1988Final results
1988 election for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island
U.S. Senate · Rhode Island
John Chafee (R) won with 54.6% of the vote, defeating Richard A. Licht (D) by 9.2 points.
John ChafeeRepublican · winner
54.6%217,273
Richard A. LichtDemocrat
45.4%180,717
397,990 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.
Richard A. LichtJohn Chafee
$2.9M
Raised by the campaign
$2.5M
$2.9M
Spent by the campaign
$2.8M
$41.8K
Cash on hand
$50.4K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988