▁States ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁in ▁a ▁crow ded ▁field ▁of ▁candidates ▁to ▁John nie ▁Cre an ▁by ▁ 9 2 ▁votes .< ref > Bar one , ▁Michael ; ▁and ▁U j if usa , ▁Grant . ▁The ▁Al man ac ▁of ▁American ▁Polit ics ▁ 1 9 8 8 ', ▁p . ▁ 1 7 6 . ▁National ▁Journal , ▁ 1 9 8 7 .</ ref > ▁ ▁Cre an ' s ▁character ▁came ▁into ▁issue , ▁with ▁his ▁negative ▁ad s ▁and ▁false ▁claim ▁of ▁end ors ement ▁by ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan , ▁so ▁Pack ard ▁launched ▁a ▁campaign ▁as ▁a ▁write - in ▁candidate . ▁Pack ard ▁ran ▁a ▁poll ▁which ▁found ▁that ▁vot ers ▁would ▁vote ▁for ▁him , ▁especially ▁if ▁they ▁knew ▁how ▁to ▁write ▁him ▁in . ▁Pack ard ▁campaign ed ▁with ▁a ▁gig antic ▁p enc il ▁as ▁a ▁prop ▁while ▁giving ▁out ▁golf ▁p enc ils ▁to ▁district ▁residents . ▁An ▁organized ▁effort ▁among ▁fellow ▁M orm ons ▁helped ▁the ▁campaign . ▁Pack ard ▁won ▁the ▁election ▁by ▁ 1 1 , 0 0 0 ▁votes ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁first ▁independent ▁write - in ▁candidate ▁to ▁defeat ▁candidates ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁Democratic ▁and ▁Republican ▁parties . ▁ ▁N PR ' s ▁Ken ▁Rud in ▁described ▁the ▁race ▁this ▁way : ▁ ▁Pack ard ▁was ▁only ▁the ▁third ▁person ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁to ▁Congress ▁as ▁a ▁write - in ▁candidate , ▁a ▁victory ▁later ▁documented ▁in ▁Camp aign s ▁and ▁E lections '' ▁and