1998Final results
1998 election for Missouri's 3rd District
U.S. House · Missouri
Richard Gephardt (D) won with 55.8% of the vote, defeating Bill Federer (R) by 13.8 points.
Richard GephardtDemocrat · winner
55.8%98,287
Bill FedererRepublican
42.0%74,005
Michael H. CristLibertarian
1.3%2,275
Joseph C. KellerConstitution
0.9%1,532
176,099 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 1998
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 GephardtBill Federer
$5M
Raised by the campaign
$196.7K
$3.3M
Spent by the campaign
$196.1K
$1.8M
Cash on hand
$679
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1998.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1998
The candidates
Richard Gephardt (D)Bill Federer (R)
Also on the ballot: Michael H. Crist (Libertarian), 1.3%; Joseph C. Keller (Constitution), 0.9%