1996Final results
1996 election for North Carolina's 6th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Howard Coble (R) won with 73.4% of the vote, defeating Mark Costley (D) by 48.0 points.
Howard CobleRepublican · winner
73.4%167,828
Mark CostleyDemocrat
25.4%58,022
Gary GoodsonLibertarian
1.2%2,693
228,543 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.
Mark CostleyHoward Coble
$44K
Raised by the campaign
$592.2K
$32.8K
Spent by the campaign
$498.2K
$11.1K
Cash on hand
$171.1K
Campaign money: FEC, through Oct 16, 1996; FEC, through Dec 31, 1996.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1996