The 2002 North Carolina Senate election was held on November 5, 2002, as part of the state's biennial election to the General Assembly. All fifty seats in the North Carolina Senate were elected.

Results summary DistrictIncumbent PartyElectedParty 1st Marc Basnight Dem Marc Basnight Dem 2nd Scott Thomas Dem Scott Thomas Dem 3rd Edward Warren Dem Clark Jenkins Dem R. L. "Bob" Martin Dem 4th Frank Ballance Dem Robert Lee Holloman Dem 5th New seat Tony P. Moore Dem 6th New seat Cecil Hargett Dem 7th John Kerr Dem John Kerr Dem 8th R. C. Soles Jr. Dem R. C. Soles Jr. Dem 9th Patrick J. Ballantine Rep Patrick J. Ballantine Rep Luther Jordan Dem 10th Charles W. Albertson Dem Charles W. Albertson Dem Oscar Harris Dem 11th A. B. Swindell Dem A. B. Swindell Dem 12th Allen Wellons Dem Fred Smith Rep 13th David F. Weinstein Dem David F. Weinstein Dem 14th New seat Vernon Malone Dem 15th John H. Carrington Rep John H. Carrington Rep 16th Eric Miller Reeves Dem Eric Miller Reeves Dem Brad Miller Dem 17th New seat Richard Y. Stevens Rep 18th Wib Gulley Dem Wib Gulley Dem 19th Tony Rand Dem Tony Rand Dem 20th Jeanne Hopkins Lucas Dem Jeanne Hopkins Lucas Dem 21st Larry Shaw Dem Larry Shaw Dem 22nd New seat Harris Blake Rep 23rd Eleanor Kinnaird Dem Eleanor Kinnaird Dem Howard Lee Dem 24th Hugh Webster Rep Hugh Webster Rep 25th William R. Purcell Dem William R. Purcell Dem 26th Phil Berger Rep Phil Berger Rep Bob Shaw Rep 27th Kay Hagan Dem Kay Hagan Dem 28th Bill Martin† Dem Katie G. Dorsett Dem 29th New seat Jerry W. Tillman Rep 30th John A. Garwood Rep John A. Garwood Rep 31st Hamilton Horton Jr. Rep Hamilton Horton Jr. Rep 32nd Linda Garrou Dem Linda Garrou Dem 33rd Stan Bingham Rep Stan Bingham Rep Cal Cunningham† Dem 34th New seat Andrew C. Brock Rep 35th Aaron Plyler† Dem Fern Shubert Rep 36th Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr. Rep Fletcher L. Hartsell Jr. Rep 37th Dan Clodfelter Dem Dan Clodfelter Dem 38th Charlie Dannelly Dem Charlie Dannelly Dem 39th Bob Rucho Rep Bob Rucho Rep 40th T. L. "Fountain" Odom Dem Robert Pittenger Rep 41st New seat R. B. Sloan Jr. Rep 42nd James Forrester Rep James Forrester Rep 43rd David W. Hoyle Dem David W. Hoyle Dem 44th Austin M. Allran Rep Austin M. Allran Rep 45th Virginia Foxx Rep Virginia Foxx Rep Kenneth Moore Rep 46th Walter Dalton Dem Walter Dalton Dem 47th New seat Joe Sam Queen Dem 48th Charles Newell Carter† Dem Tom Apodaca Rep 49th Steve Metcalf Dem Steve Metcalf Dem 50th Robert C. Carpenter Rep Robert C. Carpenter Rep Dan Robinson Dem † - Incumbent not seeking re-election

Party Candi-dates Votes Seats No. % No. +/– % Democratic Party 45 1,022,552 46.770% 28 7 56% Republican Party 42 1,109,755 50.759% 22 7 44% Libertarian Party 27 54,025 2.471% 0 0%Total 114 2,186,332 100.00% 50 100.00%

Incumbents defeated in the primary election Howard Lee (D-District 23) lost re-nomination to Eleanor Kinnaird in a redistricting race Bob Shaw (R-District 26) lost re-nomination to Phil Berger in a redistricting race Kenneth Moore (R-District 45) lost re-nomination to Virginia Foxx in a redistricting race

Incumbents defeated in the general election Allen Wellons (D-District 12), defeated by Fred Smith (R) T. L. "Fountain" Odom (D-District 40), defeated by Robert Pittenger (R)

Open seats that changed parties Aaron Plyler (D-District 35) didn't seek re-election, seat won by Fern Shubert (R) Charles Newell Carter (D-District 28) didn't seek re-election, seat won by Tom Apodaca Dan Robinson (D-District 50) lost a redistricting race to Robert C. Carpenter (R-District 50)

Newly created seats District 5, won by Tony P. Moore (D) District 6, won by Cecil Hargett (D) District 14, won by Vernon Malone (D) District 17, won by Richard Y. Stevens (R) District 22, won by Harris Blake (R) District 29, won by Jerry W. Tillman (R) District 34, won by Andrew C. Brock (R) District 41, won by R. B. Sloan Jr. (R) District 47, won by Joe Sam Queen (D)

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The CookPolitical Report | October 4, 2002

Detailed results

Districts 1–25

District 1 Incumbent Democratic President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight has represented the 1st district since 1985.

