Duncan McLauchlin "Lauch" Faircloth (January 14, 1928 – September 14, 2023) was an American politician from North Carolina who served as a Republican member of the United States Senate for one term from 1993 to 1999. He was a member of the Democratic Party for most of his career in North Carolina politics until he joined the Republican Party in 1991.
Faircloth began his career as a political consultant to Senator W. Kerr Scott and Governor Terry Sanford. He was appointed to the state highway commission during Sanford's tenure and served as its chairman from 1969 to 1973. He then served as North Carolina Secretary of Commerce before unsuccessfully running for governor in 1984. In 1991, Faircloth switched parties and became a Republican. He won the Republican nomination for the 1992 U.S. Senate election and defeated incumbent Senator Terry Sanford, his former boss, in the general election.
As a U.S. senator, Faircloth staunchly criticized President Bill Clinton and was a prominent figure in the Senate Whitewater investigations. He was also critical of first lady Hillary Clinton and called on her to testify in front of Congress. In 1997, Faircloth came to national attention after he stripped Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry of his powers to deal with a large deficit. His decision angered Barry and led to D.C. residents marching to North Carolina to protest. Although his political standing was damaged, Faircloth attempted to seek a second term in 1998, losing to Democrat John Edwards in the general election.
Early life Born on January 14, 1928, in Sampson County, North Carolina, Faircloth was the youngest of four sons born to James and Mary Faircloth; James owned a 2,500-acre cotton farm, which Lauch inherited after James' death. He attended Roseboro High School and graduated in 1945.Faircloth Named Highway Chief. The Charlotte News. November 27, 1968. He attended High Point University but dropped out in his freshman year after his father suffered a stroke.
In 1950, Faircloth purchased 1,000 acres of land in Sampson County, which he turned into a prominent cattle and hog farm.SENATE BIO. The News and Observer. October 20, 1998. p. 10. He also engaged in business ventures such as construction and auto dealerships. One impetus for his political activism was his disagreement with the increasing regulations targeting large hog farming operations such as his, fueled by an environmentalist and populist backlash.
Early political career Faircloth began his career as a Democrat. He worked on W. Kerr Scott's successful 1948 gubernatorial campaign and his 1954 U.S. Senate campaign. Scott rewarded Faircloth by helping him get out of service in the Korean War via a hardship discharge in 1955. In 1960, Faircloth worked on Terry Sanford's successful gubernatorial bid, and afterwards Sanford rewarded Faircloth with an appointment to the state highway commission, on which he served from 1961 to 1965. After helping Robert W. Scott in his bid for the governorship in 1968, Scott named Faircloth chairman of the commission, replacing Joe Hunt Jr.,Joe Hunt Jr. Resigns as Chairman Of Carolina Highway Commission. The Danville Register. February 8, 1969. which he served as from 1969 to 1973.May, A.L. (March 28, 1995). Senator aims to shed light on first lady's deals. The Atlanta Constitution.
When Jim Hunt was elected governor in 1976, he selected Faircloth serve as Secretary of Commerce. As Commerce Secretary, he was paid $32,580 a year.Hunt Chooses Faircloth To Join Cabinet. The Chapel Hill News. December 30, 1976. Manufacturing jobs in North Carolina grew 8.4 percent under Faircloth, the third highest in the southeast.FAIRCLOTH'S TIME IN GOVERNMENT. The Charlotte Observer. September 13, 1992. The weekly wage increased from $170 when he took office to $297 when he left, which was virtually unchanged from national wages.
1984 gubernatorial campaign Faircloth, aspiring to the governor's office himself, resigned as Commerce Secretary in June 1983.Faircloth Quits, Hunts At Run. Asheville Citizen-Times. June 17, 1986. On July 25, he announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the 1984 gubernatorial election.Faircloth Announces Campaign. Asheville Citizen-Times. July 26, 1983. While flying to a campaign stop on August 22, 1983, the small twin-engine plane he was aboard crashed into the Catawba River.Politicians Who Survived Small-Plane Accidents. The Charlotte Observer. May 14, 2006. According to one passenger, Faircloth forced the plane's door open and helped all the occupants escape moments before the plane exploded. After the crash, Faircloth was transferred to Marion General Hospital for minor burns to his right hand.Candidate survives crash. The Journal Times. Associated Press. August 23, 1983.Crash Survival Termed Lucky. Rocky Mount Telegram. August 24, 1983.
In December 1983, Faircloth was endorsed by Terry Sanford, a former governor and the then-president of Duke University who had appointed Faircloth to the state highway commission 20 years prior.Oliver, Tom (December 8, 1983). Sanford Supports Lauch Faircloth. The Herald-Sun. Sanford said that Faircloth was "an old and trusted friend" and "the best qualified candidate we have in North Carolina". Faircloth was defeated in the 1984 primary by Rufus Edmisten, who lost the general election to congressman James G. Martin.Eudy, Ken (June 17, 1984). Democrats Preach A Theme Of Unity In Knox's Absence. The Charlotte Observer. Official Board of Elections reports showed that Faircloth spent $2,100,605.70 on his campaign.Losers Reveal Final Governor's Race Costs. Asheville Citizen-Times. July 25, 1989.
