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Terry Sanford, a Democratic politician who served as a state senator, governor, and US Senator in North Carolina and held the presidency at Duke University, reflects on his political career in this interview. He focuses on his goals for his upcoming Senate career, describing the positive campaign strategy that secured him a seat in the US Senate in 1986. His emphasis on positivity complements his emphasis on unity, a trait he sought to restore to the Democratic Party with his incursions into national politics, including as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 1972 and 1976. Sanford leaves unsaid what precisely Democratic politicians could do to restore unity, however—a thorny question complicated by the fact that the Democrats' disarray in Sanford's North Carolina was likely due to the Party's support for civil rights for African Americans. His focus on unity was complemented by what he describes as a positive television ad push that emphasized his record, and his determination not to court certain voting blocs for fear of antagonizing them. This interview offers an interesting look at the way a moderate southern Democrat gained political influence, and won over southern voters, in the increasingly conservative 1970s and 1980s.

This interview is part of the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007), a collection of over 4,000 interviews housed at the Southern Historical Collection.

Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection

Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews

North Carolina--Politics and government

Governors--North Carolina

Duke University. President