1986Final results
1986 election for North Carolina's 5th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Stephen Neal (D) won with 54.1% of the vote, defeating Stuart "stu" Epperson (R) by 8.2 points.
Stephen NealDemocrat · winner
54.1%86,410
Stuart "stu" EppersonRepublican
45.9%73,261
159,671 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 1986
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Stephen NealStuart "stu" Epperson
$493.5K
Raised by the campaign
$939.8K
$494K
Spent by the campaign
$944.3K
$43.7K
Cash on hand
$617
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986