2004 North Carolina gubernatorial election

The 2004 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2004. The general election was between the Democratic incumbent Mike Easley and the Republican nominee Patrick J. Ballantine. Easley won by 56% to 43%, winning his second term as governor. This is the last time a Democrat was elected governor of North Carolina by double digits.

Democratic
Mike Easley was first elected as governor in 2000 and opted to run for a second term. He faced opposition in the Democratic primary from Rickey Kipfer, a former corporate manager from Lee County. Kipfer campaigned on a platform of abolishing North Carolina's personal income tax and exploring potential natural gas resources in the state. He envisioned the state replacing income tax revenue with revenue from natural gas exploration. Kipfer also proposed a system similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund as a means of distributing potential natural gas revenues to citizens in North Carolina.

Easley's campaign manager stated that they did not consider Kipfer as serious competition. Easley did not campaign against Kipfer.

Mike Easley won the primary comfortably with over 85% of the vote.

Declared

 * Mike Easley, incumbent governor
 * Rickey Kipfer, businessman

Declared

 * Patrick J. Ballantine, Minority Leader of the North Carolina Senate (1999-2004)
 * Dan Barett, attorney and Davie County Commissioner
 * Bill Cobey, Chair of the North Carolina Republican Party (1999-2003) and U.S. Representative from NC-04 (1985-1987)
 * George Little, insurance executive
 * Fern Shubert, state senator (2003-2005)
 * Richard Vinroot, Mayor of Charlotte (1991-1995), nominee for governor in 2000 and candidate for governor in 1996

Withdrawn

 * Timothy Cook, chemist (running for lieutenant governor)

Declined

 * James Cain, former president of the Carolina Hurricanes
 * I. Beverly Lake Jr., Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court (2001-2006)

Results
[[File:2004 North Carolina gubernatorial Republican primary county map.svg|thumb|200px|Primary results by county: Ballantine

{{legend|#400202|Ballantine—81-90%}}

{{legend|#6d0404|Ballantine—71-80%}}

{{legend|#a70808|Ballantine—61-70%}}

{{legend|#d60f0f|Ballantine—51-60%}}

{{legend|#ff0000|Ballantine—41-50%}}

{{legend|#f29b8a|Ballantine—31-40%}}

{{legend|#f8dbd5|Ballantine—21-30%}} Vinroot

{{legend|#f2f26c|Vinroot—41-50%}}

{{legend|#f2f2a0|Vinroot—31-40%}}

{{legend|#f8f8cc|Vinroot—21-30%}} Cobey

{{legend|#006400|Cobey—51-60%}}

{{legend|#59d622|Cobey—41-50%}}

{{legend|#90ee90|Cobey—31-40%}} Barrett

{{legend|#154bef|Barrett—51-60%}}

{{legend|#a1ffff|Barrett—21-30%}} Shubert

{{legend|#e97c11|Shubert—31-40%}} Little

{{legend|#af00ee|Little—51-60%}} ]]

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Cleveland (largest town: Shelby)
 * Polk (Largest city: Tryon)
 * Rutherford (Largest city: Forest City)
 * Surry (Largest city: Mount Airy)
 * Mecklenburg (Largest city: Charlotte)
 * Alleghany (largest town: Sparta)

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Currituck (largest town: Moyock)
 * Johnston (largest town: Clayton)