Secretary of Cultural Resources

In part three of Biographical Conversations with Betty Ray McCain, McCain describes the U.S. Senatorial campaign of 1984--a race between Governor Jim Hunt and Senator Jesse Helms. Although Hunt launched the campaign with a double-digit lead over the Republican incumbent, his advantage eroded. By the beginning of November, polls showed Senator Helms leading Governor Hunt by three points. On Election Day, despite what McCain calls, "a superhuman effort by everybody that worked in every precinct, in every county, in every congressional district and throughout the state," Helms prevailed.