to the late Senator James Allen. He was rebuffed by Allen's widow, Maryon, who succeeded her husband as Senator and supported Flowers. Maryon noted that Heflin worked for her husband's primary opponent during the 1974 campaign.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama, Democratic primary, Results
Heflin and Flowers both proceeded to a run-off election, where Heflin won by over 250,000 votes.


1978 United States Senate election in Alabama, Republican primary, Candidates, Withdrew
After James Martin withdrew from the race to run in the concurrent special election to fill the late Senator Allen's seat, the Republican Party was left without a candidate for this election.


1978 United States Senate election in Alaska
The 1978 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Democrat Donald Hobbs.


1978 United States Senate election in Arkansas
The 1978 United States Senate election in Arkansas took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent U.S. Senator John L. McClellan had died the previous December, leaving the seat vacant. Interim appointee Kaneaster Hodges Jr. did not run to the full seat, and was succeeded by Governor of Arkansas David Pryor.


1978 United States Senate election in Arkansas
Pryor won a highly-competitive three-way primary against U.S. Representatives Jim Guy Tucker and Ray Thornton, then defeated Tucker in a run-off election. Having secured the Democratic nomination, which was often tantamount to election in the American South prior to the 1980s, Pryor easily defeated Republican nominee Thomas Kelly and independent candidate John Black.


1978 United States Senate election in Colorado
The 1978 United States Senate election in Colorado took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic Senator Floyd Haskell ran for re-election to a second term, but was soundly defeated by Republican U.S. Representative William L. Armstrong.


1978 United States Senate election in Delaware
The 1978 United States Senate election in Delaware was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator Joe Biden won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican challenger James H. Baxter Jr in a landslide victory. This is the first of five elections that Biden won all counties. Biden went on to become Vice President, and later President. Biden, the youngest senator at the time of his first reelection, is the oldest President.


1978 United States Senate election in Georgia
The 1978 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Sam Nunn won re-election to a second term.


1978 United States Senate election in Idaho
The 1978 United States Senate election in Idaho took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator James McClure was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating little-known Democrat Dwight Jensen.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois
The 1978 United States Senate election in Illinois took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican United States Senator Charles H. Percy ran for re-election to a third term in the United States Senate. Percy was opposed by Democratic nominee Alex Seith, an attorney who had been appointed to several local government positions.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois
Though Percy had been originally been expected to have an easy to reelection over Seith, a first-time candidate, the election quickly became competitive.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois
As of 2021, this is the last time the Republicans won the Class 2 Senate seat in Illinois, and also the last time a Republican Senate candidate has carried Cook County.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois, Election information
The primary (held on March 21) and general election coincided with those for House and state elections.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois, Election information, Turnout
Turnout in the primaries was 19.88%, with a total of 1,171,744 votes cast.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois, Election information, Turnout
Turnout during the general election was 54.82%, with 3,184,764 votes cast.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois, General election, Campaign
Though Percy had been expected to coast to re-election over Seith, a first-time candidate, the election quickly became competitive. In the last few days of the campaign, a desperate Percy ran a television advertisement that featured him apologizing and acknowledging that, "I got your message and you're right." Percy's last-ditch effort appeared to have paid off, as he was able to edge out Seith to win what would end up being his third and final term in the Senate.


1978 United States Senate election in Illinois, General election, Results
According to an NBC News exit poll, Percy won 50% of black voters, 54% of voters 35 years old or young, and 58% of Jewish voters.


1978 United States Senate election in Iowa
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 Lt. Governor Roger Jepsen. Until 2014, this was the last time Republicans won Iowa's Class II Senate seat.


1978 United States Senate election in Iowa, Democratic primary, Results
Following his defeat, Gerald Leo Baker announced an independent campaign for the general election.


1978 United States Senate election in Kansas
The 1978 United States Senate election in Kansas took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator James B. Pearson did not run for re-election to a third full term.


1978 United States Senate election in Kansas
Nancy Landon Kassebaum, the daughter of former Governor Alf Landon, won the election, defeating a large field of Republican candidates in the primary and Democratic former U.S. Representative Bill Roy in the general election.


1978 United States Senate election in Kansas
Kassebaum became the first woman elected to a full term in the Senate without her husband having previously served in Congress. In fact, at the time of the election, she was separated from her husband John Philip Kassebaum. Their divorce was finalized in 1979, making Kassebaum the first single divorcée to serve in the U.S. Senate.


1978 United States Senate election in Kansas, Democratic primary, Results
Though he was defeated in the Democratic primary, James Maher ran in the general election as the nominee of the Conservative Party.


1978 United States Senate election in Kentucky
The 1978 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent U.S. Senator Walter Huddleston was re-elected to a second term. As of 2021, this is the last time the Democrats won the Class 2 Senate seat in Kentucky.


1978 United States Senate election in Louisiana
The open primary election for the 1978 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on September 16, 1978.


1978 United States Senate election in Louisiana
Incumbent Senator J. Bennett Johnston won the election with 59.40% of the vote and was declared elected by a majority, dispelling the need for a general election in November.


1978 United States Senate election in Louisiana, Results, General election
By virtue of Johnston's majority of the vote in the primary election, he was unopposed in the general election. Under Louisiana state law at the time, it was not required to tabulate votes for unopposed candidates.


1978 United States Senate election in Maine
The 1978 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator William Hathaway decided to run for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by William Cohen, the Republican nominee and the U.S. Representative from Maine's 2nd congressional district. No incumbent Senator has lost by such a large margin since Hathaway's 22.65-point loss.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
The United States Senate election of 1978 in Massachusetts was held on November 7, 1978, with the incumbent Republican Senator Edward Brooke being defeated by then Democratic Congressman Paul Tsongas.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Primary elections nominating Tsongas and Brooke were held on September 19.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
Brooke was dogged throughout the campaign by questions surrounding his 1975 divorce and an ongoing Senate Ethics investigation. Additionally, he faced a competitive primary challenge that may have weakened his standing ahead of the general election.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Democratic primary, Campaign
In the early stages of the campaign season, Republican incumbent Ed Brooke seemed like a strong candidate for re-election. In 1972, he defeated his Democratic challenger by nearly 700,000 votes while President Nixon failed to carry the state. Because of Brooke's apparent strength, most Democrats avoided the race in its early stages.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Democratic primary, Campaign
The first to declare her candidacy was Elaine Noble, a two-term State Representative serving the Back Bay and Fenway-Kenmore neighborhoods of Boston. Noble was primarily known for her status as the highest-ranking openly gay elected official in United States history to this point and was described in the Washington Post as "an avowed lesbian."


