2012 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election
The North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election of 2012 was held on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the other elections to the Council of State and the gubernatorial election. Primary elections were held May 8. The offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected independently. The incumbent, Lt. Gov. Walter H. Dalton, announced on Jan. 26, 2012 that he would run for Governor.
In the general election, Republican Dan Forest won 50.08% of the vote, narrowly defeating Democrat Linda Coleman. The election result was in doubt for almost two weeks after Election Day, and was within the margin in which Coleman could ask for a recount, but she chose not to do so on Nov. 19.
When he took office in January 2013, Forest became the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Jim Gardner left office two decades earlier.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Linda Coleman, former state representative, state personnel director
- Eric L. Mansfield, state senator
Declined
- Cal Cunningham, former state senator
- Hampton Dellinger, attorney
Polling
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Linda Coleman | Eric Mansfield | Undecided |
| May 5–6, 2012 | 500 | ± 3.1% | 41% | 23% | 36% | |
| April 26–30, 2012 | 560 | ± 4.2% | 41% | 23% | 36% | |
| April 27–29, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 39% | 18% | 43% | |
| April 20–22, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 28% | 16% | 56% | |
| March 23–25, 2012 | 505 | ± 4.36% | 26% | 14% | 59% | |
| February 29 – March 1, 2012 | 499 | ± 4.4% | 25% | 15% | 61% |
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
;Declared- Dale Folwell, state representative, former Winston-Salem School Board member, accountant and investment advisor
- Dan Forest, architect, son of Congresswoman Sue Myrick
- Tony Gurley, Wake County Commissioner, pharmacist, ex-race car driver
- Grey Mills, state representative
- Arthur Rich, businessman
Polling