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Biography · Politics & Public Life

Ralph Campbell Jr.

1946–2011

United States

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Biography

Ralph Campbell Jr. (December 7, 1946 – January 11, 2011) was an American politician and auditor who served as the North Carolina State Auditor from 1993 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to hold statewide elected executive office in North Carolina. Campbell was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he attended St. Augustine's College. He graduated with a degree in business administration in 1968, and served in the United States Army Reserve from 1971 until 1977. After leaving the reserve, he worked various government jobs before being elected to the Raleigh City Council in 1985. In 1992, Campbell ran for North Carolina State Auditor and was elected, defeating Republican Vernon Abernethy. Taking office in January 1993, he equipped office staff with desktop computers and field auditors with laptop computers during his first term and pushed for the implementation of an entirely digital auditing system.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-20

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