1998Final results
1998 election for North Carolina's 12th District
U.S. House · North Carolina
Melvin L. Watt (D) won with 56.0% of the vote, defeating John "scott" Keadle (R) by 13.8 points.
Melvin L. WattDemocrat · winner
56.0%82,305
John "scott" KeadleRepublican
42.2%62,070
Michael G. SmithLibertarian
1.8%2,713
147,088 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 1998
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. WattJohn "scott" Keadle
$788.5K
Raised by the campaign
$381.7K
$641.4K
Spent by the campaign
$381.5K
$154.4K
Cash on hand
$111
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1998.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1998