1992 United States presidential election in North Carolina
1992 United States presidential election in North Carolina Turnout 68.40% [ 1]
County results
Congressional district results
Bush
40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
Clinton
40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
The 1992 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 3, 1992, and was part of the 1992 United States presidential election . Voters chose 14 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College , who voted for president and vice president .
North Carolina was very narrowly won by incumbent Republican President George H. W. Bush of Texas over his Democratic challenger, Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas . Bush took 43.44% of the vote to Clinton's 42.65%, a margin of 0.79%. North Carolina was the second-closest state in this election behind neighboring Georgia .[ 2] This was also the first time since 1956 when North Carolina did not support the winning candidate. It has since gone on to back losing Republicans Bob Dole in 1996 , Mitt Romney in 2012 , and Donald Trump in 2020 .
Billionaire businessman Ross Perot , running as an Independent , finished in third, with 13.70% of the vote, a relatively strong showing for a third party candidate, and his second highest showing in the Southeast , behind only Florida .
Background
With the exception of Jimmy Carter 's victory in North Carolina in 1976 , the state had voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election since 1968 .[ 3] North Carolina held the third-highest number of electoral votes in the south behind Texas and Florida.[ 4]
General
Despite being from the South, Bill Clinton became the first Democrat to win the White House without carrying the state of North Carolina since James K. Polk in 1844 , and Bush became the first ever Republican to carry the state while losing nationally. As of the 2020 presidential election [update] , the 1992 election constitutes the last occasion the following counties have supported a Democratic presidential nominee: Alleghany , Brunswick , Greene , Pamlico , Pender , Rockingham , Sampson and Yancey .[ 5] This would also be the last election in which North Carolina would vote to the left of neighboring Virginia . Additionally, with Bush and Clinton each winning 50 of North Carolina's 100 counties, this remains the last time that a Republican presidential nominee has failed to win a majority of the state's counties.
Republican nominee Lauch Faircloth defeated incumbent Democrat Terry Sanford in the concurrent U.S. Senate election .[ 6]
Results
Results by county
County[ 8]
George H.W. Bush Republican
Bill Clinton Democratic
Ross Perot Independent
Various candidates Other parties
Margin
Total
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Alamance
20,637
48.33%
15,521
36.35%
6,444
15.09%
99
0.23%
5,116
11.98%
42,701
Alexander
6,764
49.64%
4,849
35.59%
2,002
14.69%
11
0.08%
1,915
14.05%
13,626
Alleghany
1,853
39.18%
2,271
48.01%
600
12.68%
