1996Final results
1996 election for Wisconsin's 7th District
U.S. House · Wisconsin
David Obey (D) won with 57.0% of the vote, defeating Scott West (R) by 14.1 points.
David ObeyDemocrat · winner
57.0%137,428
Scott WestRepublican
42.9%103,365
240,898 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 1996
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.
David ObeyScott West
$809.3K
Raised by the campaign
$162.2K
$862.4K
Spent by the campaign
$161.4K
$179K
Cash on hand
$866
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996