Later activities Faircloth was considered a potential candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator John Porter East in 1986.O'Connor, Paul T. (October 16, 1985). Faircloth interested in Senate. The Durham Sun. He initially declined, but in November 1985 he said he was reconsidering his decision and launched a campaign committee.Faircloth may reconsider race. Rocky Mount Telegram. November 5, 1985. But in January 1986, he announced he would not run after Sanford entered the race; Sanford would go on to win the election.Faircloth bows out of Senate seat race. The Durham Sun. January 14, 1986. Afterward, Faircloth grew close with Republican Senator Jesse Helms and supported Helms' 1990 reelection campaign. On February 14, 1991, Faircloth switched his party registration to Republican, saying that Democrats had become "too liberal" and hinted at a potential run for the U.S. Senate in 1992, vying to face former ally Terry Sanford in the election.Former Democratic Stalwart Switches Parties. Asheville Citizen-Times. Associated Press. February 23, 1991.
U.S. Senate In April 1991, Faircloth announced he would run for the Republican Party nomination for the 1992 U.S. Senate election.Faircloth to make bid for Sanford's Senate seat. The Herald-Sun. April 19, 1991. He enjoyed the support of Senator Helms's political organization, the National Congressional Club, and defeated Charlotte mayor Sue Myrick and former congressman Walter E. Johnston III in the primary.Faircloth owes only the people. The News and Observer. January 6, 1993. Sanford, the incumbent Senator, had helped Faircloth raise money for his failed gubernatorial bid in 1984, but provoked Faircloth's anger two years later when Sanford allegedly denigrated Faircloth's earlier bid for the Senate with alleged comments dismissing Faircloth's chances in a statewide contest against him.Howard E. Covington Jr. and Marion A. Ellis, Terry Sanford: Politics, Progress, and Outrageous Ambitions. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999, 489.
A year prior to the election, Sanford voted against authorizing military force in the Gulf War, which damaged his political standing. Faircloth attacked Sanford as a tax-and-spend liberal, and despite a mediocre performance in a televised debate that September, Faircloth won the seat by a vote of 1,297,892 (50%) to 1,194,015 (46%).
103rd Congress
Faircloth was sworn in as North Carolina's junior U.S. Senator on January 5, 1993.Varon, Elana (January 6, 1993). Faircloth sworn in to U.S. Senate. The Herald-Sun. He joked that he wanted to be known as the conservative senator from North Carolina; in comparison to the state's other seat held by the arch-conservative Helms.
In his first two weeks in the Senate, Faircloth was appointed to serve on the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services.Faircloth on 3rd committee. The Charlotte Observer. January 17, 1993. While on the Armed Service Committee, he opposed the inclusion of homosexuals in the military and claimed the number of AIDS-infected people in the military would only increase if it were to happen.Somber Discussion On Gays In Military. The Titusville Herald. Associated Press. January 23, 1993. He opposed the Clinton administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and said it was a result of President Bill Clinton's lack of military experience.Kasindorf, Martin (July 21, 1993). Joint Chiefs back 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on gays in armed forces. Northwest Herald. That remark was condemned by Colin Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that, "it is unfair to single out the president in this regard".
On the Environment and Public Works Committee, Faircloth sought to weaken anti-pollution measures regulating farms. He introduced a measure that would have lowered fines issued to farms that have polluted wetlands and proposed another measure that would have stopped the flow of federal money to environmental monitors. The committee did not vote on either measure.Faircloth takes on anti-pollution farming laws. The Herald-Sun. Associated Press. December 13, 1994. In 1994, the committee adopted a third measure by Faircloth – legislation that would have made it more difficult for farmers suspected of polluting to be taken to court – but it did not become law. Some claimed there was a conflict of interest in Faircloth's policy proposals, given that he was a farmer, but he claimed he was working to benefit all farmers and not just himself.Senator seeks advice from ethics committee. Asheville Citizen-Times. Associated Press. December 12, 1994.
In January 1994, Faircloth was among eight Republican senators to call for a congressional inquiry into the role President Bill Clinton had in the Whitewater controversy.8 GOP senators demand inquiry into Whitewater. The Des Moines Register. January 29, 1994. In February, he was the lone Senator on the Senate Banking Committee to vote against approving Ricki Tigert as head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. He argued that Tigert, who was appointed by Clinton, was not going to help uncover information in the investigation.Kaut, David (February 11, 1994). Faircloth lone dissenter against new FDIC chief. The Herald-Sun. Later that year, The Wall Street Journal praised Faircloth's aggressive efforts to uncover information.Monk, John (June 26, 1994). https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-helms-backs-north/137786725/#:~:text=Helms%20backs%20North%20for%20Senate%2C%20forgives%20any%20mistakes. The Charlotte Observer. In June 1994, he proposed amending the House and Community Development Act to include a work-for-rent requirement, but it was voted down by Senate Democrats. Senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois argued that his plan was "dictatorial", and branded Faircloth as a communist.Democrats stifle Faircloth's idea of work-for-rent. The News and Observer. June 22, 1994.
Faircloth was often criticized for accepting thousands of dollars from several political action committees, despite having criticized them during his 1992 Senate campaign.Faircloth once shunned PACs, now relies on them. Asheville Citizen-Times. May 31, 1994.
104th Congress