This political problem for Rep. Don Davis started in the very same election he went to Congress. In 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court flipped from Democratic control to GOP control. The justices took the extraordinary step of rehearing a case on gerrymandering that was settled just months earlier. The new justices concluded that they didn’t have the authority to strike down Congressional maps for gerrymandering, which allowed the following to happen:
North Carolina Republicans gave final approval Wednesday to new political districts that are likely to hand the party more seats in Congress next year.
The state's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, does not have the power to veto the districts drawn by the legislature's GOP majority.
The new map divvies up the state's 14 congressional districts into 10 districts that favor Republicans, three that favor Democrats and one that is considered competitive between the two major parties, according to analysts.
North Carolina currently has a delegation split 7-7 between Democrats and Republicans, after a court-ordered map was used in the 2022 elections.
However, in that election, the North Carolina Supreme Court shifted to lean conservative, and the new majority promptly reversed an earlier court ruling that struck down Republicans' map as an excessive partisan gerrymander.
Rep. Don Davis has been put in great peril because of the new maps. He may be the incumbent that is most at risk that you’ve never heard of. Hopefully, that will change with this article, because Davis is worth saving even if he is more moderate than many of his colleagues. The deck truly is stacked against him, and the question is whether or not Davis can overcome these disadvantages.
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Don Davis for North Carolina-1
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What’s the Big Idea?
THIS DISTRICT IS A TOSSUP, with an R+1 PVI
It seems that North Carolina votes under different Congressional district lines every election. 2024 is no exception, as the North Carolina Supreme Court gave the green light for the GOP state legislature to hideously gerrymander the state. Three incumbents were given unwinnable districts and chose to retire or run for other offices. A fourth, Rep. Don Davis, was given a district that is trending hard to the right and barely voted for Biden. He has his work cut out for him, that is for sure!
It’s not like his old district he won in 2022 was safe for him either. He only won 52.4% to 47.6% against a GOP nominee abandoned because of some personal scandals. However, the state legislature thought that wasn’t enough, and gave Davis a district Biden only won 50.4% to 48.8% in 2020. Cheri Beasley, our 2022 Senate nominee, lost this district.
This district is the subject of lawsuits which claim that the power of Black voters is being diluted and that the district has retrogressed improperly. Thus, there may be yet another new map for 2026 if a state or federal judge tosses out the current one. Davis cannot rely on that happening though, and in any case it won’t happen in time for the 2024 election. He will just have to survive on increasingly marginal turf.
Here’s where this race will be won in the 1st district.
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Rocky Mount, Wilson, Kinston, Goldsboro: These small cities are heavily majority Black, and are the Democratic anchors of the district. Davis must get an extremely high turnout from these cities to win. Lackadaisical turnout will doom him.
- Rural Black Counties: Vance, Warren, Northampton, Hertford, Washington, and Bertie Counties are still majority Black counties in this primarily rural district. Rural Black turnout can be difficult to get, but Davis will have to find a way to do so in this critical swing seat to hold the district.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
- Inner Banks: Once you leave the cities mentioned above, the voters are suddenly very amenable to voting for the GOP. These majority white precincts are an anchor weighing down on the chances of Rep. Don Davis, and he will have to do everything in his power to prevent them from sinking him.
- Outer Banks: Other than Elizabeth City, the counties by the Atlantic Ocean all vote for GOP candidates now. Their inclusion in the district is what makes Davis’ re-election chances so dicey. Many of these counties are new to him as well, meaning he hasn’t built up goodwill through constituent services either.
Who is Rep. Don Davis?
Rep. Don Davis has had an accomplished career, even before reaching Congress. He graduated from the Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s in social sciences, got masters degrees from Central Michigan University and East Carolina University, and an EdD from East Carolina as well. He was a professor at ECU for Aerospace Studies for 20 years. He was the youngest mayor of Snow Hill, a town where he grew up. He won a seat in the NC state senate in 2008, only to lose it in 2010 and regain it in 2012. In Congress, Davis has been a moderate voice in both the Congressional Black Caucus and the New Democratic Coalition. Here is more information on the background and priorities of Davis.
