1988Final results
1988 election for Illinois's 21st District
U.S. House · Illinois
Jerry F. Costello (D) won with 52.6% of the vote, defeating Robert H. "bob" Gaffner (R) by 5.2 points.
Jerry F. CostelloDemocrat · winner
52.6%105,836
Robert H. "bob" GaffnerRepublican
47.4%95,385
201,221 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.
Jerry F. CostelloRobert H. "bob" Gaffner
$1.1M
Raised by the campaign
$159.5K
$1.1M
Spent by the campaign
$157.4K
$260
Cash on hand
$2.2K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988