1992 United States presidential election in North Carolina Last updated August 01, 2025
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 2016 presidential election [ update] 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 Bill Clinton Ross Perot Various candidates 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 % ofTotal 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. This page is based on this
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