| Election Name: | 1998 United States Senate election in North Carolina |
| Country: | North Carolina |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1992 United States Senate election in North Carolina |
| Previous Year: | 1992 |
| Next Election: | 2004 United States Senate election in North Carolina |
| Next Year: | 2004 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Image1: | John Edwards, official Senate photo portrait (cropped 3x4).jpg |
| Nominee1: | John Edwards |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,029,237 |
| Percentage1: | 51.15% |
| Nominee2: | Lauch Faircloth |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 945,943 |
| Percentage2: | 47.01% |
| Map Size: | 325px |
| U.S. Senator | |
| Before Election: | Lauch Faircloth |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John Edwards |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1998 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Lauch Faircloth decided to seek re-election to a second term, but was unseated by Democrat John Edwards, a trial attorney.[1], this is the last time a Democrat won North Carolina's class 3 Senate seat. Edwards declined to run for reelection in 2004, choosing instead to run for President of the United States.
In the Republican primary, Faircloth easily defeated two minor candidates.[2]
Going into the 1998 campaign, several prominent Democrats declined to run for Senate, including Attorney General Mike Easley, former Mayor of Charlotte Harvey Gantt, and former Glaxo CEO and 1996 Senate candidate Charlie Sanders.[3]
In the Democratic primary, Edwards defeated his closest rival D.G. Martin, former vice chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The race also featured former Charlotte city councilwoman Ella Scarborough and several minor candidates.[4]
During the campaign, Edwards fashioned himself as a "people's advocate", while Faircloth accused Edwards of being too friendly towards labor unions.[5] Referring to Edwards as a "tobacco-taxing liberal", Faircloth's campaign ran ads alleging that Edwards' position on tobacco regulation would lead to job losses in the state.[6]
Edwards' campaign refused financial support from political action committees and ran ads criticizing Faircloth's record on Medicare and Social Security.[7] Edwards' victory was partially attributed by some observers to blowback against the Faircloth campaign's use of negative advertising.[8]