1980Final resultsIncumbent defeated
1980 election for North Carolina Senate District 21
North Carolina State Senate · North Carolina
2 seats: Paul S. Smith (R), Gilbert Lee Boger (R) won.
2 seatsPaul S. SmithRepublican · winner
27.4%42,008
Gilbert Lee BogerRepublican · winner
26.1%39,977
Jack ChildersDemocrat
24.0%36,827
Robert M. Davis Jr.Democrat · incumbent
22.5%34,581
153,393 votes
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1980
Races before and after
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET