1996 United States Senate election in North Carolina

1996 United States Senate election in North Carolina

← 1990 November 5, 1996 2002 →

Nominee Jesse Helms Harvey Gantt Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,345,833 1,173,875 Percentage 52.64% 45.92%

County results Helms:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Gantt:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

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

Elections in North Carolina
Federal government U.S. President 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 Dem Rep 2012 2016 Dem 2020 Dem Rep 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1789 1792 1795 1798 1799 1800 1804 1805 (sp) 1806 1810 1812 1814 (sp) 1815 (sp) 1816 1816 (sp) 1818 1822 1825 1846 (sp) 1828 1828 (sp) 1829 1829 (sp) 1830 1835 1836 1836 (sp) 1840 (sp) 1841 1843 1847 1849 1854 (sp) 1855 1858 (sp) 1861 1868 1872 1872 (sp) 1876 1879 1883 1884 1889 1890 1894 1894 (sp) 1897 1901 1903 1907 1909 1913 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1932 (sp) 1936 1938 1942 1944 1948 1948 (sp) 1950 1950 (sp) 1954 1954 (sp) 1956 1958 (sp) 1960 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1986 (sp) 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 U.S. House of Representatives 1790 1791 1793 1795 sp:4 1796 sp:4 1798 sp:10 1800 1801 sp:8 1802 sp:8 1803 1804 1805 sp:5 1806 sp:10 1808 sp:7 1810 1813 sp:3 1815 1816 sp:6 sp:8 1817 1818 sp:7 sp:11 1819 1821 sp:4 1823 1825 sp:2 1826 sp:8 1827 1829 sp:5 sp:10 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1858 sp:8 1859 1865 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1928 1930 1934 1938 1940 1942 1946 1948 1950 1952 1956 1958 1960 sp:12 1968 1972 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 sp:1 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 sp:12 2016 2018 9 2019 sp:3 sp:9 2020 2022 2024
State executive Gubernatorial elections 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1810 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1838 1840 1842 1844 1846 1848 1850 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1862 1864 1865 1866 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Lieutenant Governor elections 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Attorney General elections 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Council of State elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Secretary of State elections 1940 1944 1996 2024
State legislature State Senate elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 State House elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State judiciary Judicial elections 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 2012 Amendment 1
Mayoral elections Charlotte mayoral elections 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 Cary mayoral elections 2011 2015 2019 2023 Durham mayoral elections 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 Fayetteville mayoral elections 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 Greensboro mayoral elections 2011 2013 2015 2017 2022 Raleigh mayoral elections 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2024 Winston-Salem mayoral elections 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2016 2020
v t e

The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1996 was held on November 5, 1996 as part of the nationwide elections to the Senate, and coincided with the 1996 presidential election.

The general election was a rematch of the 1990 election between Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and Democratic nominee Harvey Gantt, the former Mayor of Charlotte. Helms won re-election to a fifth and final term by a slightly wider margin than in 1990. Helms would ultimately tie with Furnifold Simmons as North Carolina's longest-serving U.S Senator for a record of 30 years.