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Democratic primary, Campaign
As Senator Brooke began to appear more vulnerable, more experienced Democrats declared their campaigns. By the time Brooke's divorce proceedings concluded, Noble was joined by Secretary of the Commonwealth Paul Guzzi, Lowell congressman Paul Tsongas, and pro-busing Boston School Committee member Kathleen Alioto. Soon, conservative Howard Phillips entered the race, hoping to exploit a four-way split in the liberal vote.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Democratic primary, Campaign
The race was considered a three-way contest between Alioto, Guzzi, and Tsongas. Guzzi was considered the early favorite, due to his statewide office and name recognition. However, Tsongas demonstrated a familiarity with national issues and aired clever ads that played off his hard-to-pronounce name. By the closing days of the campaign, some considered Tsongas the slight favorite.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Democratic primary, Results
On Election Day, Tsongas won by a margin of 37,955 votes out of over 710,000 cast. Unlike most Democratic primaries in the state, Tsongas was able to win without a strong showing in Boston and its surrounding suburbs, where most Democrats lived. Instead, he relied on strong support from his base of constituents around Lowell. While Guzzi was strong throughout the state, he was overwhelmed by Tsongas's support in Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. Alioto performed strongest on the South Coast.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Campaign
Senator Brooke, who had been unopposed in his 1972 bid for re-nomination, was challenged by radio host Avi Nelson.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Campaign
Brooke was considered a liberal, and Nelson attacked him for being out of step with the increasingly conservative Republican Party base. The race drew comparison to the New Jersey Senate Republican primary held in June that year, where young conservative activist Jeff Bell defeated long-serving incumbent liberal Clifford Case. Both elections were considered signs that the Republican Party had moved in a more conservative direction.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Campaign
During the campaign, Brooke faced questions about his ongoing divorce, but Nelson declined to comment on the issue directly.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Campaign
Nelson instead focused his attacks on Brooke's support of the Panama Canal Treaty, federally financed abortions, and his decision to decline to sponsor the Roth-Kemp tax cut. In response, Brooke emphasized his support for cuts to the capital gains tax and his opposition to defense spending cuts.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Campaign
Observers expected that if Nelson won, he would be unlikely to win the general election. In an effort to stave off an upset victory, Republican National Committee Chairman Bill Brock recorded radio advertisements supporting Brooke. Some of Brooke's conservative Senate colleagues also issued a letter of support.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Results
On Election Day, Brooke defeated Nelson by a margin of 17,963 votes.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, Republican primary, Results
Brooke performed strongest in Boston and the North Shore, while Nelson received strong support in Plymouth and Bristol counties.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, General election campaign
Early in the campaign season, Brooke was considered a favorite for re-election. Tsongas was a relatively unknown Representative statewide and nationally, whereas Brooke remained something of an icon as the first popularly-elected black Senator and a member of Republican leadership.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, General election campaign
However, Brooke faced mounting scrutiny from the news media after his decision to divorce from his wife of 29 years, Remigia, in 1975. The couple had been separated for many years and Brooke was frequently seen in the company of other women in Washington, including Barbara Walters. After Senator Brooke filed for divorce, Remigia responded with a suit of her own, alleging "cruel and abusive treatment." While not directly addressing Brooke's divorce, Tsongas attacked Brooke as out of touch with Massachusetts voters and too "Washington-oriented."


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, General election campaign
Both candidates were considered liberals by contemporary definition, with Brooke known as a public supporter of the women's rights movement of the time and Tsongas receiving a perfect rating from the group Americans for Democratic Action. Tsongas was seen as the more liberal of the two, but Brooke ultimately received the support of many liberal Democrats and civil rights leaders, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Barney Frank.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, General election campaign
The issue of Brooke's divorce became more politically serious in May 1978, when The Boston Globe reported that as part of the divorce proceedings, Brooke had lied about the source of a personal loan. While Brooke argued that the loan had no material impact on his divorce and that he had broken no law, the Senate Ethics Committee conducted a lengthy investigation into the matter that is believed to have hurt Brooke's credibility and standing in the race.


1978 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, General election campaign
Race was another major issue, demonstrated by the reaction to anti-segregation busing policies in the commonwealth. Brooke was a major opponent of anti-busing legislation and had successfully campaigned against the Biden Amendment to end federal funding of busing programs. Brooke's support of busing policies likely cost him votes in Boston and other working-class white communities, which had rioted in preceding years over the issue. Prominent South Boston politician Louise Day Hicks decried Brooke as an "apostle of urban neglect." For his part, Tsongas largely avoided the busing issue, but did make the claim that voting for Brooke on the basis of his race was "the other side of racism."


1978 United States Senate election in Michigan
The 1978 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Robert P. Griffin ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by the Democratic candidate, Detroit City Council President Carl Levin.


1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota
The 1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Wendell Anderson was defeated by Republican challenger Rudy Boschwitz.


1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota, The "Minnesota Massacre"
In 1978, Minnesota's top three statewide offices were all up for election: the governorship and both U.S. Senate seats. But there was a particular oddity to the races: the incumbents, each a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, were all appointed to their offices, not elected. (Republicans took advantage of this, putting up billboards that read, "The DFL is going to face something scary — an election".)


1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota, The "Minnesota Massacre"
First, after Walter Mondale was elected Vice President in 1976, sitting Governor Wendell Anderson resigned so that Lieutenant Governor Rudy Perpich, as the new governor, could appoint Anderson to the open seat. This did not sit well with the electorate. Then, in January 1978, Minnesota's other Senate seat opened up when Hubert Humphrey died; Perpich appointed Humphrey's widow, Muriel, to the office. But she did not want to run that fall, and the DFL nominated Bob Short for the post.


1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota, The "Minnesota Massacre"
Though Democrats maintained large majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, the November election was something of a disappointment for them, as they lost a handful of seats in both chambers. But for Minnesota's DFL it was a disaster, later dubbed the "Minnesota Massacre". Plywood magnate Rudy Boschwitz campaigned as a liberal Republican, freely spent his own money, and defeated Anderson by 16 points, while David Durenberger crushed Short by 26 points. Al Quie completed the Republican trifecta by downing Perpich 52% to 45%. (Perpich would be reelected governor in 1982 and 1986.)


1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota, The "Minnesota Massacre"
The results in Minnesota marked the first time the GOP had held all three offices since Joseph H. Ball left the Senate in January 1949. Additionally, this election and the special election both marked the first time since 1956 that both Senate seats in a state flipped from one party to the other in a single election cycle.


1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi
The 1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 5, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Eastland decided to retire. Republican Thad Cochran won the open seat.


1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi, Campaign
Evers was the first African American elected since the Reconstruction era to be mayor in any Mississippi city, in 1969. He ran as an independent, and as a result his campaign divided the Democrats and allowed Cochran to win the Senate seat with a 45 percent plurality. This made Cochran the first Republican in a century to win a statewide election (other than a presidential election) in Mississippi. Eastland resigned on December 27, 1978 to give Cochran a seniority advantage over new incoming senators.


