Even though three presidents have been born in North Carolina (Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson) arguably the most nationally recognized North Carolina politician is former U.S. senator Jesse Helms. His voting record and public statements during five terms in Congress (1973-2003) generated large amounts of both praise and criticism. Helms was the first Republican from North Carolina to be elected to the Senate in the twentieth century. Originally a Democrat, the former radio talk show host and television commentator changed his party affiliation in 1972 to run against Nick Galifianikis. From 1995-2001 Helms served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Over the last three decades, political buttons have both promoted Helms's successful campaigns and criticized his position on controversial topics such as abortion.