1990Final results
1990 election for North Carolina's 5th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Stephen Neal (D) won with 59.1% of the vote, defeating Ken Bell (R) by 18.2 points.
Stephen NealDemocrat · winner
59.1%113,814
Ken BellRepublican
40.9%78,747
192,561 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 1990
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 NealKen Bell
$671.9K
Raised by the campaign
$178.2K
$647.3K
Spent by the campaign
$174.6K
$27.7K
Cash on hand
$3.6K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1990.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1990