6
0.13%
-418
-8.83%
4,730
Anson
2,334
27.33%
5,269
61.71%
921
10.79%
15
0.18%
-2,935
-34.38%
8,539
Ashe
5,200
46.97%
4,624
41.77%
1,220
11.02%
26
0.23%
576
5.20%
11,070
Avery
3,895
57.39%
1,755
25.86%
1,123
16.55%
14
0.21%
2,140
31.53%
6,787
Beaufort
7,337
45.91%
6,445
40.33%
2,174
13.60%
24
0.15%
892
5.58%
15,980
Bertie
1,756
26.04%
4,382
64.99%
600
8.90%
5
0.07%
-2,626
-38.95%
6,743
Bladen
3,214
31.58%
5,700
56.01%
1,248
12.26%
15
0.15%
-2,486
-24.43%
10,177
Brunswick
8,833
39.43%
10,177
45.43%
3,349
14.95%
41
0.18%
-1,344
-6.00%
22,400
Buncombe
30,892
40.92%
32,955
43.65%
11,481
15.21%
164
0.22%
-2,063
-2.73%
75,492
Burke
13,397
44.48%
12,565
41.71%
4,124
13.69%
36
0.12%
832
2.77%
30,122
Cabarrus
21,281
51.75%
13,513
32.86%
6,251
15.20%
78
0.19%
7,768
18.89%
41,123
Caldwell
12,543
49.04%
9,033
35.32%
3,965
15.50%
35
0.14%
3,510
13.72%
25,576
Camden
1,039
38.84%
1,153
43.10%
479
17.91%
4
0.15%
-114
-4.26%
2,675
Carteret
10,334
47.36%
8,028
36.79%
3,401
15.59%
56
0.26%
2,306
10.57%
21,819
Caswell
2,793
33.40%
4,725
56.50%
827
9.89%
18
0.22%
-1,932
-23.10%
8,363
Catawba
25,466
51.54%
16,334
33.06%
7,523
15.23%
86
0.17%
9,132
18.48%
49,409
Chatham
6,568
35.36%
9,520
51.25%
2,425
13.05%
64
0.34%
-2,952
-15.89%
18,577
Cherokee
4,021
45.91%
3,686
42.09%
1,040
11.87%
11
0.13%
335
3.82%
8,758
Chowan
1,661
36.86%
2,136
47.40%
700
15.53%
9
0.20%
-475
-10.54%
4,506
Clay
1,890
47.73%
1,600
40.40%
465
11.74%
5
0.13%
290
7.33%
3,960
Cleveland
13,650
44.72%
13,037
42.71%
3,784
12.40%
51
0.17%
613
2.01%
30,522
Columbus
5,462
28.88%
11,469
60.63%
1,963
10.38%
22
0.12%
-6,007
-31.75%
18,916
Craven
11,575
45.77%
9,998
39.54%
3,679
14.55%
35
0.14%
1,577
6.23%
25,287
Cumberland
27,139
42.10%
30,291
46.98%
6,792
10.54%
248
0.38%
-3,152
-4.88%
64,470
Currituck
2,188
41.31%
1,935
36.53%
1,163
21.96%
11
0.21%
253
4.78%
5,297
Dare
4,357
40.73%
3,925
36.70%
2,388
22.33%
26
0.24%
432
4.03%
10,696
Davidson
24,869
50.01%
16,462
33.11%
8,324
16.74%
70
0.14%
8,407
16.90%
49,725
Davie
6,796
54.86%
3,675
29.67%
1,903
15.36%
13
0.10%
3,121
25.19%
12,387
Duplin
5,286
38.45%
6,816
49.58%
1,636
11.90%
9
0.07%
-1,530
-11.13%
13,747
Durham
27,581
33.36%
47,331
57.24%
8,504
9.08%
268
0.32%
-19,750
-23.88%
82,684
Edgecombe
6,275
31.92%
11,174
56.84%
2,175
11.06%
33
0.17%
-4,899
-24.92%
19,657
Forsyth
52,787
45.40%
49,006
42.15%
14,262
12.27%
219
0.19%
3,781
3.25%
116,274
Franklin
4,669
35.20%
6,517
49.13%
2,062
15.54%
18
0.14%
-1,848
-13.93%
13,266
Gaston
34,714
56.51%
19,121
31.12%
7,490
12.19%
110
0.18%
15,593
25.39%
61,435
Gates
1,158
30.20%
2,206
57.54%
466
12.15%
4
0.10%
-1,048
-27.34%
3,834
Graham
1,919
49.51%
1,551
40.02%
403
10.40%
3
0.08%
368
9.49%
3,876
Granville
4,538
37.42%
6,178
50.94%
1,321
10.89%
91
0.75%
-1,640
-13.52%
12,128
Greene
2,180
38.03%
2,768
48.29%
780
13.61%
4
0.07%
-588
-10.26%
5,732
Guilford
60,140
41.08%
66,319
45.30%
19,601
13.39%
339
0.23%
-6,179
-4.22%
146,399
Halifax
5,769
32.40%
9,960
55.94%
2,047
11.50%
28
0.16%
-4,191
-23.54%
17,804
Harnett
9,751
46.58%
8,473
40.48%
2,684
12.82%
