Charles H. Taylor
| Charles Taylor | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 11th district |
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In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | James Clarke |
| Succeeded by | Heath Shuler |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate | |
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In office 1973–1975 |
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| Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives | |
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In office 1967–1973 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 21, 1941 Brevard, North Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Taylor |
| Residence | Brevard, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | Wake Forest University |
| Occupation | Silviculture, agriculture, finance |
| Religion | Baptist |
Charles Hart Taylor (born January 21, 1941) is an American politician; a Republican, he represented North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He began serving in 1991 and continued through January 3, 2007.
Taylor was born in Brevard, North Carolina. He attended Wake Forest University, where he received his BA in 1963 and his law degree (Juris Doctor) from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1966. He operates a cattle farm in Brevard, several tree farms around Western North Carolina, and is also involved in banking. He served in the North Carolina General Assembly as a Republican from Transylvania County from 1967 to 1975 — serving in the State House from 1967 to 1973 and the State Senate from 1973 to 1975. He then returned to his business interests until entering Congress.
In 1988, Taylor ran against Democratic incumbent Jamie Clarke and lost by just over 1,500 votes. He sought a rematch against Clarke in 1990 and won by 2,700 votes. He was reelected with 54 percent of the vote in 1992, even as Bill Clinton carried the district. He was reelected six more times from the 11th, which includes most of North Carolina's share of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
According to public statements, Taylor is a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln. Political pundits were amazed that the staunchly conservative Taylor was able to build a strong foothold in a district that had long been considered marginally Democratic, but he was helped by his membership on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, as well as the 11th's tinge of social conservatism. Additionally, Taylor's wealth enabled him to self-fund most of his campaigns.
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