Duncan McLauchlin "Lauch"[b] Faircloth (January 14, 1928 – September 14, 2023) was an American politician from North Carolina who served as a Republican member of the United States Senate for one term from 1993 to 1999.

Faircloth began his career as a political consultant to Senator W. Kerr Scott and Governor Terry Sanford.

In 1997, Faircloth came to national attention after he stripped Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry of his powers to deal with a large deficit.

Although his political standing was damaged, Faircloth attempted to seek a second term in 1998, losing to Democrat John Edwards in the general election.

[10] One impetus for his political activism was his disagreement with the increasing regulations targeting large hog farming operations such as his, fueled by an environmentalist and populist backlash.

[9] On February 14, 1991, Faircloth switched his party registration to Republican, saying that Democrats had become "too liberal" and hinted at a potential run for the U.S. Senate in 1992, vying to face former ally Terry Sanford in the election.

[27] He enjoyed the support of Senator Helms's political organization, the National Congressional Club, and defeated Charlotte mayor Sue Myrick and former congressman Walter E. Johnston III in the primary.

[29] A year prior to the election, Sanford voted against authorizing military force in the Gulf War, which damaged his political standing.

[31] He joked that he wanted to be known as the conservative senator from North Carolina; in comparison to the state's other seat held by the arch-conservative Helms.

[35] That remark was condemned by Colin Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that, "it is unfair to single out the president in this regard".

[36] In 1994, the committee adopted a third measure by Faircloth – legislation that would have made it more difficult for farmers suspected of polluting to be taken to court – but it did not become law.

[36][37] In January 1994, Faircloth was among eight Republican senators to call for a congressional inquiry into the role President Bill Clinton had in the Whitewater controversy.

[40] In June 1994, he proposed amending the House and Community Development Act to include a work-for-rent requirement, but it was voted down by Senate Democrats.

Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois argued that his plan was "dictatorial", and branded Faircloth as a communist.

[47] When the United States Senate Whitewater Committee was established in May 1995, Faircloth sought to subpoena first lady Hillary Clinton.

[53][54] In 1997, Faircloth, then-chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, stripped Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry of his authority to deal with a large deficit, handing it to a newly established District of Columbia Financial Control Board, and placing several city agencies into a receivership.

The request was granted two weeks before Woods was to rule on whether or not Ken Starr had jurisdiction to prosecute key Whitewater figures.

[58] Woods said that he considered the request to be "a crude attempt to intimidate me", and called on the United States Department of Justice to investigate.

He defeated Leonard Plyler and Steve Franks in the Republican primary[60] and faced political newcomer, Democrat John Edwards, in the general election.

"[62] Afterwards, Barry said Faircloth had been "so busy picking on me and the residents of Washington, D.C. that he neglected his constituents in North Carolina.

When Jesse Helms announced he would retire from the Senate after the 2002 election, Faircloth considered entering the race to replace him.