Democrat Rep. Don Davis is claiming victory in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District over Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout and will seemingly be narrowly reelected to his U.S. House seat.
In a speech early Wednesday morning in his hometown of Snow Hill, Davis told supporters, according to WRAL: "We did it. Eastern North Carolina, we're in this fight for you. So many often feel left out and left behind. Please know that I see you and I'm glad to remain in this fight representing you."
Considered one of the more moderate Democratic congressmen, Davis, 53, seems to have the edge over a political newcomer in Buckhout — a 62-year-old retired Army colonel and defense contract consultant from Edenton — by about 5,826 votes or 1.56%, unofficially. That's with all precincts reporting, but with provisional ballots still to be counted.
With the margin of victory for Davis that small, the presence of a third-party candidate, Libertarian Tom Bailey, ostensibly played a significant factor in determining the outcome of the election, as he unofficially garnered 9,851 votes or 2.63%. Bailey, 74, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a retired roofing contractor, previously ran for the House seat in the 13th District in 2018, a U.S. Senate seat in 2004, and a state House seat in 2000.
By Wednesday afternoon, Buckhout had called Davis to concede.