1978 United States Senate election in Montana
The 1978 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 7, 1978. Following the death of United States Senator Lee Metcalf on January 12, 1978, Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul G. Hatfield was appointed to serve for the remainder of Metcalf's term. Hatfield opted to run for a full term, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative Max Baucus of the 1st congressional district. Baucus advanced to the general election, where he was opposed by the Republican nominee, author Larry R. Williams. Baucus ended up defeating Williams by a solid margin to win his first term in the Senate, and, following Hatfield's resignation on December 12, 1978, he began serving his first term in the Senate.


1978 United States Senate election in Montana
Despite the death of Metcalf, this was not a special election, as one for the year 1978 was already planned as a normal Senate election.


1978 United States Senate election in Nebraska
The 1978 United States Senate election in Nebraska was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Carl Curtis decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. In the elections, Democratic nominee J. James Exon won the open seat.


1978 United States Senate election in New Hampshire
The 1978 United States Senate election in New Hampshire took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic Senator Thomas J. McIntyre ran for re-election to a third term but was defeated by Republican  Gordon J. Humphrey.


1978 United States Senate election in New Jersey
The 1978 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Clifford P. Case ran for re-election to a fifth term in office, but was narrowly defeated in the Republican primary by anti-tax conservative Jeff Bell, who then went on to lose the general election to Democratic nominee Bill Bradley.


1978 United States Senate election in New Mexico
The 1978 United States Senate election in New Mexico took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Domenici successfully ran for re-election to a second term, defeating Democrat Toney Anaya.


1978 United States Senate election in North Carolina
The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1978 was held on November 7, 1978 as part of the nationwide elections to the Senate. The general election was between the Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and the Democratic nominee John Ingram. Helms won re-election, by a slightly wider margin than in 1972.


1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma
The 1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator Dewey F. Bartlett retired, leaving the seat vacant. He was succeeded by popular Democratic Governor David Boren.


1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma
Boren won a competitive Democratic primary against former U.S. Representative Ed Edmondson and State Senator Gene Stipe, then defeated Edmondson in a run-off election. Boren easily defeated Republican nominee Robert B. Kamm in the general election.


1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma, Democratic primary, Campaign
Edmondson called Boren "a Republican" due to a Boren policy as Governor which eliminated the state tax for inheritances between spouses. Edmondson took a pledge recited on a biography of President Harry Truman, that he was not nor had never been "a Republican."


1978 United States Senate election in Oklahoma, Democratic primary, Campaign
During the campaign, both Miskovsky and Points accused Governor Boren of being a homosexual. Boren held a press conference denying the accusation. Following his victory, Boren swore an oath on a family Bible, declaring "I know what homosexuals and bisexuals are. I further swear that I am not a homosexual or bisexual. And I further swear that I have never been a homosexual or bisexual. And I further swear that I have never engaged in any homosexual or bisexual activities nor do I approve of or condone them." In 2019, Boren was accused by multiple witnesses of sexually harassing male subordinates while President of the University of Oklahoma.


1978 United States Senate election in Oregon
The 1978 United States Senate election in Oregon took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator Mark Hatfield was re-elected to a third term in office, defeating Democrat Vernon Cook.


1978 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
The 1978 United States Senate election in Rhode Island took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell successfully sought re-election, defeating Republican James G. Reynolds.


1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina
The 1978 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 7, 1978 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Popular incumbent Republican Senator Strom Thurmond defeated Democratic challenger Charles D. Ravenel.


1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina, Democratic primary
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on June 13, 1978. Charles D. Ravenel, an unsuccessful candidate in the 1974 gubernatorial contest, originally planned to run for governor again in 1978, but was convinced by Vice President Walter Mondale in 1977 to run for senator. He garnered over 50% of the vote in the primary and avoided a runoff election.


1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina, Republican primary
Senator Strom Thurmond faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.


1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign
Thurmond generally ignored Ravenel on the campaign and refused to debate him. When they did cross paths, Thurmond criticized Ravenel for never having held a political office. Ravenel did not help his cause by his actions in the 1974 gubernatorial race when he refused to endorse the Democratic nominee after he had been disqualified. This irritated many Democrats and they also accused him of being nothing more than a liberal New Yorker. Age was beginning to become an issue with Thurmond, so to combat perceptions of old age, Thurmond often appeared with his children on the campaign trail. While 1978 was generally a Democratic year, Thurmond was able to pull off a commanding victory over Ravenel.


1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign
Thurmond, having first been elected on a segregationist platform in the 1950s, had somewhat moderated his racial views in the 1970s, having hired African American staffers, championed grants to black colleges and businesses, voted in favor of extending the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and established scholarships for black students at four South Carolina colleges with religious affiliations. That garnered him the endorsement of 10 of South Carolina's 11 African American mayors.


1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina, General election campaign
In addition, Isaac W. Williams, the Field Director of the state's NAACP chapter, did not outright endorse him, but considered what Thurmond would do for the Black community in 1978 more important than his actions in the 1940s and 1950s, saying that "if voters just try to punish a politician for the sins of the past, what does it profit him to improve?" thus also managing to increase his African American support.


1978 United States Senate election in South Dakota
The 1978 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Abourezk did not run for re-election to a second term, but was succeeded by his political rival, Republican U.S. Representative Larry Pressler.


1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee
The 1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 7, as a part of the Senate class 2 election.


1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee, Situation
Two-term popular incumbent Howard Baker, who had served as United States Senate Minority Leader since 1977, ran for reelection against first-time candidate and Democratic Party activist Jane Eskind.


1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee, Democratic nomination
In the primary, held on August 3, Eskind won in an open primary against eight other candidates:


1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee, Republican nomination
In the primary, held on August 3, Baker easily emerged as the winner:


1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee, General election
Baker won with a 15-point margin in the general election, held on November 7:


1978 United States Senate election in Texas
The 1978 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Tower narrowly won re-election to a fourth term.


1978 United States Senate election in Virginia
The 1978 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator William L. Scott did not run for re-election to a second term. Republican former Secretary of the Navy John Warner narrowly defeated Democratic Attorney General of Virginia Andrew P. Miller to succeed him.


1978 United States Senate election in Virginia, Republican nomination, Convention
Obenshain's victory set up the general election as a rematch of the 1969 Attorney General race between him and Andrew P. Miller, the Democratic nominee who defeated Obenshain in 1969.


1978 United States Senate election in Virginia, Republican nomination, Aftermath
On August 2, Obenshain died in a twin-engine plane crash and was replaced by Warner.


1978 United States Senate election in West Virginia
The 1978 United States Senate election in West Virginia took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph was re-elected to fourth term in office, narrowly defeating Republican Arch Moore, a former Governor. Moore's daughter Shelley Moore Capito was elected to this very seat in 2014, making her the first female Senator from the state.


