U.S. House of Representatives (NC-1)

U.S. House District 1 is a rural district located in the northeastern part of the state. It covers 23 counties (and part of Granville County), a figure that is nearly one-fourth of all of North Carolina's counties. The district reaches from the Inner Banks to the outer perimeter of the state's Research Triangle. Rocky Mount (population 38,927) is the largest municipality in this district.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve two-year terms. They must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the U.S. for seven years and live in the state they represent. They cast votes on bills, serve on committees, draft laws and focus on policy issues that are of interest to themselves or their constituents. High-level tasks of the U.S. Congress including funding government programs and oversight of the executive branch.

District 1 was redrawn in 2025 to be more favorable to Republicans, who have a 10-4 advantage over Democrats in North Carolina’s delegation. Democrat Don Davis holds the seat, but the district now leans Republican. In the 2024 presidential election, 55% of voters in its current borders voted for Donald Trump and 44% voted for Kamala Harris. The 2026 race is a redux of the 2024 matchup, when Davis defeated Republican Laurie Buckhout. Buckhout won a competitive primary in March 2026 against four other candidates.

Through March 2026, both candidates have raised over $5 million for this election, the largest war chest of all the N.C. Congressional races. They face a Libertarian candidate in the race, Tom Bailey. The key issues in this race are the economy, the cost of living, immigration, border security, healthcare access and government support of agricultural and rural communities.

U.S. House of Representatives (NC-1) Candidates