1980Final results
1980 election for Minnesota's 8th District
U.S. House · Minnesota
James Oberstar (D) won with 70.4% of the vote, defeating Edward Fiore (R) by 42.5 points.
James OberstarDemocrat · winner
70.4%182,228
Edward FioreRepublican
28.0%72,350
Ilona GershSocialist Workers
1.6%4,134
258,765 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1980
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
James OberstarEdward Fiore
$168.2K
Raised by the campaign
$18.7K
$188.1K
Spent by the campaign
$18.7K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980; FEC, through Nov 24, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980