{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDonald Gene Davis, who serves as Don Davis, is the Democratic U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District [4][5]. The Clerk of the House records him as elected on November 5, 2024 and sworn in on January 3, 2025, with a Snow Hill hometown and an office at 1123 Longworth House Office Building [5]. His official biography says he is serving his second term and that the district comprises 22 counties in eastern North Carolina [1].\n\nThe North Carolina State Board of Elections candidate-filing list shows Davis on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot against Republican Laurie Buckhout and Libertarian Tom Bailey [12]. Buckhout, who was also the Republican nominee in 2024, won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary with 26,624 votes to Asa Buck's 23,227, Bobby Hanig's 10,924, Eric Rouse's 3,626 and Ashley-Nicole Russell's 2,975 [11].\n\nThe 2026 election is being conducted under the congressional plan the North Carolina General Assembly enacted on October 22, 2025 as Senate Bill 249 / Session Law 2025-95, \"Realign Congressional Districts 2025\" [17], which the General Assembly's redistricting site identifies as \"Enacted in 2025, to be used for the 2026 election\" [18]. NC Newsline reported that on November 26, 2025 a three-judge federal panel declined to block the map for the 2026 midterms in a suit brought by the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause of North Carolina and a group of voters, who argued that changes to the 1st District dismantled the region known as the Black Belt; the panel found that the plaintiffs \"have shown a disparate impact on black voters\" but \"have not demonstrated that this effect likely reflects discriminatory intent,\" and the lawsuit continues [19]. The same report said the new map is expected to eliminate Davis's seat and produce an 11-3 Republican majority in the state's delegation [19].\n\nFederal Election Commission candidate summary data covering the 2026 cycle through June 30, 2026 report $4,287,386 in total receipts, $987,862 in total disbursements, and $3,570,366 in cash on hand for his authorized campaign committees [13].\n\n## Background and education\n\nThe Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress records that Davis was born in Snow Hill, Greene County, North Carolina, on August 29, 1971; graduated from MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, in 1989; earned a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy in 1994, an M.S. from Central Michigan University in 1997, an M.A. from East Carolina University in 2001, and an Ed.D. from East Carolina University in 2007 [4]. His official biography describes the Central Michigan degree as a master's in administration, the East Carolina master's as sociology with a concentration in regional development, and the doctorate as a degree in education [1].\n\n## Career\n\nThe Biographical Directory records service in the United States Air Force from 1994 to 2001 [4]. His official biography says he was commissioned after graduating from the Air Force Academy, actively served in uniform for eight years, and, as a first lieutenant, coordinated Air Force One and CODEL operations at Andrews Air Force Base and supported families of military members as a mortuary officer [1].\n\nThe Biographical Directory lists him as an assistant professor at East Carolina University from 1998 to 2001 and an adjunct professor there from 2001 to 2007, and as a lay minister [4]. His official biography says he returned to eastern North Carolina as an assistant professor of Aerospace Studies at the university's Air Force ROTC Detachment 600, teaching national security affairs, military history and leadership courses, and describes him as an educator for more than 20 years who still ministers at the church he attended growing up [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nDavis was Mayor of Snow Hill from 2001 to 2008 [4]. His official biography says he became the town's youngest mayor at age 29 and served seven years [1].\n\nHe served in the North Carolina Senate from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2022 [4]. State Board of Elections certified precinct results record him losing the 2010 general election for Senate District 5 to Republican Louis M. Pate, Jr., 25,423 votes to 21,096 [6]; returning as the District 5 winner in 2012 with 59,648 votes [7]; and winning the seat again in 2020 with 51,702 votes to Republican Karen Kozel's 42,104 [8].\n\nHe was elected to the U.S. House in 2022 and took office on January 3, 2023 [4]. Certified results for that race record 134,996 votes for Davis and 122,780 for Republican Sandy Smith, roughly 52 percent [9]. The seat had been held by Democrat G. K. Butterfield, who won North Carolina's 1st District in 2020 with 188,870 votes to Smith's 159,748 [8]. In 2024 Davis was re-elected with 186,341 votes to Laurie Buckhout's 180,034 and Libertarian Tom Bailey's 9,949, roughly 50 percent [10].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nDavis's official committees page lists him on the House Agriculture Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development and a member of the Subcommittees on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit and on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; and on the House Armed Services Committee, where he is Vice Ranking Member and sits on the Subcommittees on Readiness and on Tactical Air and Land Forces [2]. The Clerk of the House's member data for the 119th Congress records the same two full-committee assignments [5]. His committees page also lists him as co-chair of the For Country Caucus and several other caucuses and as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, the New Democrat Coalition and the Problem Solvers Caucus [2].\n\nHouse Clerk roll-call records show that on April 30, 2026 the House passed H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, by 224 to 200, with 14 Democrats voting yes; Davis was one of them [14]. His office says the bill folded in six bills he introduced plus an amendment and more than 25 measures he supported, including provisions from the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act (H.R. 1985); the Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act (H.R. 1858); the Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act (H.R. 2109); the Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act (H.R. 6433); the Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act (H.R. 7530); and the AG VETS Act (H.R. 1230) [15]. As subcommittee ranking member he had voted to report the bill favorably out of the Agriculture Committee on March 5, 2026 [20].