1988Final results
1988 election for Pennsylvania's 21st District
U.S. House · Pennsylvania
Thomas Ridge (R) won with 78.7% of the vote, defeating George R. H. Elder (D) by 57.5 points.
Thomas RidgeRepublican · winner
78.7%141,832
George R. H. ElderDemocrat
21.3%38,288
180,120 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
The seat's recent races
Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
No DemocratThomas Ridge
—
Raised by the campaign
$419.8K
—
Spent by the campaign
$370.6K
—
Cash on hand
$134.1K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988