1980Final results
1980 election for Wisconsin's 7th District
U.S. House · Wisconsin
David Obey (D) won with 64.7% of the vote, defeating Vinton A. Vesta (R) by 29.4 points.
David ObeyDemocrat · winner
64.7%164,340
Vinton A. VestaRepublican
35.3%89,745
254,107 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.
David ObeyVinton A. Vesta
$156.1K
Raised by the campaign
$30.2K
$133.6K
Spent by the campaign
$30K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980