Summary
The 1988 United States Senate election in Wyoming was held on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Republican Senator Malcolm Wallop ran for re-election to a third term. He was opposed by Democratic State Senator John Vinich in the general election. Despite Wallop's past strong performances in 1976 and 1982, and the overwhelming Republican majority in Wyoming in the presidential election, Wallop faced a surprisingly competitive race. He ended up defeating Vinich by less than 1%, by a margin of just 1,322 votes. As of 2023[update], this remains the strongest performance by a Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in Wyoming since 1970, the last time a Democrat won a Senate election in the state.This is also the closest US Senate race in Wyoming history.
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 County results Wallop: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Vinich: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary edit
Candidates edit
- John Vinich, State Senator
- Pete Maxfield, former Dean of the University of Wyoming School of Law[1]
- Lynn Simons, Wyoming Superintendent of Instruction
Results edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Vinich | 23,214 | 47.20% | |
| Democratic | Pete Maxfield | 14,613 | 29.72% | |
| Democratic | Lynn Simons | 11,350 | 23.08% | |
| Total votes | 49,177 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary edit
Candidates edit
- Malcolm Wallop, incumbent U.S. Senator
- Nora Marie Lewis, farmer[3]
- Bud Kinney, perennial candidate
- Michael J. Dee, perennial candidate, marijuana legalization advocate[3]
- Russ Hanrahan, retired air traffic controller[3]
Results edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Malcolm Wallop (inc.) | 55,752 | 83.21% | |
| Republican | Nora Marie Lewis | 3,933 | 5.87% | |
| Republican | Bud Kinney | 3,716 | 5.55% | |
| Republican | Michael J. Dee | 1,898 | 2.83% | |
| Republican | Russ Hanrahan | 1,702 | 2.54% | |
| Total votes | 67,001 | 100.00% | ||
General election edit
Results edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Malcolm Wallop (inc.) | 91,143 | 50.37% | -6.29% | |
| Democratic | John Vinich | 89,821 | 49.63% | +6.29% | |
| Majority | 1,322 | 0.73% | -12.58% | ||
| Turnout | 180,964 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||
References edit
- ^ "UW professor will seek nomination to Senate". Jackson Hole Guide. Jackson, Wyo. February 3, 1988. p. A13.
- ^ a b c Karpan, Kathy (1989). 1989 Wyoming Official Directory and 1988 Election Returns. pp. 170, 256.
- ^ a b c Scott, Scott (August 17, 1988). "Vinich wins Senate nomination: Maxfield second, Simons falls to third". Casper Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo. p. A1, A10.