1978Final results
1978 election for North Carolina's 5th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Stephen Neal (D) won with 54.2% of the vote, defeating Hamilton C. Horton (R) by 8.4 points.
Stephen NealDemocrat · winner
54.2%68,778
Hamilton C. HortonRepublican
45.8%58,161
126,939 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1978
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET