raffel served as counsel to the united states senate select committee on intelligence from 1977 to 1981. during this time congress passed the foreign intelligence surveillance act (1978), the classified information procedures act (1980), and the intelligence oversight act (1980). in 1982, raffel ran for the democratic party nomination for the united states house of representatives seat from california's 12th congressional district, which was vacated by incumbent republican pete mccloskey. raffel was defeated in the primary election. the seat was eventually won by republican ed zschau.