1988Final results
1988 election for U.S. Senate in West Virginia
U.S. Senate · West Virginia
Robert Byrd (D) won with 64.8% of the vote, defeating M. Jay Wolfe (R) by 29.5 points.
Robert ByrdDemocrat · winner
64.8%410,983
M. Jay WolfeRepublican
35.2%223,564
634,547 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.
Robert ByrdM. Jay Wolfe
$1.4M
Raised by the campaign
$115.3K
$1.1M
Spent by the campaign
$115.3K
$482.7K
Cash on hand
$28
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988