Many of the issue positions below come from his issues page.
- Rural Agriculture. One of the still dominant industries in eastern North Carolina is tobacco farming. Davis introduced The Agricultural Commodities Price Enhancement Act, which increases the reference price for multiple commodities grown throughout eastern North Carolina and the U.S. He also helped introduce the Rural Uplift and Revitalization Assistance Act, which allows the USDA to provide technical assistance to strengthen local capacity and improve access to rural development programs for geographically underserved and distressed rural areas directly or through cooperative agreements.
- Rural Infrastructure Maven. Davis has been a big proponent of developing rural infrastructure. He helped secure a $1 billion grant for rural broadband internet for the state of North Carolina. He also has been working on aid for rural flooding, a problem in North Carolina. The Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act addresses the obstacles hindering access to flood prevention programs to empower communities to make smart investments that effectively mitigate flood risks and protect America's farmlands.
- Health Care Helper. Davis is concerned with the high Black maternal and infant mortality rate in eastern North Carolina. Many parts of eastern North Carolina are found in health care deserts, where citizens have to drive for hours to seek care. Davis worked to expand Medicaid in the state so that health outcomes in his district improve. He has secured many grants for health services in eastern North Carolina.
- Education Advocate. Davis wants to make good public schools available to every child in eastern North Carolina. While he is in Congress he will seek to expand access to early childhood education, lower the cost of higher education, and invest heavily in HBCUs. He also believes in making sure rural communities have the resources for vocational training, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs.
- Equity and Justice. Davis importantly will push for criminal justice reform while he is in Congress. In North Carolina, he pushed to raise the age at which a child can be tried as an adult, as this often is used disproportionately against Black youth. This includes equity for Black farmers, who have often been forgotten or locked out of USDA programs.
- Climate Crisis. Rising sea levels will swallow the Outer Banks and cause more severe flooding in eastern North Carolina. Davis will work to pass more comprehensive climate change legislation that looks out for the farmers in his district. He has been one of the most vocal about cleaning up toxic water and air pollution in North Carolina, especially when it comes to Camp Lejeune.
- Abortion Rights Ally. Thanks to Turncoat Tricia Cotham, North Carolina has a super strict abortion ban. Davis personally opposes abortion, but also realizes that it is a decision best made by a woman and her doctor. He is a vote to codify Roe into law, and he stands against an IVF ban and a contraception ban as well.
Who is Laurie Buckhout?
Laurie Buckhout is a retired US Army Colonel. She comes from a military family that has served this country since at least the French and Indian War way back in the colonial period. Buckhout’s service to our country lasted 26 years, and included time in Iraq. She ended her military career as electronic warfare chief. Once out of the military, she started a consulting business on electronic warfare that has been highly successful.
- Endorsed by Mike Flynn. Gen. Mike Flynn is the disgraced National Security Advisor to Obama and Trump, caught lying about his Russian contacts. He is a QAnon adherent and Christian nationalist and a likely Cabinet member in a Trump47 administration. His endorsement of Buckhout is the most alarming news I’ve found about her.
- Election Denier. Buckhout has downplayed the January 6 insurrection, comparing it to Jamaal Bowman’s fire alarm stunt and pro-Hamas protestors. She has also spouted 2020 election conspiracy theories along the lines of what Donald Trump has promoted.
- Reckless Driving and DUI. Buckhout was charged with a DUI in 2017 after an incident in Georgia. It was pleaded down to reckless driving in 2019, and she paid a fine of $500. Buckhout claims to regret the incident, calling it one of the worst mistakes of her life.
- Virginia Based Carpetbagger. Buckhout moved to North Carolina in 2021, but her childhood and college years were spent in Virginia. Her successful consulting business is also Virginia based. She has few ties to the region, unlike Rep. Don Davis.
- Immigration Hardliner. Buckhout uses Trumpian language when it comes to undocumented immigrants, saying they are “invading the open border” and “poisoning the blood of the nation”. She endorses building the wall and mass deportations. It is the centerpiece of her campaign.
