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Jim Broyhill
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Official portrait, 1986
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| Secretary of Commerce of North Carolina | |
| In office 1989–1990 | |
| Governor | James G. Martin |
| Preceded by | Claude E. Pope |
| Succeeded by | Estell C. Lee |
| United States Senator from North Carolina | |
| In office July 14, 1986 – November 4, 1986 | |
| Appointed by | James G. Martin |
| Preceded by | John Porter East |
| Succeeded by | Terry Sanford |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina | |
| In office January 3, 1963 – July 14, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh Quincy Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Cass Ballenger |
| Constituency | 9th district (1963–1969) 10th district (1969–1986) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Thomas Broyhill (1927-08-19)August 19, 1927 Lenoir, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 2023(2023-02-18) (aged 95) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Louise Robbins (m. 1951) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | James Edgar Broyhill (father) |
| Education | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Profession | Businessman |
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James Thomas "Jim" Broyhill (August 19, 1927 – February 18, 2023) was an American businessman and politician from North Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, he served in both chambers of the United States Congress as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1963 to 1986 and briefly a member of the United States Senate in 1986. He represented much of the Foothills region of the state in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1986, and served in the U.S. Senate for nearly four months in 1986.[1] He had a career in the furniture industry before entering politics.
Broyhill was born in Lenoir, North Carolina, the youngest of four children related to the former Satie Hunt and North Carolina furniture magnate James Edgar Broyhill. The senior Broyhill was a member of the Republican National Committee for 28 years. However, for most of that time the party was sparsely supported within the Southern United States, including North Carolina. After attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jim Broyhill joined his father's company in 1945 and served in various capacities there until 1962. He was also active in several state industry associations, as well as a civic leader in Lenoir.
Broyhill believed there needed to be a more competitive election landscape in North Carolina, and that he could play a role in strengthening the Republican party by running for office himself.[2]
Broyhill made his first run for elected office in 1962 for North Carolina's 9th congressional district. Broyhill was the unexpected beneficiary of redistricting after the 1960 census, which cost North Carolina a congressional district. The Democratic-controlled General Assembly saw a chance to get rid of the then lone Republican in the congressional delegation, Charles R. Jonas of the Charlotte area, by re-drawing his district from under him. In the process, they shifted some strongly Republican areas into the 9th, a district where growing Republican influence had kept five-term Democrat Hugh Quincy Alexander from establishing a foothold. At the same time, they shifted some strongly Democratic areas of the 9th into the new 8th district designed to defeat Jonas. However, the plan backfired disastrously when Jonas handily defeated 8th district incumbent A. Paul Kitchin and Broyhill defeated Alexander by just under one percentage point in an upset.
Broyhill never faced another contest nearly that close again. Due to his very conservative stances on nearly all issues and an emphasis on taking good care of his constituents (most of whom had never been represented by a Republican before),[citation needed] he became very popular in his district. He won reelection by 11 points in the midst of the gigantic Democratic landslide of 1964, in which Lyndon B. Johnson carried 87 of North Carolina's 100 counties. Broyhill won reelection 10 times thereafter, never receiving less than 54 percent of the vote and only winning by less than 10 points twice in what became the most Republican district in North Carolina. His district was renumbered the 10th in 1969.
A highlight of his long service in the House was his leadership role in creating the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.[2]
On June 29, 1986, Senator John Porter East, who was not seeking re-election, committed suicide. Broyhill already had won the Republican nomination for the race to succeed East, and Governor James G. Martin appointed Broyhill to the seat for the remainder of the term. The plan was to give Broyhill an incumbency advantage over the Democratic nominee, former Governor Terry Sanford. However, Sanford narrowly defeated Broyhill in November and took office immediately.
Broyhill later served as chairman of the North Carolina Economic Development Commission and then as the state's Secretary of Commerce.[2]
He retired from politics in 1991 but was appointed to the board of trustees of Appalachian State University two years later.[3]
Broyhill was inducted into the North Carolina Republican Party Hall of Fame and the Lenoir, North Carolina Post Office was renamed in his honor. At the time of his death, he resided in Winston-Salem with his wife of 71 years, Louise Robbins Broyhill, who he married in June 1951. He had a daughter, Marilyn Beach, and two sons, Ed and Phillip (died March 1, 2014). His daughter Marilyn and his son Ed also resided in Winston-Salem. He had six grandchildren; Elizabeth Broyhill Morris, James Broyhill, Penn Broyhill, Laura Beach Dugan, Lindsay Beach Grdina, and Ashley Beach Brooks. His son Ed was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 5th congressional district in 2004.
Broyhill died at Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on February 18, 2023, at age 95.[4]
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from North Carolina (Class 3) 1986 (special and regular) |
Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 9th congressional district January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1969 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 10th congressional district January 3, 1969 – July 14, 1986 |
Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from North Carolina July 14, 1986 – November 4, 1986 Served alongside: Jesse Helms |
Succeeded by |
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