Luther H. Hodges Democratic Terry Sanford Democratic The 1960 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1960.

Democratic nominee Terry Sanford defeated Republican nominee Robert L. Gavin with 54.45% of the vote.

By 1960, many of the North Carolina's leading Democratic politicians from the previous two decades were dead.

[2] John Davis Larkins Jr. was the first Democrat to declare his candidacy, announcing his bid on January 20, 1960.

[3] 25.8% of the voting age population participated in the Democratic primary.