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MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
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November 6, 1990
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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] When asked to endorse Gantt, Jordan said in jest, "Republicans buy sneakers, too."[2]
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
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.[4] 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".[5]
60% of white voters supported Helms while 94% of black voters supported Gantt.[6]
| 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 | |||||
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| Elections | |
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  | This North Carolina elections-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
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. When asked to endorse Gantt, Jordan said in jest, "Republicans buy sneakers, too."
The 2008 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 4, 2008, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of North Carolina. Democratic state senator Kay Hagan defeated Republican one-term incumbent Elizabeth Dole. The November general election was the first time in North Carolina history, and only the eighth time in U.S. history, that the two major-party candidates for a U.S. Senate seat were both women. In addition, Hagan became the first woman to defeat an incumbent woman in a U.S. Senate election. As of 2026, this is the last time that a Democrat won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, and the only time since 1998, as well as the only time Democrats have won this seat since 1966.
The 2002 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jesse Helms announced in August 2001 that he would retire due to health issues. Republican Elizabeth Dole won the open seat, becoming the first non-incumbent to capture a Senate seat for the Republican party in the state's history. This was the first open seat election since 1974 and the first time happened at this seat.
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. At 45 years of age, Edwards became the youngest elected U.S. Senator from North Carolina. As of 2026, this is the last time where a Democrat won North Carolina's Class 3 Senate seat and where a male Democrat won a Senate seat in North Carolina, and where the incumbent president's party defeated an incumbent in a state they lost in the preceding presidential election.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Madam C.J. Walker
