1988Final results
1988 election for New Jersey's 7th District
U.S. House · New Jersey
Matthew Rinaldo (R) won with 74.6% of the vote, defeating James Hely (D) by 49.2 points.
Matthew RinaldoRepublican · winner
74.6%153,350
James HelyDemocrat
25.4%52,189
205,539 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.
No DemocratMatthew Rinaldo
—
Raised by the campaign
$607.7K
—
Spent by the campaign
$370.4K
—
Cash on hand
$746.2K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988