1988Final results
1988 election for California's 24th District
U.S. House · California
Henry A. Waxman (D) won with 72.2% of the vote, defeating John N. Cowles (R) by 48.5 points.
Henry A. WaxmanDemocrat · winner
72.2%112,038
John N. CowlesRepublican
23.8%36,835
James GreenPeace and Freedom
2.3%3,571
George AbrahamsLibertarian
1.7%2,627
155,071 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 1988
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.
Henry A. WaxmanJohn N. Cowles
$345K
Raised by the campaign
$15.8K
$191.3K
Spent by the campaign
$15.4K
$255.6K
Cash on hand
$384
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988
The candidates
Henry A. Waxman (D)John N. Cowles (R)
Also on the ballot: James Green (Peace and Freedom), 2.3%; George Abrahams (Libertarian), 1.7%