For related races, see 1988 United States gubernatorial elections.
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 County results Martin: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Jordan: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 1988 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1988. Popular Incumbent Governor James G. Martin ran and was re-elected by a comfortable margin over Democratic Challenger former Lieutenant Governor Robert B. Jordan III.
As of 2025, this is the only time that a Republican was re-elected to a second term as Governor of North Carolina. This is the second of two times where Republicans won consecutive gubernatorial elections, after 1868 and 1872. This also marks the last occasion that the following counties have voted Republican in a gubernatorial election: Buncombe, Guilford, and Wilson.
Primary election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert B. Jordan | 404,620 | 79.20% | ||
| Democratic | Billy Martin | 60,770 | 11.97% | ||
| Democratic | Carrol W. Crawford | 21,884 | 4.30% | ||
| Democratic | James Lloyd | 10,438 | 2.06% | ||
| Democratic | Bruce A. Friedman | 9,876 | 1.95% | ||
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James G. Martin (incumbent) | 1,222,258 | 55.06% | ||
| Democratic | Robert B. Jordan | 997,408 | 44.94% | −0.47% | |
| Turnout | 2,219,66 | 100% | |||
Footnotes
- "Our Campaigns - NC Governor - D Primary Race - May 03, 1988".
- "Atlas Forum Index". Atlas Forum. July 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
| (1986 ←) 1988 United States elections (→ 1990) | |
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