Who's In the Race

Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) faces Republican Laurie Buckhout in the Nov. 3 general election in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. The contest is a rematch of the 2024 race, and North Carolina drew new district boundaries for 2026, changing the district's lines. ​

Davis is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served eight years as a commissioned officer, reaching the rank of captain. He served six terms in the North Carolina Senate and was mayor of Snow Hill. Davis ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Buckhout is a retired Army colonel and Iraq War veteran who served 26 years in the Army, founded a cyber and defense business, and served in the Trump administration as Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy. She won the Republican primary with about 40 percent of the vote over runner-up Asa Buck. Bailey is a retired Army veteran who served from 1968 to 1971 and has been involved with the Libertarian Party of North Carolina.

What They Stand For

Davis has supported passing a farm bill to help farmers and ensuring service members have the resources to train and accomplish their missions, according to The News & Observer. He's also supported:

  • more congressional oversight of the armed services and requiring branches other than the Marine Corps to complete comprehensive financial audits,
  • Border security measures including more screening technology at ports of entry and standard law-enforcement procedures for immigration officials,
  • Temporarily suspending the federal diesel tax, lowering prescription-drug costs and expanding workforce housing; and
  • Ending mid-decade redistricting except in specified circumstances, through his proposed RESET Act.

Buckhout has proposed cutting taxes and pursuing policies to lower families' costs and improve the economy, according to her campaign website. She's also supported:

  • Providing border patrol agents the resources to keep dangerous drugs out of the country,
  • Cutting regulations affecting farmers, fishermen and seafood industries,
  • Defending the Second Amendment and opposing additional restrictions on law-abiding gun owners; and
  • Investing in the military and veterans' care, reducing regulations on artificial intelligence and expanding American energy.

Bailey says voting rights are a top issue and that he wants to restore them under the North Carolina Constitution, and he opposes warrantless arrests and objects to deporting agricultural workers, according to The News & Observer.

The Money Behind the Race

Davis raised about $4.3 million through June 30 and had about $3.6 million in the bank, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Buckhout raised about $3.8 million through June 30 and had about $1.8 million in cash on hand; she carried about $3.5 million in debt.

Outside groups had spent about $1 million in the race as of Oct. 13, including about $829,000 supporting Buckhout, about $42,000 opposing Buckhout, and about $148,000 supporting Davis. American Mission reported $509,067 in support spending in the race for North Carolina's 1st U.S. House District.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

The Cook Political Report rated the race a Toss-up as of Oct. 9, and Sabato's Crystal Ball also rated it a Toss-up as of Oct. 11. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Davis, a 65 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 13, with Republicans at 35 percent.

Davis won the district with about 52 percent in 2022 and held it with about 50 percent in 2024. Statewide, North Carolina's House delegation split evenly between the parties in 2022, with seven seats each, but Republicans expanded their advantage to 10 seats to four in 2024. Republican Donald J. Trump carried North Carolina in the 2024 presidential election with about 51 percent of the vote.

Same-day registration is available during early in-person voting, which runs Thursday, Oct. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 31; voting ends at 3 p.m. on Oct. 31, and hours vary by county. The deadline to request a mail ballot is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20. On Election Day, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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