North Carolina during this time had mixed support of both Democratic and Republican candidates in the House, Senate, Presidential and Governor elections.

Campaign Finances: the cost of winning elected seats such as General Assembly, Congress and Governor in North Carolina has been increasing from 1976 to 1994.

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina raised concerns about the high retention requirement (10% of the vote in a gubernatorial or presidential election).

Progressive Governance – Hunt was seen as a centrist Democrat who effectively managed the state while fostering bipartisan support on many initiatives, especially education.

Robin Hayes, a state representative and grandson of textile tycoon Charles Cannon, received a strong backing from religious conservatives for his opposition to abortion and claimed to be a “born again” [7] Christian.

He was most notable for mirroring President Clinton’s winning formula as a moderate conservative, highlighting his welfare reform, toughness on crime, fiscal restraint and education improvements.

James Hunt ran on the premise of education reform, improving government infrastructure,[8] strong financial backings along with an emphasis on bipartisanship.