The 2000 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2000. Democratic incumbent Jim Hunt was term-limited and constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term in office. North Carolina attorney general Mike Easley easily defeated former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot in the open race.
Primary elections were held on May 2. Easley defeated lieutenant governor Dennis A. Wicker to win the Democratic nomination. Vinroot, who had unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in 1996, won a plurality of the vote over state representatives N. Leo Daughtry and Charles Neely.
This was the first North Carolina gubernatorial election since 1968 in which the winner was not named James.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Bob Ayers
- Mike Easley, North Carolina attorney general
- Ken Rogers
- Dennis Wicker, lieutenant governor of North Carolina
Republican primary
Candidates
- Leo Daughtry, state representative from Smithfield
- Art Manning, candidate for governor in 1996
- Charles Neely, attorney and former state representative from Raleigh
- Richard Vinroot, former mayor of Charlotte and candidate for governor in 1996
General election
Candidates
- Mike Easley, North Carolina attorney general (Democratic)
- Barbara Howe (Libertarian)
- Douglas Schell (Reform)
- Richard Vinroot, former mayor of Charlotte and candidate for governor in 1996 (Republican)
Debates
- Complete video of debate, September 13, 2000
- Complete video of debate, October 27, 2000
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Alamance (largest municipality: Burlington)
- Onslow (largest town: Jacksonville)
- Polk (largest city: Tryon)
- Rutherford (largest city: Forest City)
- Surry (largest city: Mount Airy)
- Carteret (largest city: Morehead City)
- Mecklenburg (largest municipality: Charlotte)