1988Final results
1988 election for Wisconsin's 6th District
U.S. House · Wisconsin
Thomas E. Petri (R) won with 74.2% of the vote, defeating Joseph Garrett (D) by 48.5 points.
Thomas E. PetriRepublican · winner
74.2%165,923
Joseph GarrettDemocrat
25.8%57,552
223,495 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.
Joseph GarrettThomas E. Petri
$20.6K
Raised by the campaign
$258.9K
$20.6K
Spent by the campaign
$187.7K
$0
Cash on hand
$288.3K
Campaign money: FEC, through Jan 30, 1989; FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988