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1998 United States Senate election in North Carolina

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Field	Value
election_name	1998 United States Senate election in North Carolina
country	North Carolina
type	presidential
ongoing	no
previous_election	1992 United States Senate election in North Carolina
previous_year	1992
next_election	2004 United States Senate election in North Carolina
next_year	2004
election_date	November 3, 1998
image_size	x150px
image1	John Edwards 1996.jpg
nominee1	John Edwards
party1	Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote1	1,029,237
percentage1	51.15%
image2	Lauch Faircloth (R-NC) (crop).jpg
nominee2	Lauch Faircloth
party2	Republican Party (United States)
popular_vote2	945,943
percentage2	47.01%
map_image	1998 United States Senate election in North Carolina results by county map.svg
map_size	325px
map_caption	County results
Edwards:
Faircloth:
title	U.S. Senator
before_election	Lauch Faircloth
before_party	Republican Party (United States)
after_election	John Edwards
after_party	Democratic Party (United States)

Edwards:
Faircloth:
The 1998 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Lauch Faircloth decided to seek re-election to a second term, but was unseated by Democrat John Edwards, a trial attorney. Edwards declined to run for reelection in 2004, choosing instead to run for President of the United States. Eventually, he was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States by John Kerry. They would lose to incumbents George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, and Edwards later ran again for president in 2008.

As of 2025, this is the last time a Democrat has won North Carolina's Class 3 Senate seat, as well as the last time a male Democrat has won a Senate seat in North Carolina.

Republican primary

In the Republican primary, Faircloth easily defeated two minor candidates.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Bob Ayers Jr.
James Carmack
John Edwards, Raleigh attorney
Gene Gay
D. G. Martin, former vice chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and candidate for U.S. Representative in 1984 and 1986
Mike Robinson
Ella Scarborough, former Charlotte City Council member

Declined

Mike Easley, North Carolina Attorney General since 1993
Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte and nominee for Senate in 1990 and 1996
Mike Robinson, Davidson County businessman
Charlie Sanders, former CEO of Glaxo and candidate for Senate in 1996

Going into the 1998 campaign, several prominent Democrats declined to run for Senate, including Attorney General Mike Easley, former Mayor of Charlotte Harvey Gantt, and former Glaxo CEO and 1996 Senate candidate Charlie Sanders.

Results

In the Democratic primary, Edwards defeated his closest rival D.G. Martin, former vice chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The race also featured former Charlotte city councilwoman Ella Scarborough and several minor candidates.

General election

Candidates

John Edwards, Raleigh attorney (Democratic)
Barbara Howe (Libertarian)
Lauch Faircloth, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1993 (Republican)

Campaign

During the campaign, Edwards fashioned himself as a "people's advocate", while Faircloth accused Edwards of being too friendly towards labor unions. Referring to Edwards as a "tobacco-taxing liberal", Faircloth's campaign ran ads alleging that Edwards' position on tobacco regulation would lead to job losses in the state.

Edwards' campaign refused financial support from political action committees and ran ads criticizing Faircloth's record on Medicare and Social Security. Edwards' victory was partially attributed by some observers to blowback against the Faircloth campaign's use of negative advertising.

Polling

Poll source	Date(s)
administered	Sample
size	Margin
of error	Lauch
Faircloth (R)	John
Edwards (D)	Undecided
Mason Dixon	October 26–28, 1998	827 (LV)	± 3.5%		44%	43%	13%
Mason Dixon	October 11–13, 1998	836 (LV)	± 3.5%		45%	43%	12%
Survey USA	October 9–11, 1998	500 (LV)	± 4.5%	43%		46%	11%
Mason Dixon	September 20–22, 1998	807 (LV)	± 3.5%		50%	40%	10%
Mason Dixon	July 25–27, 1998	829 (LV)	± 3.5%		47%	38%	15%

Results

Notes

References

Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998". [[U.S. Government Printing Office]].
"State Board of Elections".
(May 1998). "EDWARDS SHOULD LEAD THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET".
"Stuart Rothenberg: Money Makes A Difference -- Again - May 7, 1998".
Dewar, Helen. (July 11, 1998). "North Carolina's Stark Clash". [[The Washington Post]].
Andron, Scott. (26 October 1998). "ATTACK ADS SIGNIFY CLOSE SENATE RACE\ SENATE CANDIDATES JOHN EDWARDS AND LAUCH FAIRCLOTH ACCUSE EACH OTHER OF LYING ABOUT EDWARDS' STANDS ON TOBACCO.".
"North Carolina Senate - November 3, 1998".
Bragg, Rick. (1998-11-06). "THE 1998 ELECTION: THE DISCONTENTED; Rejecting Negative Advertising, and the Candidate". The New York Times.
"CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - North Carolina 1998 Polls". [[CNN]].

Info: Wikipedia Source

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