| Year | Age | State | Party | Office | District | Stage | Pos | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | NC | D | State Senate | District 017 | General | 1 | 45,785 | 55.2% | |
| 1978 | NC | D | State Senate | District 017 | General | 2 | 29,214 | 40.2% | |
| 1980 | NC | D | State Senate | District 017 | General | 2 | 44,609 | 49.5% | |
| 1982 | NC | D | State Senate | District 017 | General | 1 | 35,281 | 42.3% | |
| 1984 | NC | D | Lt. Governor | Primary | 1 | 450,487 | 51.1% | ||
| 1984 | NC | D | Lt. Governor | General | 1 | 1,149,214 | 53.7% | ||
| 1988 | NC | D | Governor | Primary | 1 | 403,145 | 79.7% | ||
| 1988 | NC | D | Governor | General | 2 | 997,408 | 44.9% | ||
|
Age: Age as of July 1 of the year pertaining to this election. |