1988Final results
1988 election for Minnesota's 8th District
U.S. House · Minnesota
James Oberstar (D) won with 74.5% of the vote, defeating Jerry Shuster (R) by 49.0 points.
James OberstarDemocrat · winner
74.5%165,656
Jerry ShusterRepublican
25.5%56,630
222,311 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.
James OberstarJerry Shuster
$281.3K
Raised by the campaign
$7.7K
$157.8K
Spent by the campaign
$7.7K
$258.2K
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988; FEC, through Nov 28, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988