1988Final results
1988 election for Texas's 3rd District
U.S. House · Texas
Steve Bartlett (R) won with 81.8% of the vote, defeating Blake Cowden (D) by 63.6 points.
Steve BartlettRepublican · winner
81.8%227,882
Blake CowdenDemocrat
18.2%50,627
278,509 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.
Blake CowdenSteve Bartlett
$17.8K
Raised by the campaign
$769.2K
$17.8K
Spent by the campaign
$1M
$0
Cash on hand
$206.7K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988