North Carolina gubernatorial election, 1980

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November 4, 1980

1984 →


Nominee	Jim Hunt	I. Beverly Lake
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	1,143,145	691,449
Percentage	61.88%	37.43%

County Results

Governor before election

Jim Hunt
Democratic

Elected Governor

Jim Hunt
Democratic

The North Carolina gubernatorial election of 1980 was held on November 4, 1980. Despite North Carolina going to Ronald Reagan in the presidential race and the U.S. Senate race being won by a Republican (John P. East), popular Democratic Governor Jim Hunt won a second term in office in a landslide over I. Beverly Lake. Hunt thus became the first governor of the state elected to a consecutive four-year term, following an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution allowing such a run.

Hunt's decision to run for a second term led to a challenge from former Democratic governor Robert W. Scott, but Hunt easily defeated the former governor in the Democratic primary.

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