The 2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. The filing deadline for the primaries was February 26; the primaries were held on May 4, with a Democratic primary runoff held on June 22. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Richard Burr won re-election to a second term. Burr is the first incumbent to win re-election for this seat since Sam Ervin's last re-election in 1968.Election 2010: North Carolina Senate, Rasmussen Reports, March 24, 2010.

Burr was the first Republican re-elected to this seat. Burr's 54.8% also represented the highest vote share a North Carolina Republican received since the state began directly electing its senators.

This was one of the five Republican-held Senate seats up for election in a state that Barack Obama won in the 2008 presidential election.

Background This Senate seat was unfavorable to incumbents over the past several decades. No person elected to this seat was re-elected since Sam Ervin in 1968. His successor, Democrat Robert Burren Morgan, was defeated for re-election in 1980, along with many other incumbents from his party. His Republican successor, John Porter East, committed suicide in 1986. East's appointed successor, Jim Broyhill, served for just four months, resigning upon his November 1986 election loss to former Democratic Governor Terry Sanford. In 1992, the seat changed hands yet again, as Sanford was defeated by wealthy GOP businessman Lauch Faircloth, who himself lost in his bid for a second term six years later by John Edwards. In 2004, no incumbent was defeated, as Edwards was running for vice president and was not allowed to be on the ballot in both races. However, that year the seat did change parties for the fifth time in a row, with Richard Burr defeating Bill Clinton's onetime Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles.

Republican primary

Candidates Eddie Burks, Asheboro City Councilman Richard Burr, incumbent U.S. Senator Brad Jones, businessman Larry Linney, former State Representative

Polling Poll source Dates administered RichardBurr BradJones EddieBurksPublic Policy Polling February 15, 2010 55% 10% 3%Public Policy Polling March 12–15, 2010 58% 5% 4%Public Policy Polling April 8–11, 2010 67% 7% 3%Survey USASurvey USA April 26, 2010 59% 6% 3%

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates From the North Carolina State Board of Elections:

Cal Cunningham, former State Senator Susan Harris, retired accountant Ken Lewis, attorney Elaine Marshall, North Carolina Secretary of State and candidate in 2002 Marcus Williams, attorney Ann Worthy, former Gaston County Board of Education member

Polling Poll source Dates administered ElaineMarshall CalCunningham KennethLewisMarshall December 1, 2009 42% 5% 7%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling February 15, 2010 29% 12% 5%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 12–15, 2010 20% 16% 11%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling April 8–11, 2010 23% 17% 9%WRAL-TV/SurveyUSAWRAL-TV/SurveyUSA April 25, 2010 23% 19% 10%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling April 27, 2010 26% 23% 7%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling May 1–2, 2010 28% 21% 9%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 4, 2010 42% 37% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling May 8–10, 2010 36% 36% ––

Results

* Note: Since no candidate received 40% of the vote on May 4, state law allowed a runoff (or "second primary") election if requested by the second-place finisher. Cunningham requested such a runoff.

General election

Candidates Michael Beitler (L), lecturer of Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Richard Burr (R), incumbent U.S. Senator Elaine Marshall (D), North Carolina Secretary of State

Campaign Marshall was endorsed by The Charlotte Observer, The Wilmington Star-News, the Elizabeth City Daily Advance and The Southern Pines Pilot. Burr was endorsed by the Greensboro News & Record and the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Debates October 11: Sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation and moderated by Carl Kasell. It was televised by UNC-TV in Raleigh. October 14: In RaleighNC Senate Candidates Burr and Marshall Miami Herald. 14 October 2010 October 21: Sponsored by N.C. Association of Broadcasters and moderated by Judy Woodruff in Durham.Testy debate

Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Report October 26, 2010 Rothenberg October 22, 2010 RealClearPolitics October 26, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 21, 2010 CQ Politics October 26, 2010

