1988Final results
1988 election for North Carolina's 5th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Stephen Neal (D) won with 52.6% of the vote, defeating Lyons Gray (R) by 5.2 points.
Stephen NealDemocrat · winner
52.6%110,516
Lyons GrayRepublican
47.4%99,540
210,056 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 1988
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 NealLyons Gray
$715.6K
Raised by the campaign
$744.8K
$756.1K
Spent by the campaign
$745K
$3.1K
Cash on hand
$5.3K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988