The 2002 North Carolina Senate election was held on November 5, 2002, as part of the state's biennial election to the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

. All fifty seats in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

were elected.

Results summary

† - Incumbent not seeking re-election

Incumbents defeated in the primary election

* Howard Lee (D-District 23) lost re-nomination to

Eleanor Kinnaird Eleanor Gates 'Ellie' Kinnaird (born November 14, 1931) is a North Carolina politician who served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 23rd Senate district from January 1997 until her resignatio ...

in a redistricting race *Bob Shaw (R-District 26) lost re-nomination to Phil Berger in a redistricting race *Kenneth Moore (R-District 45) lost re-nomination to

Virginia Foxx Virginia Ann Foxx ( Palmieri;Foxx, Virginia Ann
. ''Biographical Directory of ...

in a redistricting race

Incumbents defeated in the general election

Allen Wellons Allen Hewitt Wellons (born March 12, 1949) is an American attorney and Democratic politician. The onetime campaign manager for 11th district state senator Jim Speed, he succeeded the longtime lawmaker after he retired in 1996. Wellons ran for r ...

(D-District 12), defeated by Fred Smith (R) *T. L. "Fountain" Odom (D-District 40), defeated by

Robert Pittenger The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

(R)

Open seats that changed parties

* Aaron Plyler (D-District 35) didn't seek re-election, seat won by

Fern Shubert Fern H. Shubert is a former Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirty-fifth Senate district, including constituents in Mecklenburg and Union counties. An accountant from Marshville, North Carolina ...

(R) *

Charles Newell Carter Charles Newell Carter Jr. (born May 9, 1967) is a Democratic politician from North Carolina who served two terms in the North Carolina General Assembly. Carter was born in Asheville, North Carolina and graduated from Asheville School. He ear ...

(D-District 28) didn't seek re-election, seat won by

Tom Apodaca Thomas Michael Apodaca (born November 8, 1957) is a lobbyist and former Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's forty-eighth Senate district, including constituents in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvan ...

* Dan Robinson (D-District 50) lost a redistricting race to Robert C. Carpenter (R-District 50)

Newly created seats

*District 5, won by

Tony P. Moore Tony P. Moore is a Republican politician who served one term in the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's fifth Senate district, including constituents in Pitt and Wilson counties, during the 2003-2004 session. Tony Moor ...

(D) *District 6, won by Cecil Hargett (D) *District 14, won by

Vernon Malone Vernon Malone (December 20, 1931 – April 18, 2009) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's fourteenth Senate district from 2003 until his death in 2009. His district included constituents in ...

(D) *District 17, won by Richard Y. Stevens (R) *District 22, won by

Harris Blake Harris Durham Blake (November 3, 1929 – June 9, 2014) was a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-second Senate district, which included constituents in Harnett, Lee and Moore counties. ...

(R) *District 29, won by Jerry W. Tillman (R) *District 34, won by Andrew C. Brock (R) *District 41, won by R. B. Sloan Jr. (R) *District 47, won by

Joe Sam Queen Joe Sam Queen (born June 18, 1950) is a North Carolina politician and architect. He has served in both the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Representatives. Political career Queen represented the state's 47th Senate distr ...

(D)

Detailed results

Districts 1–25

District 1

Incumbent Democratic President Pro Tempore

Marc Basnight Marc Basnight (May 13, 1947 – December 28, 2020) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing the 1st district, from 1984 through his resignation just before the start of what wo ...

has represented the 1st district since 1985.

District 2

The new 2nd district overlaps with much of the former 3rd district. Incumbent Democrat Scott Thomas, who has represented the 3rd district since 2001, was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 3

The new 3rd district includes the homes of incumbent Democrats Edward Warren, who has represented the 9th district since 1991, and R. L. "Bob" Martin, who has represented the 6th district since 1985. Neither sought re-election here and Democrat

Clark Jenkins Samuel Clark Jenkins is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's third Senate district from 2003 to 2015. His district included constituents in Edgecombe, Martin, a ...

won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;General election

District 4

The new 4th district overlaps with much of the former 2nd district. Incumbent Democrat

Frank Ballance Frank Winston Ballance Jr. (February 15, 1942 – February 22, 2019) was an American politician and attorney who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2004, representing North Carolina's 1st congress ...

