# 2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina

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vte :
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.
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.

## 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 | Richard Burr | Brad Jones | Eddie Burks |
| Public 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 USA | April 26, 2010 | 59% | 6% | 3% |

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Richard Burr (incumbent) | 297,993 | 80.1% |
| | Republican | Brad Jones | 37,616 | 10.1% |
| | Republican | Eddie Burks | 22,111 | 5.9% |
| | Republican | Larry Linney | 14,248 | 3.8% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 371,968 | 100.0% |

## 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 | Elaine Marshall | Cal Cunningham | Kenneth Lewis |
| Marshall | December 1, 2009 | 42% | 5% | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling | February 15, 2010 | 29% | 12% | 5% |
| Public Policy Polling | March 12–15, 2010 | 20% | 16% | 11% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 8–11, 2010 | 23% | 17% | 9% |
| WRAL-TV/SurveyUSA | April 25, 2010 | 23% | 19% | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling | April 27, 2010 | 26% | 23% | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling | May 1–2, 2010 | 28% | 21% | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 4, 2010 | 42% | 37% | –– |
| Public Policy Polling | May 8–10, 2010 | 36% | 36% | –– |

### Results

Democratic primary results – May 4, 2010* :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Elaine Marshall | 154,605 | 36.4% |
| | Democratic | Cal Cunningham | 115,851 | 27.3% |
| | Democratic | Ken Lewis | 72,510 | 17.1% |
| | Democratic | Marcus W. Williams | 35,984 | 8.5% |
| | Democratic | Susan Harris | 29,738 | 7.0% |
| | Democratic | Ann Worthy | 16,655 | 3.9% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 425,343 | 100.0% |
* 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.
Democratic primary runoff results – June 22, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Elaine Marshall | 95,390 | 60.0% |
| | Democratic | Cal Cunningham | 63,691 | 40.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 159,081 | 100.0% |

## 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 the Carl Kasell. It was televised by UNC-TV in Raleigh.
* October 14: In Raleigh
* October 21: Sponsored by N.C. Association of Broadcasters and moderated by Judy Woodruff in Durham.

### Predictions

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

### Polling

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

2010 United States Senate election in North Carolina :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Richard Burr (incumbent) | 1,458,046 | 54.81% | +3.21% |
| | Democratic | Elaine Marshall | 1,145,074 | 43.05% | −3.97% |
| | Libertarian | Mike Beitler | 55,682 | 2.09% | +0.72% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,272 | 0.05% | +0.04% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,660,079 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### 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)