1978 United States Senate election in Wyoming
The 1978 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Senator Clifford Hansen declined to seek a third term in office. Former State Representative Alan K. Simpson, the son of former Senator Milward Simpson, won a contested Republican primary and faced Raymond B. Whitaker, the 1960 Democratic nominee for the Senate, in the general election. Despite a favorable environment for Republicans nationwide, Simpson's performance decreased considerably from Hansen's 1972 landslide. Nonetheless, he easily defeated Whitaker, winning 62% of the vote to Whitaker's 38%.


1978 United States Senate elections
The 1978 United States Senate elections in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. Thirteen seats changed hands between parties, resulting in a net gain of three seats for the Republicans. Democrats nevertheless retained a 58–41 majority.


1978 United States Senate elections, Gains and losses, Republican gains
Republicans took three open seats, including one special election in Minnesota, as well as regular elections in Mississippi and South Dakota. They also defeated five Democratic incumbents: Floyd Haskell (Colorado), Dick Clark (Iowa), William Hathaway (Maine), Wendell Anderson (Minnesota), and Thomas McIntyre (New Hampshire). The two Republican victories in Minnesota saw the state's Senate delegation change from two Democrats to two Republicans in the same election.


1978 United States Senate elections, Gains and losses, Democratic gains
The Republican gains were offset by Democratic defeats of Edward Brooke (Massachusetts) and Robert Griffin (Michigan), and captures of Republican open seats in Nebraska, New Jersey, and Oklahoma.


1978 United States Senate elections, Race summary, Special elections during the 95th Congress
In these special elections, the winner was seated during 1978 or before January 3, 1979; ordered by election date, then state.


1978 United States Senate elections, Race summary, Elections leading to the next Congress
In these general elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1979; ordered by state.


1978 United States Senate elections, Alabama
There were two elections in Alabama, due to the death of senator Jim Allen.


1978 United States Senate elections, Alabama, Alabama (regular)
Democrat John Sparkman retired and was succeeded by Howell Heflin, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. Heflin, the Democratic candidate, faced no Republican opponent in the general election, defeating Prohibition Party nominee Jerome B. Couch.


1978 United States Senate elections, Alabama, Alabama (special)
Following the death of senator Jim Allen, his widow Maryon was appointed by governor George Wallace to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held. In this election, Democratic state senator Donald W. Stewart defeated former Republican Congressman James D. Martin to serve the remaining two years of the term.


1978 United States Senate elections, Arkansas
Following the death of senator John L. McClellan, then Kaneaster Hodges Jr. was appointed by governor David Pryor to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held. In this election, Democratic state governor David Pryor defeated former Republican challenger Thomas Kelly Jr. to serve the six years term.


1978 United States Senate elections, Colorado
Democrat Floyd Haskell decided to run for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by William L. Armstrong, the Republican nominee and the U.S. Representative.


1978 United States Senate elections, Delaware
Democrat United States senator Joe Biden won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican challenger James H. Baxter Jr., the Delaware Secretary of Agriculture.


1978 United States Senate elections, Idaho
Republican James A. McClure was elected to a second term in office.


1978 United States Senate elections, Illinois
Republican Charles H. Percy ran for re-election to a third term in the United States Senate. Percy was opposed by Democratic nominee Alex Seith (D), attorney and former member of the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals. Though Percy had been expected to coast to re-election over Seith, a first-time candidate, the election quickly became competitive. In the last few days of the campaign, a desperate Percy ran a television advertisement that featured him apologizing and acknowledging that, "I got your message and you're right." Percy's last-ditch effort appeared to have paid off, as he was able to edge out Seith to win what would end up being his third and final term in the Senate.


1978 United States Senate elections, Iowa
Democrat Dick Clark decided to run for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Roger Jepsen, the Republican nominee and former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.


1978 United States Senate elections, Kansas
Republican James B. Pearson retired and was succeeded by Nancy Kassebaum, the daughter of Alf Landon, defeating Democrat nominee William R. Roy, the former U.S. Representative.


1978 United States Senate elections, Louisiana
Democrat J. Bennett Johnston won re-election to unopposed and his second term.


1978 United States Senate elections, Maine
Democrat William Hathaway decided to run for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by William Cohen, the Republican nominee and the United States Congressman from Maine's 2nd congressional district and Hayes Gahagan, former Maine State Senator


1978 United States Senate elections, Massachusetts
Republican Edward Brooke was defeated by Democratic Congressman Paul E. Tsongas.


1978 United States Senate elections, Michigan
Republican Robert P. Griffin ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by the Democratic candidate, and former Detroit City Council President Carl Levin.


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota
There were two elections in Minnesota, due to the death of Hubert Humphrey.


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (regular)
Democrat Wendell Anderson was defeated by Republican challenger businessman Rudy Boschwitz.


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (regular)
In 1978, all three key statewide races in Minnesota were up for election—the Governorship, and both Senate Seats (the other Senate seat belonged to Hubert Humphrey, who died in 1978). But, there was a particular oddity to the three races—all three had incumbents who were never elected to the office in the first place. This became a well played issue by the Republicans—a billboard put up across the state read, "The DFL is going to face something scary -- an election".


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (regular)
When Walter Mondale ascended to the Vice Presidency in 1976, sitting Governor Wendell Anderson appointed himself to the open seat. This act did not sit well with the electorate. Plywood magnate Rudy Boschwitz campaigned as a liberal Republican and spent freely of his own money, but all that seemed to really matter was that he was neither a DFLer or Wendell Anderson in an election cycle where both were rejected by the voters. The end result was not even close—the challenger Boschwitz won in a 16-point landslide as all three statewide offices switched into Republican hands.


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (special)
Incumbent Muriel Humphrey retired. Democratic candidate Bob Short was defeated by Republican candidate David Durenberger.


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (special)
In 1978, all three key statewide races in Minnesota were up for election—the Governorship, and both Senate Seats (the other Senate seat belonged to Wendell Anderson, who, as Governor of Minnesota, appointed himself to fill the seat vacated by Walter Mondale, when Mondale ascended to the Vice Presidency in 1976). But, there was a particular oddity to the three races—all three had incumbents who were never elected to the office in the first place. This became a well played issue by the Republicans: a billboard put up across the state read, "The DFL is going to face something scary — an election".


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (special)
When Hubert H. Humphrey died in office in January 1978, sitting Governor Rudy Perpich appointed Humphrey's widow, Muriel to sit until a special election could be held later that year. However, Muriel Humphrey opted not to seek election to the seat in her own right, and the DFL nominated former Texas Rangers owner Bob Short to run in the subsequent special election. The Independent-Republicans, on their part, nominated the liberal Republican David Durenberger, creating an unusual race in which the DFL candidate was positioned to the right of the Independent-Republican candidate.


