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Deutsch1990 United States Senate election in North Carolina
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  Helms: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Gantt: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in North Carolina |
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The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1990 was held on November 6, 1990, as part of the nationwide elections to the Senate. The general election was fought between the Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and the Democratic nominee former mayor of Charlotte Harvey Gantt. Helms won re-election to a fourth term by a slightly wider margin than the close election in 1984.
The election received renewed attention in 2020 with the release of ESPN miniseries The Last Dance, which mentioned Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan refusing to endorse Gantt, who was seeking to become the first African-American to represent North Carolina - Jordan's home state - in the United States Senate.[1]
Primaries
[edit]Republican primary
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jesse Helms (Incumbent) | 157,345 | 84.32% | −6.33% | |
| Republican | L. C. Nixon | 15,355 | 8.23% | N/A | |
| Republican | George Wimbish | 13,895 | 7.45% | −1.90% | |
| Turnout | 186,595 | ||||
Democratic primary
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harvey Gantt | 260,179 | 37.52% | N/A | |
| Democratic | Mike Easley | 209,934 | 30.27% | N/A | |
| Democratic | John Ingram | 120,990 | 17.45% | −8.78% | |
| Democratic | R. P. Thomas | 82,883 | 11.95% | N/A | |
| Democratic | Lloyd Gardner | 11,528 | 1.66% | N/A | |
| Democratic | Robert Hannan | 7,982 | 1.15% | N/A | |
| Turnout | 693,496 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harvey Gantt | 273,567 | 56.89% | +19.37% | |
| Democratic | Mike Easley | 207,283 | 43.11% | +12.84% | |
| Turnout | 480,850 | ||||
General election
[edit]The Helms campaign against black Democratic nominee Harvey Gantt was racially charged, as he focused on messaging of black people taking jobs from white people.[3] He ran an advertisement in which a white person was denied a job due to racial quotas. Carter Wrenn, who was involved in the ad's creation, stated that "We played the race card".[4]
60% of white voters supported Helms while 94% of black voters supported Gantt.[5]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jesse Helms (Incumbent) | 1,089,012 | 52.58% | +0.92% | |
| Democratic | Harvey Gantt | 981,573 | 47.39% | −0.42% | |
| Socialist Workers | Rich Stuart | 681 | 0.03% | −0.08% | |
| Turnout | 2,071,266 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ London, Adam. "'The Last Dance' Recap: Five Biggest Takeaways From Episodes 5, 6 - NESN" – via www.nesn.com.
- ^ a b c d "North Carolina DataNet #46" (PDF). University of North Carolina. April 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ Black & Black 2002, p. 103-109.
- ^ "Political Pro With Race-Baiting Past Doesn't See It In Romney's Welfare Charge". NPR. September 10, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023.
- ^ "Helms Defeats Gantt". The Washington Post. November 7, 1990. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023.
Works cited
[edit]- Black, Earl; Black, Merle (2002). The Rise of Southern Republicans. Harvard University Press. ISBN 067400728X.
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