1988Final results
1988 election for New York's 31st District
U.S. House · New York
L. William Paxon (R) won with 53.4% of the vote, defeating David J. Swarts (D) by 6.8 points.
L. William PaxonRepublican · winner
53.4%117,710
David J. SwartsDemocrat
46.6%102,777
220,487 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.
David J. SwartsL. William Paxon
$457.5K
Raised by the campaign
$699.9K
$457.3K
Spent by the campaign
$702K
$241
Cash on hand
$95
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988