24
0.11%
1,278
6.10%
20,932
Haywood
7,292
34.71%
10,385
49.43%
3,303
15.72%
29
0.14%
-3,093
-14.72%
21,009
Henderson
17,010
51.43%
10,747
32.50%
5,260
15.90%
55
0.17%
6,263
18.93%
33,072
Hertford
2,208
28.78%
4,609
60.08%
846
11.03%
9
0.12%
-2,401
-31.30%
7,672
Hoke
1,711
27.00%
3,730
58.86%
887
14.00%
9
0.14%
-2,019
-31.86%
6,337
Hyde
740
32.34%
1,206
52.71%
340
14.86%
2
0.09%
-466
-20.37%
2,288
Iredell
19,411
49.80%
13,263
34.03%
6,204
15.92%
102
0.26%
6,148
15.77%
38,980
Jackson
4,275
36.99%
5,753
49.78%
1,516
13.12%
14
0.12%
-1,478
-12.79%
11,558
Johnston
15,418
48.67%
11,284
35.62%
4,939
15.59%
38
0.12%
4,134
13.05%
31,679
Jones
1,438
37.39%
1,962
51.01%
444
11.54%
2
0.05%
-524
-13.62%
3,846
Lee
6,658
45.42%
5,852
39.92%
2,125
14.50%
24
0.16%
806
5.50%
14,659
Lenoir
8,932
45.02%
8,793
44.32%
2,107
10.62%
10
0.05%
139
0.70%
19,842
Lincoln
11,018
49.29%
8,150
36.46%
3,142
14.06%
45
0.20%
2,868
12.83%
22,355
Macon
4,797
42.53%
4,624
41.00%
1,829
16.22%
29
0.26%
173
1.53%
11,279
Madison
3,121
39.07%
3,980
49.82%
857
10.73%
31
0.39%
-859
-10.75%
7,989
Martin
2,958
36.90%
4,069
50.76%
981
12.24%
8
0.10%
-1,111
-13.86%
8,016
McDowell
6,090
45.81%
5,309
39.93%
1,881
14.15%
15
0.11%
781
5.88%
13,295
Mecklenburg
99,496
43.57%
97,065
42.50%
31,283
13.70%
531
0.23%
2,431
1.07%
228,375
Mitchell
4,405
62.79%
1,727
24.62%
877
12.50%
6
0.09%
2,678
38.17%
7,015
Montgomery
3,543
38.67%
4,422
48.27%
1,185
12.94%
11
0.12%
-879
-9.60%
9,161
Moore
12,448
46.81%
9,649
36.29%
4,448
16.73%
46
0.17%
2,799
10.52%
26,591
Nash
14,446
48.34%
10,809
36.17%
4,544
15.20%
87
0.29%
3,637
12.17%
29,886
New Hanover
24,338
46.67%
20,291
38.91%
7,401
14.19%
124
0.24%
4,047
7.76%
52,154
Northampton
1,845
23.16%
5,195
65.21%
916
11.50%
11
0.14%
-3,350
-42.05%
7,967
Onslow
11,842
48.70%
8,045
33.08%
4,387
18.04%
44
0.18%
3,797
15.62%
24,318
Orange
13,009
27.50%
28,595
60.45%
5,535
11.70%
161
0.34%
-15,586
-32.95%
47,300
Pamlico
1,929
38.77%
2,229
44.80%
809
16.26%
8
0.16%
-300
-6.03%
4,975
Pasquotank
3,419
35.69%
4,709
49.15%
1,434
14.97%
19
0.20%
-1,290
-13.46%
9,581
Pender
4,857
39.07%
5,825
46.86%
1,725
13.88%
23
0.19%
-968
-7.79%
12,430
Perquimans
1,429
36.85%
1,818
46.88%
624
16.09%
7
0.18%
-389
-10.03%
3,878
Person
4,460
43.60%
4,323
42.26%
1,431
13.99%
16
0.16%
137
1.34%
10,230
Pitt
16,609
41.63%
17,959
45.02%
5,262
13.19%
65
0.16%
-1,350
-3.39%
39,895
Polk
3,448
45.77%
2,939
39.02%
1,134
15.05%
12
0.16%
509
6.75%
7,533
Randolph
20,697
53.20%
11,274
28.98%
6,870
17.66%
61
0.16%
9,423
24.22%
38,902
Richmond
4,356
28.01%
9,163
58.91%
2,015
12.96%
19
0.12%
-4,807
-30.90%
15,553
Robeson
7,777
25.52%
19,378
63.59%
3,277
10.75%
42
0.14%
-11,601
-38.07%
30,474
Rockingham
12,678
40.54%
13,880
44.39%
4,671
14.94%
40
0.13%
-1,202
-3.85%
31,269
Rowan
21,297
49.84%
14,308
33.48%
7,053
16.51%
74
0.17%
6,989
16.36%
42,732
Rutherford
9,748
47.95%
7,855
38.64%
2,695
13.26%
31
0.15%
1,893
9.31%
20,329
Sampson
8,007
43.12%
8,698
46.84%
1,852
9.97%
11
0.06%
-691
-3.72%
18,568
Scotland
2,980
31.84%
5,175
55.29%
1,196
12.78%
9
