1988Final results
1988 election for Maryland's 2nd District
U.S. House · Maryland
Helen Bentley (R) won with 71.5% of the vote, defeating Joseph Bartenfelder (D) by 42.9 points.
Helen BentleyRepublican · winner
71.5%157,956
Joseph BartenfelderDemocrat
28.5%63,114
221,070 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.
Joseph BartenfelderHelen Bentley
$69K
Raised by the campaign
$850.9K
$65.2K
Spent by the campaign
$782.8K
$3.9K
Cash on hand
$81.7K
Campaign money: FEC, through Jan 31, 1989; FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988