In 1984, he defeated state House Speaker Carl J. Stewart, Jr. in a hard-fought Democratic primary, then defeated Republican John H. Carrington in the general election to become North Carolina's 29th lieutenant governor.
In 1984, he won the hard-fought Democratic primary against state House Speaker Carl J. Stewart, Jr., and then went on to defeat Republican John H. Carrington in the general election to serve as North Carolina's 29th lieutenant governor.