1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee

The 1978 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 7, 1978, to elect the U.S. Senator from the state of Tennessee. Two-term popular incumbent Republican U.S. Senator, Howard Baker, who had served as United States Senate Minority Leader since 1977, won reelection over first-time candidate and Democratic Party activist Jane Eskind.

Democratic primary
Candidates:
 * Jame Boyd
 * Walter Bradley
 * Former State Senate Majority Leader Bill Bruce
 * Jane Eskind
 * James Foster
 * Douglas L. Heinsohn
 * J. D. Lee
 * Virginia Nyabongo
 * Charles Gordon Vick

In an open primary on August 3, Eskind defeated eight other candidates:


 * Eskind – 196,156 (34.52%)
 * Bruce – 170,795 (30.06%)
 * Lee – 89,939 (15.83%)
 * Boyd – 48,458 (8.53%)
 * Bradley – 22,130 (3.90%)
 * Heinsohn – 17,787 (3.13%)
 * Foster – 10,671 (1.88%)
 * Nyabongo – 7,682 (1.35%)
 * Vick – 4,414 (0.78%)
 * Write-in – 147 (0.03%)

Republican primary
Candidates:
 * Incumbent United States Senator and Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker
 * J. Durelle Boles
 * Harvey Howard
 * Hubert David Patty
 * Dayton Seiler
 * Francis Trapp

Baker easily won the August 3 primary:


 * Baker – 205,680 (83.44%)
 * Howard – 21,154 (8.58%)
 * Boles – 8,899 (3.61%)
 * Patty – 3,941 (1.60%)
 * Seiler – 3,831 (1.55%)
 * Trapp – 2,994 (1.22%)

General election
Baker won with a 15-point margin in the general election, held on November 7: