1988Final results
1988 election for Illinois's 2nd District
U.S. House · Illinois
Gus Savage (D) won with 82.7% of the vote, defeating William T. Hespel (R) by 65.5 points.
Gus SavageDemocrat · winner
82.7%138,256
William T. HespelRepublican
17.3%28,831
167,087 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.
Gus SavageWilliam T. Hespel
$240.2K
Raised by the campaign
$6.2K
$242.5K
Spent by the campaign
$6.4K
$702
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988; FEC, through Nov 19, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988