(Getty images photo illustration)
U.S. Rep. Don Davis of eastern North Carolina’s First District has claimed victory in the race to retain his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but his opponent, Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout, has thus far refused to concede.
The state Board of Elections reports that all 281 precincts in the district have reported their tallies, and that Davis enjoys a lead of 5,826 votes (49.46% to 47.90%). Libertarian Tom Bailey received 2.63%. But the Associated Press has not called the race and estimates that only 99% of the votes in the race have been counted.
WRAL.com reported early this morning that Davis told supporters in Snow Hill that he had won the race, saying, “We did it!”
But the report quoted Buckhout as saying in a statement, “We are reviewing all the results as they come in. Once the votes have been counted, we will look at all options for getting this over and done with. If a recount is required, we will be ready.”
The First Congressional District race was the state’s only competitive contest for a U.S. House.
The outcome of the race could be critical to control of the House, where Republicans have held a slim majority for the past two years.
The Republican-led state legislature changed district lines in 2023 to make the district harder for a Democrat to win by removing Greenville from the district and adding several Republican counties.
Davis is a first-term Democrat, former state senator, and U.S. Air Force veteran.
Buckhout is a retired Army colonel who followed the GOP campaign template with her emphasis on immigration and closing the southern border. Her ads highlighted her combat experience.
She told volunteers in September that immigration was her top issue.
Davis presented himself as a congressman seeking bipartisan solutions. He is one of the House Democrats most likely to vote against his party. His “ideology score” calculated by GovTrack clusters him with Republicans and to the right of all Democrats and about two dozen GOP House members. Davis endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, but was one of six House Democrats who voted for a resolution condemning Harris and President Joe Biden for immigration policies.
The district has been represented by Democrats for more than a century and by Black Democrats since former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton was elected in 1992.
Davis raised more money for his campaign. The FEC reported that he had raised about $5.2 million through Sept. 24. He attracted significant contributions from agriculture PACs, including the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association, the National Cotton Council of America Committee, and the National Pork Producers Council. The American Israel Political Affairs Committee has been a conduit for more than $224,000 in donations. AIPAC worked this year to defeat progressive U.S. House members in their primaries. A picture of Davis and his wife flashes across the AIPAC webpage.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers named Davis as one of its “champions of the industry” and recorded an interview where Davis talked about his great grandmother preparing ham and cheese biscuits for road trips.
Buckhout had raised about $3.9 million through Sept. 24, which included $1.6 million she loaned the campaign.
Buckhout’s largest PAC contributions came from organizations that solely support Republicans, such as Freedom’s Defense Fund and the Koch Industries PAC. Each contributed $10,000.
The National Republican Committee helped Buckhout buy ads. Democratic campaign groups such as House Majority Forward have run ads supporting Davis.
The anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America PAC backed Buckhout. Davis’s website says he would vote to codify Roe vs. Wade.
Election night results are unofficial and vote totals will likely change over the coming days as local boards of election consider provisional, military, and overseas civilian ballots. The state Board of Elections is scheduled to meet Nov. 26 to certify the results.