, who has represented the 2nd district since 1989, ran for the

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. Democrat

Robert Lee Holloman Robert Lee Holloman (1953 – January 8, 2007) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly who represented the state's fourth Senate district, including constituents in Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampto ...

won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;General election

District 5

The new 5th district is based in

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People * Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...

and Pitt counties and isn't a safe seat for either party. Democrat

won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 6

The new 6th district is based in

Jones Jones may refer to: People *Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname *List of people with surname Jones * Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter Arts and entertainment * Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell ...

and Onslow counties. Democrat Cecil Hargett won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 7

The new 7th district overlaps with much of the former 8th district. Incumbent Democrat John Kerr, who has represented the 8th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 8

The new 8th district overlaps with much of the former 18th district.
Incumbent Democrat

R. C. Soles Jr. Robert Charles Soles Jr. (December 17, 1934 – February 5, 2021) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina Senate, representing the 8th district from 1977 to 2011. His district included Brunswick, Columbus and Pender counties. From 1969 ...

, who has represented the 18th district and its predecessors since 1977, was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 9

The new 9th district includes the homes of incumbent Republican

Patrick J. Ballantine Patrick J. Ballantine (born March 17, 1965) is an American attorney and politician who was a United States Republican Party, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly, rising to become the North Carolina General Assembly#North Car ...

, who has represented the 4th district since 1995, and Democrat

Luther Jordan Luther Henry Jordan, Jr. (1 June 1950 – 23 April 2002) was a Democratic politician from North Carolina and a senior member of the North Carolina General Assembly. Jordan was born in New York City and moved to North Carolina as a child. He grad ...

, who has represented the 7th district since 1993, Ballantine was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 10

The new 10th district includes the homes of incumbent Democrats Charles W. Albertson, who has represented the 5th district since 1993, and

Oscar Harris Oscar Harris (born 30 November 1943) is a Surinamese singer. He was among the best known Surinamese musicians in the Netherlands during the 1970s and 1980s. Harris moved to Amsterdam to study architecture in 1963, and founded Oscar Harris and T ...

, who has represented the 15th district since 1999, Albertson was re-elected here. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 11

The new 11th district overlaps with much of the former 10th district. Incumbent Democrat A. B. Swindell, who has represented the 10th district since 2001, was re-elected here.

District 12

The new 12th district includes the homes of incumbent Democrat

, who has represented the 11th district since 1997. Wellons lost re-election here to Republican Fred Smith. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 13

The new 13th district overlaps with much of the former 30th district. Incumbent Democrat

David F. Weinstein David Franklin Weinstein (born June 17, 1936) was a politician in North Carolina. He served as United States Democratic Party, Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly, General Assembly who represented the state's thirteenth North C ...

, who has represented the 30th district since 1997, was re-elected here.

District 14

The new 14th district is based in

Wake County Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...

and has no incumbent. Democrat

won the open seat. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 15

The new 15th district overlaps with much of the former 36th district. Incumbent Republican

John H. Carrington John Hunter Carrington (October 25, 1934 – February 28, 2017) was an American politician. Republican former member of the North Carolina General Assembly who long represented the state's fifteenth Senate district, including constituents in W ...

, who has represented the 15th district since 1995, was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 16

The new 16th district overlaps with much of the former 14th district. Incumbent Democrats

Eric Miller Reeves Eric Miller Reeves (born October 18, 1963) is an attorney and a North Carolina state Senator. Early life and education Reeves graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas in 1982 where he was a member of the wrestling team and won the Texas Sta ...

and Brad Miller have represented the 14th district since 1997.
Miller ran for the

while Reeves was re-elected here.

District 17

The new 17th district is based in Southern

and had no incumbent. Republican Richard Y. Stevens won the open seat. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 18

The new 18th district overlaps with much of the northern portion of the former 13th district. Incumbent Democrat

Wib Gulley Wilbur P. (Wib) Gulley (born July 31, 1948) is an attorney and former state and local elected official from Durham, North Carolina. Mayor Gulley served as Mayor of Durham for two terms, from December 1985 to December 1989. As Mayor, Gulley initia ...

, who has represented the 13th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 19

The new 19th district overlaps with much of the former 24th district. Incumbent Democrat

Tony Rand Anthony Eden Rand (September 1, 1939 – May 1, 2020) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly from 1981 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 2009. Early life Rand was born in southern Wake ...

, who has represented the 24th district since 1995, was re-elected here. ;Democratic primary ;General election

District 20

The new 20th district (based in Durham County) overlaps with much of the southern portion of the old 13th district. Incumbent Democrat

Jeanne Hopkins Lucas Jeanne Hopkins Lucas (December 25, 1935 - March 9, 2007) was the first African-American woman elected to serve in North Carolina's state Senate. Lucas was born in Durham, North Carolina to Robert Hopkins and Bertha Holman Hopkins. She attended E ...

, who has represented the 13th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 21

The new 21st district overlaps with much of the former 41st district. Incumbent Democrat Larry Shaw, who has represented the 41st district since 1995, was re-elected here. ;Democratic primary ;General election

District 22

The new 22nd district includes all of

Moore Moore may refer to: People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior officer in the British Army * Moore Powell (died c. 1573 ...

and

Lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

counties, as well as the western portion of Harnett County. Republican

won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 23

The new 23rd district overlaps with much of the former 16th district. Incumbent Democrats

and Howard Lee have both represented the 16th district since 1997. Kinnaird was re-elected here. ;Democratic primary ;General election

District 24

The new 24th district overlaps with much of the former 21st district. Incumbent Republican Hugh Webster, who has represented the 21st district since 1995, was re-elected here.

District 25

The new 25th district overlaps with much of the eastern portion of the former 17th district. Incumbent Democrat

William R. Purcell William Robert Purcell (born February 12, 1931 in Laurinburg, North Carolina) is a Democratic politician. He was a member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-fifth Senate district, including constituents in Ans ...

, who has represented the 17th district since 1997, was re-elected here.

Districts 26–50

District 26

The new 26th district includes the homes of incumbent Republicans Phil Berger, who has represented the 12th district since 2001, and Bob Shaw, who has represented the 19th district since 1985. Berger was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 27

The new 27th district overlaps with much of the former 32nd district. Incumbent Democrat

Kay Hagan Janet Kay Hagan (née Ruthven; May 26, 1953 – October 28, 2019) was an American lawyer, banking executive, and politician who served as a United States Senator from North Carolina from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previo ...

, who has represented the 32nd district since 1999, was re-elected here.

District 28

The new 28th district overlaps with much of the former 31st district. Incumbent Democrat Bill Martin, who has represented the 31st district since 1983 did not seek re-election. Democrat

Katie G. Dorsett Katie Grays Dorsett (July 8, 1932 – July 6, 2020) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-eighth Senate district from 2003 to 2010. Her district included constituents in Guilford County, No ...

won the open seat.

District 29

The new 29th district includes

Randolph Randolph may refer to: Places In the United States * Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Randolph, Arizona, a populated place * Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea * Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated commun ...

and Montgomery counties and had no incumbent. Republican Jerry W. Tillman won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 30

The new 30th district overlaps with much of the former 27th district. Incumbent Republican John A. Garwood, who has represented the 27th district since 1997, was re-elected here. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 31

The new 31st district overlaps with parts of the former 20th district. Incumbent Republican Hamilton Horton Jr., who has represented the 20th district since 1995, was re-elected here.

District 32

the new 32nd district overlaps with parts of the former 20th district. Incumbent Democrat

Linda Garrou Linda Garrou (January 17, 1943 – March 19, 2022) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirty-second Senate district since 1999 until 2012. Her district includes constituents in Forsyth coun ...

, who has represented the 20th district since 1999, was re-elected here.

District 33

The new 33rd district includes the homes of incumbent Democrat

Cal Cunningham James Calvin "Cal" Cunningham III (born August 6, 1973) is an American lawyer, politician, and retired military officer. A member of the Democratic Party and a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve, he served one term as a North C ...