0.10%
-2,195
-23.45%
9,360
Stanly
11,030
50.91%
7,735
35.70%
2,855
13.18%
44
0.20%
3,295
15.21%
21,664
Stokes
7,979
47.90%
6,463
38.80%
2,183
13.11%
32
0.19%
1,516
9.10%
16,657
Surry
10,866
46.33%
9,392
40.05%
3,164
13.49%
31
0.13%
1,474
6.28%
23,453
Swain
1,640
37.88%
2,117
48.89%
568
13.12%
5
0.12%
-477
-11.01%
4,330
Transylvania
5,984
45.55%
5,120
38.97%
2,006
15.27%
27
0.21%
864
6.58%
13,137
Tyrrell
553
33.03%
928
55.44%
189
11.29%
4
0.24%
-375
-22.41%
1,674
Union
16,542
51.71%
10,789
33.72%
4,601
14.38%
60
0.19%
5,753
17.99%
31,992
Vance
4,747
37.09%
6,598
51.55%
1,444
11.28%
11
0.09%
-1,851
-14.46%
12,800
Wake
86,798
41.84%
88,979
42.89%
31,140
15.01%
550
0.27%
-2,181
-1.05%
207,467
Warren
1,767
24.80%
4,656
65.35%
693
9.73%
9
0.13%
-2,889
-40.55%
7,125
Washington
1,780
33.89%
2,902
55.24%
563
10.72%
8
0.15%
-1,122
-21.35%
5,253
Watauga
7,899
41.09%
8,262
42.98%
3,007
15.64%
57
0.30%
-363
-1.89%
19,225
Wayne
14,397
52.29%
10,307
37.44%
2,798
10.16%
30
0.11%
4,090
14.85%
27,532
Wilkes
12,547
52.57%
7,991
33.48%
3,307
13.86%
23
0.10%
4,556
19.09%
23,868
Wilson
10,176
44.36%
10,105
44.06%
2,630
11.47%
26
0.11%
71
0.30%
22,937
Yadkin
7,311
56.34%
3,913
30.15%
1,725
13.29%
28
0.22%
3,398
26.19%
12,977
Yancey
3,994
43.38%
4,285
46.54%
917
9.96%
12
0.13%
-291
-3.16%
9,208
Totals
1,134,661
43.44%
1,114,042
42.65%
357,864
13.70%
5,283
0.20%
20,619
0.79%
2,611,850
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Voter demographics
The 1992 presidential vote by demographic subgroup
Demographic subgroup
Clinton
Bush
Perot
% of total vote
Total vote
43
44
14
100
Party
Republican
7
84
9
37
Independent
38
36
26
18
Democratic
73
15
13
45
Ideology
Liberals
72
13
15
15
Moderates
49
35
16
47
Conservatives
20
69
10
38
Gender
Men
39
47
14
50
Women
46
41
13
50
Race
White
34
50
15
83
Black
91
5
3
17
Education
High school graduate
41
45
13
34
Some college
42
44
14
27
College
39
46
15
25
Postgraduate work
54
33
12
14
Age
18–29 years old
41
43
15
22
30–44 years old
43
42
15
33
45–59 years old
40
47
13
25
60 and older
49
43
9
16
Income
Under $30,000
51
35
14
42
$30,000–50,000
35
52
13
28
Over $50,000
36
49
15
29
Church attendance
Attend weekly
39
50
11
51
Attend less often
47
38
17
49
Source: Vote Research and Survey (1,563 surveyed ) [ 9]
References
^ "Voter Turnout" . North Carolina State Board of Elections .
^ "1992 Presidential Election Statistics" . Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
^ Moreland, Steed & Baker 1991 , p. 185-186.
^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994 , p. 140.
^ Sullivan, Robert David (June 29, 2016). "How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century" . The National Catholic Review (America Magazine ed.).
^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994 , p. 151-152.
^ "1992 Presidential General Election Data Graphs — North Carolina by County" . Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
^ "NC US President Race, November 03, 1992" . Our Campaigns.
^ Steed, Moreland & Baker 1994 , pp. 147, 149.
Works cited