A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for California's 5th congressional district was held on April 7, 1987, with a runoff held two months later on June 2.
Incumbent Representative Sala Burton, who herself was elected during a special election following the previous incumbent's death, died on February 1, 1987, from colon cancer. Her death triggered a special election, leading to multiple people running to finish her term. No candidate received a 50% election in the general, leading to a run-off which former California Democratic Party chair Nancy Pelosi won.
Candidates
Fourteen candidates ran for the special election.
Democratic Party
Nancy Pelosi, former chairwoman of the California Democratic Party and daughter of former Baltimore mayor, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. Harry Britt, LGBT rights advocate and former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors William Maher, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Doris M. Ward, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Carol Ruth Silver, gun rights advocate and San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Brian Lantz
Republican Party
Harriet Ross
Kevin W. Wadsworth
Tom Spinosa, World War II and Vietnam War veteran and San Francisco County Republican Party official Mike Garza
Libertarian Party
Sam Grove
Peace and Freedom Party
Theodore Zurr
Independents
Karen Edwards
Catherine Renee Sedwick
Special primaries
The special election primaries were held on April 7, 1987. Every candidate ran in a nonpartisan blanket primary. If a candidate won 50% of the vote, they would automatically fill in the vacant seat. If no candidate won 50% of the vote, a runoff would be triggered with the top candidates in each party advancing to the runoff.
Runoff election
The runoff election took place on June 2, 1987, with Nancy Pelosi gaining the majority of the vote, winning her the special election for Burton's seat.