1978 United States Senate elections, Minnesota, Minnesota (special)
In addition to the general sense of dissatisfaction voters felt for the DFL, the DFL also had to contend with a large number of liberal members of the DFL, who were dissatisfied with Short's positions on hot button issues such as abortion, motorboat usage in the Boundary Waters Canoe area, and government spending, crossing party lines to vote for Durenberger. As a result, Durenberger won in a 26.9-percent landslide as the governorship and both U.S. Senate seats switched into Republican hands.


1978 United States Senate elections, Mississippi
Democrat James Eastland retired. Republican Thad Cochran won the open seat over Democrat Maurice Dantin, former District Attorney and Independent Charles Evers, Mayor of Fayette.


1978 United States Senate elections, Mississippi
Evers was the first African American elected since the Reconstruction era to be mayor in any Mississippi city in 1969. He ran as an independent, and as a result his campaign divided the Democrats and allowed Cochran to win the senate seat with a 45 percent plurality. This made him the first Republican in a century to win a statewide election in Mississippi for any office except US President. Eastland resigned on December 27, 1978 to give Cochran a seniority advantage over new incoming senators.


1978 United States Senate elections, Montana
Following the death of senator Lee Metcalf on January 12, 1978, Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul G. Hatfield was appointed to serve for the remainder of Metcalf's term. Hatfield opted to run for re-election, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by Congressman Max Baucus of the 1st congressional district. Baucus advanced to the general election, where he was opposed by Larry R. Williams, an author and the Republican nominee. Baucus ended up defeating Williams by a solid margin to win his first term in the Senate, and, following Hatfield's resignation on December 12, 1978, he began serving his first term in the Senate.


1978 United States Senate elections, Nebraska
Republican Carl Curtis retired instead of seeking a fifth term. In the elections, Democratic nominee J. James Exon won the open seat over Republican Donald Eugene Shasteen.


1978 United States Senate elections, New Hampshire
Incumbent Democrat Thomas J. McIntyre decided to run for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Gordon J. Humphrey, the Republican nominee also a professional pilot and conservative activist.


1978 United States Senate elections, New Jersey
Republican Clifford P. Case narrowly lost renomination to anti-tax conservative Jeff Bell, but the Democratic nominee, former professional basketball player Bill Bradley, easily won the general election.


1978 United States Senate elections, New Mexico
Republican senator Pete Domenici successfully ran for re-election to a second term, defeating Democrat Toney Anaya, Attorney General of New Mexico.


1978 United States Senate elections, North Carolina
The general election was fought between the Republican Incumbent Jesse Helms and Democrat John Ingram. Helms won re-election, by a slightly wider margin than in 1972.


1978 United States Senate elections, Oklahoma
Republican Dewey F. Bartlett retired instead of seeking a second term due to his declining health. In the elections, Democratic nominee David Boren won the open seat over Republican Robert B. Kamm.


1978 United States Senate elections, Oregon
Republican senator Mark Hatfield successfully ran for re-election to a third term, defeating Democrat Vernon Cook, State Legislator and candidate for U.S. Representative in 1970 and 1974.


1978 United States Senate elections, Rhode Island
Democrat Claiborne Pell successfully sought re-election, defeating Republican James G. Reynolds.


1978 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Popular incumbent Republican Strom Thurmond defeated Democratic challenger Charles D. Ravenel.


1978 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on June 13, 1978. Charles D. Ravenel, an unsuccessful candidate in the 1974 gubernatorial contest, originally planned to run for governor again in 1978, but was convinced by Vice President Walter Mondale in 1977 to run for senator. He garnered over 50% of the vote in the primary and avoided a runoff election.


1978 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Senator Strom Thurmond faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.


1978 United States Senate elections, South Carolina
Thurmond generally ignored Ravenel on the campaign and refused to debate him. When they did cross paths, Thurmond criticized Ravenel for never having held a political office. Ravenel did not help his cause by his actions in the 1974 gubernatorial race when he refused to endorse the Democratic nominee after he had been disqualified. This irritated many Democrats and they also accused him of being nothing more than a liberal New Yorker. Age was beginning to become an issue with Thurmond, so to combat perceptions of old age, Thurmond often appeared with his children on the campaign trail. While 1978 was generally a Democratic year, Thurmond was able to pull off a commanding victory over Ravenel.


1978 United States Senate elections, South Dakota
Incumbent Democrat James Abourezk retired instead of seeking a second term. In the elections, Republican nominee Larry Pressler won the open seat over Democrat former Mayor of Rapid City Don Barnett, thus becoming the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the Senate


1978 United States Senate elections, Tennessee
Two-term popular incumbent Howard Baker, who had served as United States Senate Minority Leader since 1977, ran for reelection against first-time candidate and Democratic Party activist Jane Eskind.


1978 United States Senate elections, Tennessee
In the August 3 Democratic primary Eskind won in an open primary against eight other candidates:


1978 United States Senate elections, Tennessee
In the Republican primary, also held August 3, Baker easily emerged as the winner:


1978 United States Senate elections, Tennessee
Baker won with a 15-point margin in the general election, held on November 7:


1978 United States Senate elections, Texas
Republican incumbent John Tower won re-election to a fourth term over Democrat Bob Krueger, U.S. Congressman of Texas's 21st congressional district.


1978 United States Senate elections, Virginia
Incumbent William L. Scott retired. Former Secretary of the Navy Republican John Warner beat Attorney General of Virginia Andrew P. Miller. Scott then resigned January 1, 1979 and Warner was appointed January 2, 1979 for early seniority purposes.


1978 United States Senate elections, West Virginia
Democrat incumbent Jennings Randolph won re-election to a fifth term over Republican Arch Moore, former Governor of West Virginia.


1978 United States Senate elections, Wyoming
Incumbent Republican Clifford Hansen retired instead of seeking a third term. In the elections, Republican nominee Alan K. Simpson won the open seat over Democrat Raymond B. Whitaker, an attorney from Casper and nominee for U.S. Senate in 1960.


1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama
The 1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1978. It was a special election to fill the seat which had been held by Senator Jim Allen, who died on June 1. His widow Maryon was appointed on June 8 by governor George Wallace to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held.


1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama
Democratic state senator Donald W. Stewart defeated Allen in the Democratic primary then defeated former Republican Congressman James D. Martin to serve the remaining two years of the term.


1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama, Primary election
Primary elections were held on September 5, 1978, with the Democratic runoff held on September 26, 1978.


1978 United States Senate special election in Alabama, Primary election, Republican primary, Withdrew
Nichols withdrew from the race in order that James D. Martin, former U.S. Representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district, who had been nominated to run in the concurrent regular Senate election, could switch races.


1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota
The 1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 1978. Democratic candidate Bob Short was defeated by Republican candidate David Durenberger.


1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota, Race Description
In 1978, all three key statewide races in Minnesota were up for election—the Governorship, and both Senate Seats (the other Senate seat belonged to Wendell Anderson, who, as Governor of Minnesota, appointed himself to fill the seat vacated by Walter Mondale, when Mondale ascended to the Vice Presidency in 1976). But, there was a particular oddity to the three races—all three had incumbents who were never elected to the office in the first place. This became a well played issue by the Republicans—a billboard put up across the state read, "The DFL is going to face something scary -- an election".


1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota, Race Description
When Hubert H. Humphrey died in office in January 1978, sitting Governor Rudy Perpich appointed Humphrey's widow, Muriel to sit until a special election could be held later that year. However, Muriel Humphrey opted not to seek election to the seat in her own right, and the DFL nominated former Texas Rangers owner Bob Short to run in the subsequent special election. Short was rather conservative by DFL standards of the time, and his positions on hot button issues such as abortion, motorboat usage in the Boundary Waters Canoe area, and government spending gave more liberal DFLers pause.


1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota, Race Description
The Independent-Republicans, for their part, nominated the liberal Republican David Durenberger, creating an unusual race in which the Independent-Republican candidate ran to the left of the DFL candidate. In addition to the general sense of dissatisfaction voters felt for the DFL, the party also had to contend with a large number of liberal DFLers crossing party lines to vote for Durenberger. As a result, Durenberger won in a 26.9-percent landslide as the governorship and both U.S. Senate seats switched into Republican hands.


1978 United States Senate special election in Minnesota, Race Description
The results in Minnesota marked the first time the GOP had held all three offices since Joseph H. Ball left the Senate in January 1949. Additionally, this election and the regular election both marked the first time since 1956 that both Senate seats in a state flipped from one party to the other in a single election cycle.


1978 United States Virgin Islands death penalty referendum
A referendum on the death penalty was held in the United States Virgin Islands on 7 November 1978, in response to a decree by the Governor of the Islands. He requested a non-binding consultative referendum be held in conjunction with the next general election.


1978 United States Virgin Islands death penalty referendum, Results
Which of the following statements best represents your view on capital punishment?


1978 United States elections
The 1978 United States elections were held on November 7, 1978 to elect the members of the 96th United States Congress. The election occurred in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. Democrats retained control of both houses of Congress.


1978 United States elections
The Democrats lost three seats in the United States Senate to the Republican Party. Democrats won the nationwide popular vote for the House of Representatives by a margin of 8.9 percentage points, but lost fifteen seats to Republicans. The elections represent the most recent instance in which the president's party retained control of both houses of Congress in a mid-term election, although the 2002 elections saw Republicans retain the House and win control of the Senate.


1978 United States elections
In the gubernatorial elections, Republicans picked up six seats. Among the newly elected governors was future president Bill Clinton from Arkansas. Clinton's eventual successor as president, George W. Bush, ran as the Republican nominee in Texas's 19th congressional district but was defeated by Democrat Kent Hance.


1978 United States elections
Though Republicans gains were relatively modest for a midterm election, the election set the stage for the Reagan Revolution. Many of the newly elected members of Congress were more conservative than their predecessors, and most supported tax cuts that would eventually be implemented in the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981. The election also ended the possibility of a ratification of the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union. Carter's move to the center after this election encouraged a 1980 Democratic primary challenge by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.


1978 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 1978, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans had a net gain of six seats, Democrats sustained a net loss of five seats, and there would be no governors of any other parties following these elections.


1978 United States gubernatorial elections
This was the first year in which Illinois held a gubernatorial election in a midterm election year since 1846. The state of Illinois moved its gubernatorial election date from presidential election years to midterm congressional election years. This election coincided with the Senate and the House elections.


1978 United States gubernatorial elections, Election results
A bolded state name features an article about the specific election.


1978 Upper Voltan parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of Upper Volta on 30 April 1978. They followed a constitutional referendum the previous year, which came about as a result of the military coup in 1974. A total of 367 candidates contested the elections.


1978 Upper Voltan parliamentary election
The result was a victory for the Voltaic Democratic Union–African Democratic Rally, which won 28 of the 57 seats in the National Assembly. Voter turnout was just 38.3%.


1978 Upper Voltan parliamentary election
The new constitution also limited the number of political parties to three, meaning that only the three largest parties in the Assembly were allowed to continue existing, resulting in the African Regroupment Party, the country's oldest party, virtually disappearing.


1978 Upper Voltan presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Republic of Upper Volta on 14 May 1978, with a second round on 28 May after no candidate won more than 50% in the first round. They were the country's first multi-party presidential elections, the previous elections in 1965 having Maurice Yaméogo as the sole candidate. The result was a victory for independent candidate Sangoulé Lamizana, who was backed by the Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally and won 56.3% of votes in the second round. Voter turnout was 35.2% in the first round and 43.6% in the second.


1978 Upper Voltan presidential election, Background
In 1966, Yaméogo left office after a general strike in opposition to his rule, and was replaced by a provisional military government led by Lamizana. In 1970, a new Constitution was ratified, which was later revised and ratified in 1977. After the passage of the new constitution in 1977, a presidential election was held in 1978.


1978 Uruguayan Primera División, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and Peñarol won the championship.


1978 Utah State Aggies football team
The 1978 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season as a new member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA). Led by third-year head coach Bruce Snyder, the previously-independent Aggies played their home games on campus at Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah. They opened with five wins and finished with a 7–4 record (4–1 PCAA, tied for first).


1978 Utah State Aggies football team
A noteworthy game was against Idaho State (of nearby Pocatello), the first college football season-opener played in Japan.


1978 Utah Utes football team
The 1978 Utah Utes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Utah during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Head coach Wayne Howard led the team to a 4–2 mark in the WAC and 8–3 overall.


1978 VFA season
The 1978 Victorian Football Association season was the 97th season of the top division of the Australian rules football competition, and the 18th season of second division competition. The Division 1 premiership was won by the Prahran Football Club, after it defeated Preston in the Grand Final on 24 September by 22 points; it was Prahran's fifth and last Division 1 premiership. The Division 2 premiership was won by Frankston; it is the only Association premiership in either division won by the club to date.


1978 VFA season, Division 1
The Division 1 home-and-away season was played over 18 rounds; the top four then contested the finals under the Page–McIntyre system. The finals were played at the St Kilda Cricket Ground.


1978 VFA season, Division 2
The Division 2 home-and-away season was played over eighteen rounds; the top four then contested the finals under the Page–McIntyre system; all finals were played on Sundays at Toorak Park.


1978 VFA season, Notable events, NFL Night Series
The top three Association clubs from 1977 – Port Melbourne, Sandringham and Coburg – were invited to participate in the NFL Night Series, known this year as the Escort Cup. In the competition, played on Tuesday nights concurrently with the premiership season:


1978 VFA season, Notable events, Interleague matches
The Association played an interleague representative match against Queensland for the second consecutive season.


