1978Final results
1978 election for U.S. Senate in North Carolina
U.S. Senate · North Carolina
Jesse Helms (R) won with 54.5% of the vote, defeating John Randolph Ingram (D) by 9.0 points.
Jesse HelmsRepublican · winner
54.5%619,151
John Randolph IngramDemocrat
45.5%516,663
1,135,814 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