District 2 The new 2nd district overlaps with much of the former 3rd district. Incumbent Democrat Scott Thomas, who has represented the 3rd district since 2001, was re-elected here. Republican primary

General election

District 3 The new 3rd district includes the homes of incumbent Democrats Edward Warren, who has represented the 9th district since 1991, and R. L. "Bob" Martin, who has represented the 6th district since 1985. Neither sought re-election here and Democrat Clark Jenkins won the open seat. Democratic primary

General election

District 4 The new 4th district overlaps with much of the former 2nd district. Incumbent Democrat Frank Ballance, who has represented the 2nd district since 1989, ran for the U.S. House. Democrat Robert Lee Holloman won the open seat. Democratic primary

General election

District 5 The new 5th district is based in Wilson and Pitt counties and isn't a safe seat for either party. Democrat Tony P. Moore won the open seat. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 6 The new 6th district is based in Jones and Onslow counties. Democrat Cecil Hargett won the open seat. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 7 The new 7th district overlaps with much of the former 8th district. Incumbent Democrat John Kerr, who has represented the 8th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 8 The new 8th district overlaps with much of the former 18th district. Incumbent Democrat R. C. Soles Jr., who has represented the 18th district and its predecessors since 1977, was re-elected here. Republican primary

General election

District 9 The new 9th district includes the homes of incumbent Republican Patrick J. Ballantine, who has represented the 4th district since 1995, and Democrat Luther Jordan, who has represented the 7th district since 1993, Ballantine was re-elected here. Republican primary

General election

District 10 The new 10th district includes the homes of incumbent Democrats Charles W. Albertson, who has represented the 5th district since 1993, and Oscar Harris, who has represented the 15th district since 1999, Albertson was re-elected here. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 11 The new 11th district overlaps with much of the former 10th district. Incumbent Democrat A. B. Swindell, who has represented the 10th district since 2001, was re-elected here.

District 12 The new 12th district includes the homes of incumbent Democrat Allen Wellons, who has represented the 11th district since 1997. Wellons lost re-election here to Republican Fred Smith. Republican primary

General election

District 13 The new 13th district overlaps with much of the former 30th district. Incumbent Democrat David F. Weinstein, who has represented the 30th district since 1997, was re-elected here.

District 14 The new 14th district is based in Wake County and has no incumbent. Democrat Vernon Malone won the open seat. Republican primary

General election

District 15 The new 15th district overlaps with much of the former 36th district. Incumbent Republican John H. Carrington, who has represented the 15th district since 1995, was re-elected here. Republican primary

General election

District 16 The new 16th district overlaps with much of the former 14th district. Incumbent Democrats Eric Miller Reeves and Brad Miller have represented the 14th district since 1997. Miller ran for the U.S. House while Reeves was re-elected here.

District 17 The new 17th district is based in Southern Wake County and had no incumbent. Republican Richard Y. Stevens won the open seat. Republican primary

General election

District 18 The new 18th district overlaps with much of the northern portion of the former 13th district. Incumbent Democrat Wib Gulley, who has represented the 13th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 19 The new 19th district overlaps with much of the former 24th district. Incumbent Democrat Tony Rand, who has represented the 24th district since 1995, was re-elected here. Democratic primary

General election

District 20 The new 20th district (based in Durham County) overlaps with much of the southern portion of the old 13th district. Incumbent Democrat Jeanne Hopkins Lucas, who has represented the 13th district since 1993, was re-elected here.

District 21 The new 21st district overlaps with much of the former 41st district. Incumbent Democrat Larry Shaw, who has represented the 41st district since 1995, was re-elected here. Democratic primary

General election

District 22 The new 22nd district includes all of Moore and Lee counties, as well as the western portion of Harnett County. Republican Harris Blake won the open seat. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 23 The new 23rd district overlaps with much of the former 16th district. Incumbent Democrats Eleanor Kinnaird and Howard Lee have both represented the 16th district since 1997. Kinnaird was re-elected here. Democratic primary

General election

District 24 The new 24th district overlaps with much of the former 21st district. Incumbent Republican Hugh Webster, who has represented the 21st district since 1995, was re-elected here.

District 25 The new 25th district overlaps with much of the eastern portion of the former 17th district. Incumbent Democrat William R. Purcell, who has represented the 17th district since 1997, was re-elected here.

Districts 26–50

District 26 The new 26th district includes the homes of incumbent Republicans Phil Berger, who has represented the 12th district since 2001, and Bob Shaw, who has represented the 19th district since 1985. Berger was re-elected here. Republican primary

General election

District 27 The new 27th district overlaps with much of the former 32nd district. Incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan, who has represented the 32nd district since 1999, was re-elected here.

District 28 The new 28th district overlaps with much of the former 31st district. Incumbent Democrat Bill Martin, who has represented the 31st district since 1983 did not seek re-election. Democrat Katie G. Dorsett won the open seat.

District 29 The new 29th district includes Randolph and Montgomery counties and had no incumbent. Republican Jerry W. Tillman won the open seat. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 30 The new 30th district overlaps with much of the former 27th district. Incumbent Republican John A. Garwood, who has represented the 27th district since 1997, was re-elected here. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 31 The new 31st district overlaps with parts of the former 20th district. Incumbent Republican Hamilton Horton Jr., who has represented the 20th district since 1995, was re-elected here.

District 32 the new 32nd district overlaps with parts of the former 20th district. Incumbent Democrat Linda Garrou, who has represented the 20th district since 1999, was re-elected here.

District 33 The new 33rd district includes the homes of incumbent Democrat Cal Cunningham, who has represented the 23rd district since 2001, and incumbent Republican Stan Bingham, who has represented the 38th district since 2001. Cunningham did not seek re-election and Bingham was re-elected here. Republican primary

General election

District 34 The new 34th district includes all of Davie and Yadkin counties as well as most of Rowan County. Republican Andrew C. Brock won the open seat. Democratic primary

Republican primary

General election

District 35 The new 35th district overlaps with much of the western portion of the old 17th district. Incumbent Democrat Aaron Plyler, who has represented the 17th district since 1983, did not seek re-election. Republican Fern Shubert won the open seat. Republican primary

General election

District 36