- 2nd Amendment Zealot. I guess it is to be expected of a conservative Army officer. Buckhout touts herself as a defender of the 2nd amendment on her issues page, and she has tweeted that she will always protect the right to defend yourself in Congress. She will likely vote down any gun safety legislation brought before Congress.
- Forced Birth Maniac. Buckhout touts that she is pro-life on her issues page, and touts endorsements from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Maggie’s List — two extreme forced birth organizations. She has already endorsed a national abortion ban in her campaigning.
- Debt and Deficit Peacock. Buckhout calls for a stop to reckless spending on her campaign website, but does not go into specifics. It is likely she criticizes actual deficit-reducing measures like the Inflation Reduction Act. She also has called for cutting taxes and making the Trump tax cuts permanent.
How Can You Help?
Rep. Don Davis needs all hands on deck. He needs more funds, he needs a ton of volunteers, and he needs more exposure on social media. It is up to anyone reading to best decide how they can help, and make the decision to do so. Davis will definitely get help from the Biden campaign competing for North Carolina, and Josh Stein running against the execrable Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
Rep. Don Davis only raised $385k during the Q4 reporting period of 2023. That is simply not good enough. Laurie Buckhout can self-fund to the tune of over a million dollars, as she raised $259k and loaned herself $1.07M in the same period. Now, some of that money was spent winning a contested primary, but it is an ominous sign for Davis. Davis has $820k cash on hand, while Buckhout had $1.12M left over at the end of the year. Davis is one of the most endangered incumbents, and he needs more donations ASAP.
Davis is also going to need an army of volunteers, because there are many rural Black residents that don’t always show up to vote. Anemic turnout in 2022 caused our Senate nominee, Cheri Beasley, to lose this district in spite of doing decently statewide. Davis will lose if he cannot contact every persuadable voter in the district. Door knocking will be HUGE for this campaign!
Davis has both official and campaign accounts to boost on social media. He isn’t a household name, so he definitely needs the boost in order for people to realize just how much danger he’s really in. If you cannot donate or volunteer for him, this is the best option for helping him out.
His official Twitter account only has 2.3k followers right now. That’s… really low. He tweets out events he attends and legislation he sponsors for the most part. This particular tweet shows more of his background, and why passing the Farm Bill is such an important issue for him.
Davis has 1.8k followers on his official Facebook account, which is once again rather low. The content is the exact same as it is on Twitter, so you’re not missing out on his Facebook posts or vice versa. He invited 109-years young Cassie Smith to the SOTU Address.
Davis also has campaign accounts for both Twitter and Facebook. The Twitter account has 5.8k followers, which again demonstrates his obscurity. Let’s try to boost that number, shall we? He mostly uses it to show how bipartisan he is with bills and other actions. Not a bad idea, considering he is at great risk of being defeated. He is still setting a defiant tone in his re-election campaign!
His campaign Facebook account has 10k followers, which is surprisingly a lot. I’d guess that it is the main account he uses to communicate with his constituents. He also uses it as a personal account, sharing family moments and other more personal events. It is definitely the account to follow if you wish to get to know him. He marks one year in office with this post.
Help spread the word today by following Rep. Don Davis and boosting his accomplishments and his campaign in the critical realm of social media.
Rep. Don Davis is worth saving, even if he isn’t the most progressive politician in the Democratic caucus. Thanks to the North Carolina GOP, he has a huge target on his back and is one of the most endangered Democratic incumbents that are running for re-election. Daily Kos ranks him as the 11th most vulnerable district to flipping to the GOP. I think it undersells his vulnerability, but he is still near the very top.
Laurie Buckhout is not the disastrous nominee the GOP put up for this district in 2022. That alone makes her more dangerous to Davis, because her personal life seems to be full of success, instead of personal foibles. Her ability to loan her campaign a million dollars or more also makes her a particular threat. She will fit firmly into the MAGA brigade in the House GOP if she is elected. In a district that is close to 50-50, that may not be disqualifying though.
The redistricting map the North Carolina state legislature drew was not kind to Rep. Don Davis. It has stacked the deck against him. The question is, does Davis have what it takes to overcome these obstacles?
Don Davis for North Carolina-1
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