1978 VFL Grand Final
The 1978 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 September 1978. It was the 82nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1978 VFL season. The match, attended by 101,704 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 18 points, marking that club's fourth premiership victory.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Background
It was the third time in four seasons that these two sides met in a Grand Final while North Melbourne was competing in its fifth successive Grand Final. They were the reigning premiers, having defeated Collingwood in the 1977 VFL Grand Final.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Background
At the conclusion of the regular home-and-away season, North Melbourne had finished on top of the VFL ladder with 16 wins and 6 losses. Hawthorn had finished second, also with 16 wins but with an inferior percentage.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Background
In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, Hawthorn comfortably defeated Collingwood in the Qualifying Final by 56 points before beating North Melbourne by 10 points in the Second Semi-Final to progress to the Grand Final. North Melbourne, after their Second Semi-Final loss, defeated Collingwood by 12 points in the Preliminary Final to progress to the Grand Final.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Background
In the week leading up to the Grand Final, North Melbourne's Malcolm Blight was awarded the Brownlow Medal.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Match summary
North Melbourne went into the game without a number of players from the previous season's premiership victory - star full-back David Dench, who had injured his knee in Round 3, ruckman Peter Keenan, who had received a two-match suspension for striking Hawthorn captain Don Scott in the last quarter of the semi-final, and injured utilities Steven Icke and Brent Crosswell.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Match summary, First quarter
Hawthorn got off to a fast start, with forward Michael Moncrieff kicking three goals (including two goals in the first two minutes of the game), and they led by nineteen points at quarter time. However, North Melbourne hit their stride in the second quarter, with Phil Baker became the focal point of the North attack and taking the mark of the year over Ian Paton. He helped North kick five goals to two to lead by four points at half time.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Match summary, Third quarter
Hawthorn ultimately finished victors thanks largely to a strong third quarter which saw them kick 7 goals whilst closing down the Kangaroos. The turning point occurred when two North Melbourne players spoiled each other in the goal square at the 6-minute mark, when a mark and a goal could have put them 17 points up. The Hawks went on to dominate play after this incident, and never looked back, kicking 6.3 to North's one behind in the next 12 minutes.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Match summary, Fourth quarter
The teams traded goals in the fourth quarter but by that time the damage was done for the Kangaroos, as they were not able to make up ground.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Match summary, Fourth quarter
For the victors, Leigh Matthews was considered best on ground with 28 disposals and four goals, lifting his game when the result was on the line. Also important was Robert DiPierdomenico, who gave Hawthorn considerable attacking drive off half back and kept his opponent Arnold Briedis, considered by Hawthorn North's most dangerous forward, quiet for most of the match. Terry Wallace capped off an outstanding debut season with a prominent midfield performance, gathering 21 kicks.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Match summary, Fourth quarter
Besides the loss of Keenan, Icke and Crosswell before the match, North lost Malcolm Blight early with a torn groin muscle after just five minutes, and Stan Alves also limped off in the second quarter.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Epilogue
The Kangaroos' loss represented another instance in which the team which had finished first at the end of the home and away season lost the Grand Final. Since the final five finals system began in 1972, only Carlton (1972) and Richmond (1974) had won premierships from that position.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Epilogue
This win represented the first for David Parkin as coach. He had previously captained the Hawks to the 1971 VFL Grand Final victory, and later went on to coach Carlton to premierships in the 1980s and 1990s.


1978 VFL Grand Final, Epilogue
Hawthorn's next success came five years later, when they won the 1983 VFL Grand Final against Essendon. It would take another 18 years for North Melbourne to appear in another premiership decider, when it defeated the Sydney Swans in the 1996 AFL Grand Final.


1978 VFL Night Series
The 1978 Victorian Football League Night Series was the 18th edition of the VFL Night Series, a VFL-organised national club Australian rules football tournament between the clubs from the VFL and Tasmania.


1978 VFL season
The 1978 Victorian Football League season was the 82nd season of the elite Australian rules football competition.


1978 VFL season, Night series
Fitzroy defeated North Melbourne 13.18 (96) to 2.8 (20) in the final.


1978 VFL season, Grand final
Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne 18.13 (121) to 15.13 (103), in front of a crowd of 101,704 people. (For an explanation of scoring see Australian rules football).


1978 Valdostan regional election
The Valdostan regional election of 1978 took place on 25 June 1978.


1978 Valdostan regional election
The council was divided in a dozen of parties, with consequent political instability under the leadership of the Valdostan Union.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season
The 1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the fifth season of the Whitecaps, and their fifth year in the North American Soccer League and the top flight of Canadian soccer.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season
This was manager Tony Waiter's first full season with the club. The team was dominant in the 1978 with 68 goals scored, a thirteen-game winning streak, and a 24-6 record – tied with the dramatically higher spending powerhouse New York Cosmos for the best record in the NASL. The Whitecaps achieved this with mainly unrecognized players, nicknamed the "English Mafia" for primarily English foreign players coupled with locals including Italian-Canadians.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season
Due to the large number of teams, 24, the season was not set up with a balanced home and away schedule with some teams played twice, others once, and still others not at all. After the league during the playoff tournament in which 16 of 24 teams competed, the Whitecaps defeated Toronto Metros-Croatia in front of 30,811 at Empire Stadium (at the time the largest crowd to see two Canadian teams play against each other) before being upset by the Portland Timbers in the quarterfinals two games to nil.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season
'King' Kevin Hector led the Whitecaps with 21 goals and ten assists while tying for fourth in the golden boot race. Bob Lenarduzzi also had a strong season on the score sheet with ten goals and seventeen assists along with Bob Campbell and John Craven. Phil Parkes was the top goalkeeper in the NASL with 29 games played, a 0.95 GAA and 10 clean sheets. Alan Hinton, Steve Kember, and Bob Bolitho also were main contributors over the season.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season
Despite the team's record and strong attendance at fifth highest in the league, the club received little recognition at the All Star Game with only Kevin Hector and John Craven named to the second team. They recouped that recognition though with Tony Waiters awarded Coach of the Year and the North American Player of the Year awarded to Bob Lenarduzzi.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season, Club, Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1978 Vancouver Whitecaps season, Club, Team management
Tony Waiters' first full season as manager of Vancouver Whitecaps manager in 1978 saw the Whitecaps tied for the best record in the NASL at 24-6 and win the Coach of the Year Award.


1978 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 1978 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Commodores were led by head coach Fred Pancoast in his fourth season and finished the season with a record of two wins and nine losses (2–9 overall, 0–6 in the SEC).


1978 Venda parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Venda on 5 and 6 July 1978. The Venda Independence People's Party won 31 of the 42 elected seats in the Legislative Assembly.


1978 Venda parliamentary election, Electoral system
The Legislative Assembly consisted of 84 seats, half of which were elected and half of which were appointed.