Polling Poll source Dates administered MoE RichardBurr (R) ElaineMarshall (D) MichaelBeitler (L)Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 12–15, 2009 ± 3.1% 43% 35% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 4–10, 2009 ± 3.6% 43% 31% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling September 2–8, 2009 ± 4.0% 42% 31% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 15, 2009 ± 4.5% 48% 38% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 2–4, 2009 ± 3.8% 44% 32% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling November 9–11, 2009 ± 3.7% 45% 34% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling December 11–13, 2009 ± 4.0% 42% 37% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling January 15–18, 2010 ± 3.8% 44% 37% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports January 27, 2010 ± 4.5% 47% 37% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling February 12–15, 2010 ± 3.5% 43% 33% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports February 23, 2010 ± 4.5% 50% 34% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports March 22, 2010 ± 4.5% 51% 35% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports April 19, 2010 ± 4.5% 50% 32% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 5, 2010 ± 4.5% 48% 40% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling May 8–10, 2010 ± 3.9% 43% 42% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 3, 2010 ± 3.0% 50% 36% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling June 4–6, 2010 ± 3.9% 46% 39% ––Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 23, 2010 ± 4.5% 44% 43% ––SurveyUSASurveyUSA June 23–24, 2010 ± 4.0% 50% 40% 6%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling June 26–27, 2010 ± 4.4% 38% 33% 10%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 6, 2010 ± 4.5% 52% 37% ––Survey USASurvey USA July 8–11, 2010 ± 4.2% 46% 36% 6%Lake ResearchLake Research July 15–19, 2010 ± 4.0% 35% 37% 5%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling July 27–31, 2010 ± 3.9% 39% 37% 7%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 3, 2010 ± 4.5% 49% 40% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling August 27–29, 2010 ± 3.6% 43% 38% 6%Rasmussen Reports September 8, 2010 ± 4.5% 54% 38% ––SurveyUSASurveyUSA September 14, 2010 ± 4.1% 58% 32% 6%CivitasCivitas September 15–17, 2010 ± 4.0% 49% 29% 3%Public Polling PolicyPublic Polling Policy September 23–26, 2010 ± 3.8% 49% 36% 4%High Point UniversityHigh Point University September 25–30, 2010 ± 5.0% 45% 31% 4%Rasmussen Reports October 12, 2010 ± 4.5% 52% 38% ––Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 15–17, 2010 ± 4.0% 48% 40% 3%SurveyUSASurveyUSA October 22–25, 2010 ± 4.1% 53% 38% 5%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 29–31, 2010 ± 3.4% 52% 40% 2%

Fundraising Candidate (party) Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand Debt Richard Burr (R) $8,444,115 $8,735,725 $1,600,695 $0 Elaine Marshall (D) $2,561,900 $2,229,840 $329,886 $71,500 Michael Beitler (L) $16,302 $9,951 $6,350 $11,906 Source: Federal Election Commission

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Caswell (largest city: Yanceyville) Columbus (largest municipality: Whiteville) Yancey (largest municipality: Burnsville) Perquimans (largest city: Hertford) Camden (largest city: Camden) Tyrrell (largest municipality: Columbia) Guilford (largest city: Greensboro) Swain (largest municipality: Cherokee) Granville (largest city: Oxford) Hyde (largest community: Ocracoke) Jackson (largest town: Cullowhee) Wake (largest town: Raleigh)

See also 2010 North Carolina elections 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina

References

External links North Carolina State Board of Elections U.S. Congress candidates for North Carolina at Project Vote Smart North Carolina U.S. Senate 2010 from OurCampaigns.com Campaign contributions from Open Secrets graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com Election 2010: North Carolina Senate from Rasmussen Reports 2010 North Carolina Senate Race from Real Clear Politics 2010 North Carolina Senate Race from CQ Politics Race profile from The New York Times Debates North Carolina Democratic Senate Primary Runoff Debate, C-SPAN, June 15, 2010 Official campaign sites (archived) Elaine Marshall for U.S. Senate Mike Beitler for U.S. Senate Richard Burr for U.S. Senate incumbent