\n\nHis office says the House passed H.R. 4238, the Disaster Loan Accountability and Reform Act, on June 26, 2026; Davis led the bill with Representative Tim Moore (NC-14), and his office says it responds to a 66-day lapse in the Small Business Administration's disaster loan fund that delayed Hurricane Helene recovery assistance [16]. His office also says he sponsored 31 provisions that advanced through House passage of H.R. 8800, the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, which it says passed 216 to 212 [21].\n\nHis official House website displays the claim \"#1 Most Bipartisan Member of Congress,\" alongside constituent-service counters reporting $4,237,916 returned to constituents and 1,760 cases closed [3].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [About - Representative Don Davis](https://dondavis.house.gov/about) - U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[2] [Committees and Caucuses - Representative Don Davis](https://dondavis.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses) - U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[3] [Home - Representative Don Davis](https://dondavis.house.gov/) - U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[4] [DAVIS, Don](https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/D/DAVIS,-Don-%28D000230%29/) - U.S. House of Representatives History, Art & Archives (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress), accessed 2026-07-30\n[5] [Member Data, 119th Congress](https://clerk.house.gov/xml/lists/MemberData.xml) - Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[6] [Precinct-level results, November 2, 2010 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2010_11_02/results_pct_20101102.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[7] [Precinct-level results, November 6, 2012 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2012_11_06/results_pct_20121106.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[8] [Precinct-level results, November 3, 2020 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2020_11_03/results_pct_20201103.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[9] [Precinct-level results, November 8, 2022 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2022_11_08/results_pct_20221108.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[10] [Precinct-level results, November 5, 2024 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2024_11_05/results_pct_20241105.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[11] [Precinct-level results, March 3, 2026 primary election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[12] [2026 Candidate Listing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[13] [All-candidate summary bulk data, 2026 cycle](https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2026/weball26.zip) - Federal Election Commission, accessed 2026-07-30\n[14] [Roll Call 154, 119th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 7567](https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll154.xml) - Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[15] [Congressman Don Davis Votes to Advance Bipartisan Farm Bill for Eastern North Carolina](https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-don-davis-votes-advance-bipartisan-farm-bill-eastern-north) - Office of Rep. Don Davis, accessed 2026-07-30\n[16] [House Passes Davis-Led Legislation to Improve Accountability for Small Business Disaster Loans](https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-davis-led-legislation-improve-accountability-small-business) - Office of Rep. Don Davis, accessed 2026-07-30\n[17] [Senate Bill 249 / SL 2025-95, Realign Congressional Districts 2025](https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S249) - North Carolina General Assembly, accessed 2026-07-30\n[18] [2025 NC Congressional Map](https://www.ncleg.gov/Redistricting/DistrictPlanMap/C2025E) - North Carolina General Assembly, accessed 2026-07-30\n[19] [Federal court allows Republican-led North Carolina redistricting plan to proceed](https://ncnewsline.com/2025/11/26/federal-court-allows-republican-led-north-carolina-redistricting-plan-to-proceed/) - NC Newsline, accessed 2026-07-30\n[20] [Congressman Don Davis Votes to Stand with Farmers, Producers, and Rural Communities across NC-01](https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-don-davis-votes-stand-farmers-producers-and-rural-communities-0) - Office of Rep. Don Davis, accessed 2026-07-30\n[21] [Congressman Don Davis Votes for House Passage of Eastern North Carolina Defense Priorities in FY 2027 NDAA](https://dondavis.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-don-davis-votes-house-passage-eastern-north-carolina-defense) - Office of Rep. Don Davis, accessed 2026-07-30","campaigns":[{"contest":"us_house_001","county":"beaufort","county_count":32,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"nc","title":"Us House Of Representatives District 01"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Donald","fullname":"Donald Gene Davis","lastname":"Davis","middlename":"Gene","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"us_house_001","contest_title":"Us House Of Representatives District 01","county":"beaufort","county_count":32,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"us_house","office_title":"U.S. Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"nc"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"us_house_001","contest_title":"Us House Of Representatives District 01","county":"beaufort","county_count":32,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"us_house","office_title":"U.S. Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"nc"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"us_house","office_title":"U.S. Representative","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis is running for re\u2011election to North Carolina\u2019s 1st congressional district in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"30dbfe41ba0c0676"}