1978 United States Senate election in North Carolina

The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1978 was held on November 7, 1978 as part of the nationwide elections to the Senate. The general election was between the Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and the Democratic nominee John Ingram. Helms won re-election, by a slightly wider margin than in 1972. This was the first Senate election where Republicans were re-elected to this seat.

1978 United States Senate election in North Carolina

← 1972 November 7, 1978 1984 →

Nominee Jesse Helms John Ingram Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 619,151 516,663 Percentage 54.51% 45.49%

County results Helms:      50– 60%      60–70%      70–80% Ingram:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Jesse Helms Republican Elected U.S. Senator Jesse Helms Republican

Republican primary

Candidates

• Jesse Helms, incumbent Senator since 1973

Results

Jesse Helms won the Republican Party's nomination unopposed.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Lawrence Davis
• William Griffin
• Joe Felmet, Winston-Salem Journal editorialist, civil rights activist, and candidate for U.S. House in 1974
• Luther H. Hodges Jr., chairman of North Carolina National Bank and son of former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges
• John Ingram, North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance since 1973
• Dave McKnight
• Tom Sawyer
• McNeill Smith, State Senator from Greensboro

Results

1978 North Carolina U.S. Senate Democratic primary election – First round ^[1][2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Luther H. Hodges Jr.	260,868	40.08%
	Democratic	John Ingram	170,715	26.23%
	Democratic	Lawrence Davis	105,381	16.19%
	Democratic	McNeill Smith	82,703	12.71%
	Democratic	Dave McKnight	9,422	1.45%
	Democratic	William Griffin	8,907	1.37%
	Democratic	Tom Sawyer	8,482	1.30%
	Democratic	Joe Felmet	4,464	0.69%
Turnout			650,942

1978 North Carolina U.S. Senate Democratic primary election – Second round ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Ingram	244,469	54.24%	+28.01%
	Democratic	Luther H. Hodges, Jr.	206,223	45.76%	+5.68%
Turnout			450,692

General election

Candidates

• Jesse Helms, U.S. Senator since 1973 (Republican)
• John Ingram (Democratic)

Results

1978 North Carolina U.S. Senate election^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Jesse Helms (incumbent)	619,151	54.51%	+0.50%
	Democratic	John Ingram	516,663	45.49%	−0.50%
Turnout			1,135,814
	Republican hold		Swing

See also

• 1978 United States Senate elections