Michael Jordan has long avoided political endorsements.
The NBA legend has preferred to keep his political views to himself; it is a stance that some critics argued may have cost Harvey Gantt, the former mayor of Charlotte, a chance to become North Carolina’s first Black U.S. senator in 1990. It’s a long-told story that has recently resurfaced.
Gantt was a rising Black voice in the Democratic Party.
Not All Endorsements Are The Same
He made history as the first Black student admitted to Clemson University and later earned a master’s degree in urban planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he used to help develop projects in Charlotte, including the restoration of the historic First Baptist Church–West.
Gantt later served as a Charlotte City Council member from 1974 to 1983. From 1983 to 1987, he made history again as Charlotte’s first Black mayor.
Although he lost his bid for a third term to Sue Myrick, he mounted a political comeback with his U.S. Senate run in North Carolina — a state often considered competitive but one where Republicans, including incumbent Jesse Helms, had strong support.
Jordan, a global star with deep ties to North Carolina, was pressured by civil rights activists like Jesse Jackson and Jim Brown to publicly support Gantt’s candidacy.
Even Jordan’s mother urged him to film a PSA, which he declined.
Gantt ultimately lost to Helms, 53 percent to 47 percent.
Contemporaneous reporting from The New York Times found that Helms, who had been trailing in the polls, surged ahead after releasing a wave of negative campaign ads in the final days.
Some of those ads portrayed Gantt as supporting policies like racial quotas and positions tied to cultural issues, helping Helms win over undecided white voters late in the race.
In a 1992 interview, Jordan defended his stance, saying that avoiding political endorsements was his personal choice.
Around that time, he was also associated with the remark that “Republicans buy sneakers, too,” hinting he was reluctant to engage politically while building his brand, Time magazine reported.
Decades later, Gantt said he never directly asked Jordan for an endorsement and understood his decision, noting that Jordan was focused on his career and brand at the time.
Gantt said “no harm, no foul,” and did not blame Jordan for the loss.
In a 1996 rematch, Jordan supported Gantt more publicly, including hosting a fundraiser and donating to his campaign, but Gantt still lost — by an even wider margin.
Despite the loss, Gantt’s legacy touched future Black candidates, as the Charlotte Observer reported, including an impressionable Barack Obama.
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