NC Democrat Don Davis launches campaign in newly gerrymandered congressional district
Rep. Don Davis, a candidate in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, officially launched his campaign in the state’s most competitive district Saturday in Rocky Mount. Davis said he’s fighting to ensure that Eastern North Carolina does not get left behind.
The Snow Hill Democrat said he’s advocating for the often-overlooked needs of Eastern North Carolinians, including more money for education, protections for farmers, improved healthcare and support for seniors.
“… Within [North Carolina’s] 100 counties, we get two counties [that have] two-thirds of the growth: Wake and Mecklenburg. We can do better than this,” he said. “What about the other 98 counties? … My fight is for Eastern North Carolina.”
Davis began his first term in Congress in 2023 and was re-elected in 2024 after fighting off Republican Laurie Buckhout, winning by 6,000 votes. He will face Buckhout again this fall.
About 50 people attended Davis’ event at Meet and Bread Company, a local Rocky Mount restaurant. Rocky Mount, which straddles Nash and Edgecombe counties, has a population of 54,000, with a majority Black population. Davis said that after spending much time in the newly added counties in his district, he chose to launch his campaign in a “very important part of the district.”
Before Davis spoke, the crowd heard from Cassandra Conover, chair of the Democratic Party in Nash County, and Rep. Glenn Ivey, a congressman from Maryland’s 4th Congressional District. Ivey, who is from Rocky Mount, said the mission of Democrats is to encourage change in Congress and push back against the actions of the Trump administration.
“We need folks like Don to make sure that we continue this fight and win,” Ivey said.
Davis, a moderate Democrat and an occasional swing voter, said that Washington, D.C., is corrupt and identified himself as a representative that is “not a part of the division.”
“We can’t do this with Democrats alone,” Davis said. “We need to bring Republicans with us.”
Growing up in Eastern North Carolina
Davis began by reflecting on his childhood and being raised by his grandmother, who brought him to church and emphasized the importance of education, he said. The crowd was responsive and could relate to the experiences Davis shared about growing up in the region, and the issues that he saw around him.
“We have to let young people in Eastern North Carolina know [that] they don’t have to leave. They shouldn’t feel forced to leave because there are no real opportunities here,” Davis told The News & Observer. “We need to make sure that there are real opportunities.”
His inspiration for running for office, he said, was a pothole. When he returned to Snow Hill as an adult after joining the military, he noticed that a pothole he used to avoid on his bike as a child still hadn’t been filled. He later ran for mayor of Snow Hill and won, becoming the youngest mayor in the town’s history. Davis later served in the state Senate from 2013 to 2023.
Davis’ new district
The rematch with Buckhout comes after the state legislature redistricted the congressional map, expanding the district to bring in thousands of Republican voters.
The legislature passed the new map just three days after it was introduced following calls by President Donald Trump to Republican-led states to create more Republican-leaning districts. North Carolina’s constitution requires that a new map be drawn after every decade in accordance with the census, but it does not bar redistricting after that. And with the legislature’s near Republican supermajority, the new map passed with little friction.
The last congressional election in 2024 brought the state’s congressional representation from an even 7-7 party split to a 10-seat majority for Republicans. The state’s new map could drop Democratic representation from four to three seats.
Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, worked in the Department of Defense in the Trump administration as acting assistant secretary of war for cyber policy. In early May, she received the president’s endorsement.
Davis will also face Tom Bailey, a Libertarian from Greensboro.
According to The Cook Political Report, a political analysis organization that predicts nationwide and gubernatorial races, Davis is “without a doubt, the most vulnerable House Democrat in the country.”
Although Davis’ district has gotten a new look, Davis said he’s not concerned because he believes that his “people-driven” campaign can reach enough voters.
“If they want to redistrict [us] into the Atlantic Ocean, I’ll go talk to the fishes,” Davis said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
After winning her primary election, Buckhout that she plans to take a “more aggressive” approach. Davis said his campaign is now focused on coalition building with voters in the northeastern corner of the state, all the way down the coast. Davis said that this new relationship building has been focused on finding ways to improve tourism, infrastructure and industries such as fishing and shrimping.
Davis addresses affordability, One Big Beautiful Bill
Davis addressed North Carolinians’ struggle with affordability, especially at the gas pump, calling it a “serious concern.” However, he did not make clear his position on the war in Iran, which has been the primary driver of increased gas prices. He did say that he would like to see more involvement of Congress on the matter.
“We have to make sure that we’re addressing affordability costs, and for me, that means that [the role of Congress] is important, even providing oversight,” Davis said. “That’s essential.”
The event drew many older community members, local candidates and county leaders of the Democratic Party. Alfreda Perkins, who chairs the Democratic Party in Edgecombe County, said that Davis advocates for voters who think that they “don’t have a vote.”
“We need a spokesperson [and] that we do have in him,” Perkins said. “He’s advocating for the people for Eastern North Carolina and so when he’s fighting that fight, he’s not just fighting for the Democrats. He’s fighting for all of us.”
Davis has faced controversy for voting against his party at times. He did, however, vote with his party against House Resolution 1, or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Davis’ vote against the bill has received harsh criticism from his Republican opponent, who says that he voted against tax relief for his constituents.
Davis says that he does support tax relief, including Social Security tax relief and eliminating taxes on tips, especially because it would help grow the middle class in the region. But Davis said some of the provisions within the bill were a matter of “life or death.”
One of the “life or death” changes Davis referred to was cuts to Medicaid. Improving the quality and affordability of healthcare appears to be among Davis’ chief concerns. Four in 10 people rely on Medicaid in Eastern North Carolina, Davis said. And with rising healthcare costs, attention to healthcare is crucial for the region.
Davis told The N&O that one of his goals is to reopen Martin General Hospital in Williamston, about 30 miles north of Greenville, which closed abruptly in 2023.
“When I think about Martin General Hospital closing, the solution is not sending people to Greenville,” he said. “There’s a backlog of people waiting in Greenville. We have to make sure we’re addressing these issues.”
Darlene Spencer, an attendee, said that Davis’ key to victory is engaging with his constituents.
“No matter how they draw these lines, it won’t matter as long as he continues to stay engaged and that’s what going to win the election for him.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 9:05 PM.
