1988 United States Senate election in Wyoming

1988 United States Senate election in Wyoming

← 1982 November 8, 1988 1994 →

Nominee Malcolm Wallop John Vinich Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 91,143 89,821 Percentage 50.4% 49.6%

County results Wallop:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Vinich:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Malcolm Wallop Republican Elected U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop Republican

Elections in Wyoming
Federal government President 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 Dem 2008 Dem GOP 2012 2016 Dem GOP 2020 Dem GOP U.S. Senate 1890 1895 1895 (sp) 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1913 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1930 (sp) 1934 1934 (sp) 1936 1940 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1954 (sp) 1958 1960 1962 (sp) 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2008 (sp) 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 U.S. House 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1989 (sp) 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
State government General elections 1890 1894 1898 1902 1904 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1952 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2016 2018 2020 Gubernatorial elections 1890 1892 (sp) 1894 1898 1902 1904 (sp) 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1924 (sp) 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Senate elections 2016 2018 2020 2022 House of Representatives elections 2018 2020
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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 2022, this is the strongest performance by a Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming since 1970, the last time a Democrat won a Senate election in the state.

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

• John Vinich, State Senator
• Pete Maxfield, former Dean of the University of Wyoming School of Law^[1]
• Lynn Simons, Wyoming Superintendent of Instruction

Results[]

Republican Primary[]

Candidates[]

• 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[]

General election[]

Results[]

References[]