1978 Venezuelan Primera División season
The 1978 season of the Venezuelan Primera División, the top category of Venezuelan football, was played by 12 teams. The national champions were Portuguesa.


1978 Venezuelan general election
General elections were held in Venezuela on 3 December 1978. The presidential elections were won by Luis Herrera Campins of Copei, who received 46.6% of the vote. Although Copei received more votes, Democratic Action won the most seats in the Chamber of Deputies, whilst the two parties won 21 seats each in the Senate. Voter turnout was 87.6%.


1978 Venezuelan motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1978 Venezuelan motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 19 March 1978 at the San Carlos Circuit.


1978 Vermont gubernatorial election
The 1978 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Republican Richard A. Snelling ran successfully for a second term as Governor of Vermont, defeating Democratic candidate Edwin C. Granai.


1978 Villanova Wildcats football team
The 1978 Villanova Wildcats football team represented the Villanova University during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. The head coach was Dick Bedesem, coaching his fourth season with the Wildcats. The team played their home games at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pennsylvania.


1978 Villupuram atrocity
The 1978 Villupuram atrocity was an incident of caste based violence which happened on July 1978 in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu. The violence resulted in the killing of 12 Dalits and more than 100 Dalit houses burned down in Periyaparaichery, a Dalit settlement. The violence was caused when a dominant caste man reportedly molesting a Dalit women and the women's husband reportedly attacking the dominant caste man along with other Dalits on the first day. Dominant caste members attacked the settlement with rocket fireworks and indulged in arsoning and assault. The Dalits also retaliated by setting fire to several dominant caste houses.


1978 Villupuram atrocity
Thirty four caste Hindus were arrested, 3 were sentenced to death penalty and 27 others were sentenced to life imprisonment.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Background
Periyaparaichery is located in the Villupuram's city centre. The majority of the Dalits in this hamlet work in the vegetable market as porters and labourers. The businesses in the market are run by Hindus from the Vanniyar, Mudaliar and Nadar castes, as well as Muslims. Periyaparaichery is a slum with eight-hundred mud houses and thatch houses with a population of 3,000 people, nearly all of them belonging to Scheduled Caste. Most in the colony were wage workers and a significant had regular jobs. As per the 1971 Census, Periyaparaichery was home to approximately half of Villupuram's Dalit population. Untouchability and segregation was practiced and Dalits were often referred to with derogatory caste names.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Background
The top Government officials, the revenue divisional officer and the deputy superintendent of police in Viluppuram are all Dalits.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Causes
A young Dalit lady was insulted at the vegetable market by a dominant caste laborer working at one of the vegetable shops on the afternoon of July 23, 1978. He allegedly flirted with her and grabbed her breast as she stooped down to pick tomatoes for her husband's lunch. Her husband later went to the perpetrator's place to enquire about the incident and later beat him up along with other Dalits.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Causes
The Vegetable Merchants Association lodged a complaint with the Deputy superintendent of police the same night and intended to hold a hartal the next day in protest of the assault. The next morning, the dominant caste man who was attacked filed a complaint, identifying seven Dalit people as assaulters. The next day the demonstration was held with under the leadership of president of the Vegetable Merchants Association and others including a number All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK) office bearers of the town.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Causes
During the demonstration, anti-Dalit statements were chanted, such as "Displace Dalits from the City Center" and "Paraiyans' wives are our concubines." The accused Dalits turned themselves up at the police station and the police called a peace meet between both the two groups. A case was also filed against them. The caste Hindus, however, skipped the meeting and instead convened a secret gathering at Muthuthoppu, a dominating caste neighborhood where all agreed to attack the Periyaparaichery.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Violence
On 11:30 pm of 24 July, a dominant caste crowd moved towards Periyaparaichery where they assaulted two rickshaw men and burned down their rickshaws. The rickshaw men bleeding, went to the police station and filed a complaint on the attackers whom they claimed attacked with crowbars and knives. The crowd set fire to eight Dalit homes. The crowd used rockets and explosives reportedly from firework industries in the town to attack the colony from the outside.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Violence
The property of a respected Dalit teacher in the neighborhood was one of the first to be attacked and was completely destroyed in the fire. The fire truck which was called to put out the fire was halted by the dominant caste members until the Dalits pushed the crowd to make way for the vehicle. The crowd was later dispersed. Several Dalit houses were destroyed in this attack.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Violence
On the morning of July 25, the dominant caste members aimed rockets which destroyed five more huts. The Dalits in retaliation torched houses of the dominant caste members and attacked them. A number of hundred steel-helmeted policemen stood idle during the carnage. 80 to 100 Dalit houses were destroyed and at least 12 Dalits were killed on the same day by skull factures and injuries to vital organs. The Villupuram police force was severely depleted after a significant portion of it was deployed to oversee the Madurai Municipal elections.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Violence
During the violence, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. G. Ramachandran was 200 km away in Madurai, canvassing for the Municipal elections.


1978 Villupuram atrocity, Aftermath and convictions
Indian National Congress leader Jagjivan Ram, M. Karunanidhi, and Chief Minister M.G.Ramachandran visited the afflicted area. The government formed an Enquiry Commission which was established on July 29, 1978. 41 caste Hindus were implicated to the crime, and 34 of them were detained. In the court verdict, three accused were condemned to death which was later lowered to a life sentence and 27 others were sentenced to life in prison. Many of those sentenced to life in prison were later released when the time of their convictions were later reduced.


1978 Virginia Cavaliers football team
The 1978 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cavaliers were led by third-year head coach Dick Bestwick and played their home games at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. They competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in last.


1978 Virginia Slims Championships
The 1978 Virginia Slims Championships were the seventh WTA Tour Championships, the annual tennis tournament for the best female tennis players in singles on the 1978 WTA Tour. The singles event consisted of two round robin groups (Gold and Orange) of four players each. The winners of each group played each other in the final and additionally there was a play-off match for third place. The tournament was held from March 29 to April 2, 1978, in the Oakland Coliseum Arena in Oakland, United States. First-seeded Martina Navratilova won the singles event and the accompanying $50,000 first prize money.


1978 Virginia Slims Championships, Finals, Doubles
Billie Jean King /  Martina Navratilova  Virginia Wade /  Françoise Dürr, 6–4, 6–4


1978 Virginia Slims Championships – Singles
Navratilova defeated Goolagong in the final 7–6, 6–4. Chris Evert was the defending champion, but did not qualify.


1978 Virginia Slims of Boston
The 1978 Virginia Slims of Boston  was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Boston University Walter Brown Arena  in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States that was part of the 1978 Virginia Slims World Championship Series. It was the fifth edition of the tournament and was held from March 13 through March 19, 1978. Third-seeded Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the singles title and earned $20,000 first-prize money. It was the only tournament of the year apart from Wimbledon to feature the top four players Evert, Goolagong, King and Navratilova.