1996Final results
1996 election for North Carolina's 12th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Melvin L. Watt (D) won with 71.5% of the vote, defeating Joseph A. "joe" Martino Jr. (R) by 44.8 points.
Melvin L. WattDemocrat · winner
71.5%124,675
Joseph A. "joe" Martino Jr.Republican
26.7%46,581
Roger L. KohnLibertarian
1.1%1,874
Walter LewisNatural Law
0.7%1,269
174,399 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 1996
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.
Melvin L. WattJoseph A. "joe" Martino Jr.
$133.8K
Raised by the campaign
$7.2K
$148K
Spent by the campaign
$6.9K
$7.3K
Cash on hand
$633
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1996; FEC, through Jun 30, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996
The candidates
Melvin L. Watt (D)Joseph A. "joe" Martino Jr. (R)
Also on the ballot: Roger L. Kohn (Libertarian), 1.1%; Walter Lewis (Natural Law), 0.7%