1988Final results
1988 election for Colorado's 5th District
U.S. House · Colorado
Joel Hefley (R) won with 75.1% of the vote, defeating John J. Mitchell (D) by 50.3 points.
Joel HefleyRepublican · winner
75.1%181,612
John J. MitchellDemocrat
24.9%60,116
241,728 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.
John J. MitchellJoel Hefley
$961
Raised by the campaign
$228.9K
$930
Spent by the campaign
$183.2K
$24
Cash on hand
$60.9K
Campaign money: FEC, through Sep 30, 1988; FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988