In 1992, Watt entered the Democratic primary for the newly created 12th District, a 64 percent black-majority district stretching from Gastonia to Durham.
 He won the four-way Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—with 47 percent of the vote.
 He then easily won the general election by defeating Barbara Gore Washington (R) and Curtis Wade Krumel (L) with 70 percent of the vote, becoming the first Democrat to represent a significant portion of Charlotte since 1953.
In 1993, the original version of his district was thrown out in Shaw v. Reno, and was reconfigured to exclude its far western and far eastern portions.
The new 12th, however, was no less Democratic than its predecessor, and Watt was reelected 10 more times.
 He only faced one relatively close race, when Republican Scott Keadle held him to 55 percent in 1998.

Watt was arguably the most liberal member of North Carolina's congressional delegation, and one of the most liberal congressmen ever to represent the state.
 For most of his tenure, he was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
In 1992, Watt entered the Democratic primary for the newly created 12th District, a 64 percent black-majority district stretching from Gastonia to Durham.  He won the four-way Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—with 47 percent of the vote.  He then easily won the general election by defeating Barbara Gore Washington (R) and Curtis Wade Krumel (L) with 70 percent of the vote, becoming the first Democrat to represent a significant portion of Charlotte since 1953. In 1993, the original version of his district was thrown out in Shaw v. Reno, and was reconfigured to exclude its far western and far eastern portions. The new 12th, however, was no less Democratic than its predecessor, and Watt was reelected 10 more times.  He only faced one relatively close race, when Republican Scott Keadle held him to 55 percent in 1998.
Watt was arguably the most liberal member of North Carolina's congressional delegation, and one of the most liberal congressmen ever to represent the state.  For most of his tenure, he was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Mel Watt