Campaign

GOP Army veteran to face Democratic incumbent in toss-up North Carolina district

by Jared Gans - 03/05/24 10:45 PM ET

Rep.-elect Don Davis (D-N.C.) — Greg Nash
Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) participates in a photo op for newly elected House members for the 118th session of Congress outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.

Veteran Laurie Buckhout will be the Republican nominee for the House seat representing North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ projects.

Buckhout, a retired Army colonel who founded a consulting firm, defeated Sandy Smith, who was the GOP’s choice for the district in 2020 and 2022, both unsuccessful bids.

Buckhout will face Democratic Rep. Don Davis in what became a toss-up district after the Republican-controlled Legislature approved a new congressional map making it much more competitive. The district has not elected a Republican in more than 100 years but with considerably different congressional lines from now.

The district was represented by former Rep. GK Butterfield (D-N.C.) for almost 20 years before he stepped down in 2022 and Davis was elected to the seat.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as a toss-up.

Tags Don Davis