Years before entering the Senate Helms left the Democratic party for the Republican party, which had long been unpopular outside the Carolina mountain districts. His shift reflected the movement of young conservatives leaving the [[New Left|communist infiltrated Democrat party]]. In 1972 he ran for the Senate as a supporter of Republican presidential candidate [[Richard M. Nixon]]. Helms faced liberal Democrat Nick Galifianakis. Helms's successful tactic was to associate Galifiankis with the highly unpopular liberal presidential candidate [[George McGovern]]. He won the Senate seat with 54% of the vote. He was reelected in 1978 (with 55%), 1984 (with 52%), 1990 (with 53%), and 1996 (with 53%). His margins were never large and his campaigns were always intensely fought. Although repeatedly targeted for defeat by national Democrats, he always pulled off narrow victories, and helped his allies win statewide office as well.
On the controversial issue of school busing, Helms voted with Democrat [[segregation]]ist Sen. [[Joe Biden]] of [[Delaware]] for the 1975 Biden Amendment that repealed portions of the [[Civil Rights Act of 19651964]] on the issue of using school busing to achieve racial integration.
=== Senator No ===