, who has represented the 23rd district since 2001, and incumbent Republican

Stan Bingham Stanley Walker Bingham (December 29, 1945 – October 27, 2022) was an American politician, a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirty-third Senate district, including constituents in Davidson an ...

, who has represented the 38th district since 2001. Cunningham did not seek re-election and Bingham was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 34

The new 34th district includes all of

Davie Davie is a surname and a form of the masculine given name David. It can refer to: Surname * Alan Davie (1920-2014), Scottish painter and musician * Alexander Edmund Batson Davie (1847-1889), Canadian politician and eighth Premier of British Col ...

and Yadkin counties as well as most of Rowan County. Republican Andrew C. Brock won the open seat. ;Democratic primary ;Republican primary ;General election

District 35

The new 35th district overlaps with much of the western portion of the old 17th district. Incumbent Democrat Aaron Plyler, who has represented the 17th district since 1983, did not seek re-election. Republican

won the open seat. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 36

The new 36th district overlaps with much of the former 22nd district. Incumbent Republican Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr., who has represented the 22nd district since 1991, was re-elected here.

District 37

The new 37th district overlaps with much of the former 40th district. Incumbent Democrat

Dan Clodfelter Daniel G. Clodfelter (born June 2, 1950) is an American politician and attorney from North Carolina. He served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the State's thirty-seventh Senate district, which includes ...

, who has represented the 40th district since 1999, was re-elected here.

District 38

The new 38th district overlaps with much of the former 33rd district. Incumbent Democrat Charlie Dannelly, who has represented the 38th district since 1995, was re-elected here.

District 39

The new 39th district overlaps with much of the former 35th district. Incumbent Republican Bob Rucho, who has represented the 35th district since 1997, was re-elected here.

District 40

The new 40th district overlaps with much of the former 34th district. Incumbent Democrat T. L. "Fountain" Odom, who has represented the 40th district since 1989, lost re-election here to Republican

District 41

The new 41st district includes all of

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

and Iredell counties and had no incumbent. Republican R. B. Sloan Jr. won the open seat.

District 42

The new 42nd district overlaps with much of the former 39th district. Incumbent Republican James Forrester, who has represented the 39th district and its predecessors since 1991, was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 43

The new 43rd district overlaps with much of the former 25th district. Incumbent Democrat David W. Hoyle, who has represented the 25th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 44

The new 44th district overlaps with much of the former 26th district. Incumbent Republican Austin M. Allran, who has represented the 26th district since 1987, was re-elected here. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 45

The new 45th district includes the homes of incumbent Republicans

Virginia Foxx Virginia Ann Foxx ( Palmieri;Foxx, Virginia Ann
. ''Biographical Directory of ...

, who has represented the 12th district since 1995, and Kenneth Moore, who has represented the 27th district since 1997. Foxx was re-elected here.

District 46

The new 46th district overlaps with much of the former 37th district. Incumbent Democrat Walter H. Dalton, who has represented the 37th district since 1997, was re-elected here.

District 47

The new 47th district includes all of Avery,

Mitchell Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territo ...

, McDowell, Yancey, and

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

counties as well as most of Haywood County. The district had no incumbent and Democrat

won the open seat. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 48

The new 48th District includes all of

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *He ...

and

Polk Polk may refer to: People * James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States * Polk (name), other people with the name Places *Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois * Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Polk, Missouri ...

counties as well as southwestern

Buncombe County Buncombe County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is A ...

. The District includes the home of Incumbent Democrat

, who has represented the 28th district since 1999. Carter did not seek re-election and Republican

won the open seat. ;Republican primary ;General election

District 49

The new 49th district overlaps with much of the western portion of the old 28th district. Incumbent Democrat

Steve Metcalf Stephen Michael Metcalf is an American lobbyist and former politician. He was a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's forty-ninth Senate district, including constituents in Buncombe county. A managem ...

, who has represented the 28th district since 1999, was re-elected here.

District 50

The new 50th district includes the homes of Incumbent Democrat Dan Robinson, who has represented the 29th district since 1999, and incumbent Republican Robert C. Carpenter, who has represented the 42nd district since 1989. Carpenter defeated Robinson to win another term in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina Senate Election, 2002

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

2002 state legislature elections in the United States 2002 North Carolina elections