One of the challenges of being a swing state is that presidential campaigns tend to suck up a lot of attention in North Carolina – to the detriment of other important races on the ballot that don't get as much coverage. In an ongoing series, we’ll break down some of the other races here, on the WUNC Politics Podcast, and in the WUNC Politics Newsletter.
Thanks to the way the legislature drew district lines, only one of North Carolina’s 14 congressional districts is expected to have a close race this year.
First-term Democratic Congressman Don Davis is defending his seat in a district that state lawmakers redrew to give Republicans a slightly better shot at winning.
Some of North Carolina’s poorest counties are in the district, but the race has drawn millions of dollars in outside spending from both parties, who see a victory here as a key to a congressional majority. Davis himself has raised about $5 million, while his opponent has raised about $4 million, funding a barrage of TV ads.
The 1st Congressional District includes about 20 counties in the state’s northeastern corner, from Henderson and Goldsboro east to Corolla on the Outer Banks.
For nearly two decades, the seat was held by Democrat G.K. Butterfield, who did not seek reelection in 2022 and backed Davis as his successor. A Republican has not held this seat since 1883.
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Who is Don Davis?
Davis, 53, served as the mayor of his Greene County hometown, Snow Hill, before spending a decade in the state Senate and getting elected to Congress in 2022, beating Republican Sandy Smith by about 12,000 votes. He’s an Air Force veteran and former educator. He’s been considered a moderate in both the state Senate and U.S. House.
In July, Davis was one of six Democrats to vote for a Republican resolution condemning Vice President Kamala Harris, a symbolic gesture meant to criticize Harris for her role in the Biden Administration's handling of issues on the southern border. After the vote, Davis issued a statement endorsing Harris for President. He has since appeared at campaign events alongside the Democratic nominee in North Carolina.
“What I have done is I've shown up to work, I've worked in a bipartisan way,” Davis said. “I've worked in a way of civility, treating and showing respect and dignity to others, even when we may not agree.”
Earlier this year, the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy ranked Davis as the most bipartisan member of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, and the most bipartisan freshman Democrat.
Before Biden dropped out, Davis called the president’s performance in the June 27 debate against Donald Trump “a disaster.”
Who is Laurie Buckhout?
Buckhout, 62, is a retired Army Colonel and political newcomer from Edenton and the Republican nominee. She started an electronic warfare and cyberspace consulting firm after retiring from the Army in 2010. Her campaign has been closely aligned with Trump, and she spoke at his Greenville rally this week.
In the primary, Buckhout beat the 2022 Republican nominee, Smith, by about 4,400 votes with help from a super PAC — the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders.
“You're going to see a fighter in me too,” Buckhout said. “I don't back down, and I'm going to be honored and proud to be standing shoulder to shoulder with your president (Donald Trump) once again as he makes America great again.”
Buckhout says the federal government should close the Mexican border immediately and restore former President Donald Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy. She has also called Biden “one of the worst presidents in our nation’s history.”
On the issues…
Given their backgrounds, both candidates are stressing their support for the military. Davis says he fought against hundreds of potential job cuts at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.
Agriculture is a big subject in the race too. Buckhout says the country needs to tackle high energy costs to help farmers and lower the cost of food, while Davis touts his work opposing a ban on menthol cigarettes that would have hurt the tobacco industry.
Republicans and Buckhout have repeatedly attacked Davis on immigration, saying he voted against border security measures. Davis says he’s made three trips to the border to see the problems firsthand, and he supports “comprehensive immigration reform,” but voted against an early version of the bill because of a worker verification provision he feared would harm farmers.
For more on Don Davis, Laurie Buckhout and the 1st Congressional District race in 2024, read and subscribe to the WUNC Politics Newsletter and listen to full conversations with them on the WUNC Politics Podcast.
WUNC Digital Producer Mitchell Northam contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this story inaccurately summarized Davis’ involvement with a bill, due to an editing error.
