1984Final results
1984 election for Minnesota's 8th District
U.S. House · Minnesota
James Oberstar (D) won with 67.2% of the vote, defeating Dave Rued (R) by 35.1 points.
James OberstarDemocrat · winner
67.2%165,727
Dave RuedRepublican
32.1%79,181
David SalnerSocialist Workers
0.6%1,560
246,483 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 1984
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 OberstarDave Rued
$260.7K
Raised by the campaign
$54.1K
$292.5K
Spent by the campaign
$53.9K
$1.5K
Cash on hand
$196
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1984.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1984