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North Carolina's 1st Congressional District

From Ballotpedia
North Carolina redrew its congressional district boundaries in October 2025. Voters will elect representatives under the new map in 2026.Click here to read more about mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.

North Carolina's 1st Congressional District
Incumbent
Assumed office: January 3, 2023

North Carolina's 1st Congressional District in theUnited States House of Representatives is represented byDonald Davis (D).

As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina representatives represented an average of 746,711 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 735,829 residents.

Elections

See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

IncumbentDonald Davis (D) andTom Bailey (L) are running in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Donald Davis
Donald Davis (D)
Image of Tom Bailey
Tom Bailey (L)

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Incumbents arebolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. IncumbentDonald Davis (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Asa Buck (R),Laurie Buckhout (R),Robert Hanig (R),Eric Rouse (R), andAshley-Nicole Russell (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on March 3, 2026.

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There are noincumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Libertarian Party primary

The Libertarian Party primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.Tom Bailey (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2024

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

IncumbentDonald Davis (D) defeatedLaurie Buckhout (R) andTom Bailey (L) in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald Davis
Donald Davis (D)
 
49.5
 
186,341
Image of Laurie Buckhout
Laurie Buckhout (R)
 
47.8
 
180,034
Image of Tom Bailey
Tom Bailey (L)
 
2.6
 
9,949

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 376,324
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. IncumbentDonald Davis (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Laurie Buckhout (R) defeatedSandy Smith (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Laurie Buckhout
Laurie Buckhout
 
53.5
 
33,893
Image of Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith
 
46.5
 
29,471

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There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 63,364
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Libertarian Party primary

The Libertarian Party primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled.Tom Bailey (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Donald Davis (D) defeatedSandy Smith (R) in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald Davis
Donald Davis (D)
 
52.4
 
134,996
Image of Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith (R) Candidate Connection
 
47.6
 
122,780

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There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 257,776
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Donald Davis (D) defeatedErica Smith (D),Jason Spriggs (D), andJullian Bishop Sr. (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald Davis
Donald Davis
 
63.2
 
42,693
Image of Erica Smith
Erica Smith
 
31.1
 
21,012
Image of Jason Spriggs
Jason Spriggs
 
3.1
 
2,123
Image of Jullian Bishop Sr.
Jullian Bishop Sr. Candidate Connection
 
2.6
 
1,752

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 67,580
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith Candidate Connection
 
31.4
 
13,621
Image of Sandy Roberson
Sandy Roberson Candidate Connection
 
26.7
 
11,603
Image of Billy Strickland
Billy Strickland Candidate Connection
 
13.9
 
6,050
Image of Brent Roberson
Brent Roberson Candidate Connection
 
13.8
 
5,992
Image of Brad Murphy
Brad Murphy Candidate Connection
 
9.5
 
4,128
Image of Will Aiken
Will Aiken Candidate Connection
 
3.0
 
1,285
Image of Ernest Reeves
Ernest Reeves
 
1.2
 
523
Henry Williams
 
0.5
 
202

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There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 43,404
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

IncumbentG.K. Butterfield (D) defeatedSandy Smith (R) in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of G.K. Butterfield
G.K. Butterfield (D)
 
54.2
 
188,870
Image of Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith (R) Candidate Connection
 
45.8
 
159,748

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 348,618
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. IncumbentG.K. Butterfield (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Sandy Smith (R) defeatedMichele Nix (R),James Glisson (R)(Withdrew, still on ballot), andEthan Baca (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith Candidate Connection
 
77.3
 
31,490
Image of Michele Nix
Michele Nix
 
9.9
 
4,030
James Glisson(Withdrew, still on ballot)
 
7.4
 
3,031
Image of Ethan Baca
Ethan Baca Candidate Connection
 
5.4
 
2,206

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 40,757
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

IncumbentG.K. Butterfield (D) defeatedRoger Allison (R) in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of G.K. Butterfield
G.K. Butterfield (D)
 
69.8
 
190,457
Image of Roger Allison
Roger Allison (R) Candidate Connection
 
30.2
 
82,218

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 272,675
(100% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

IncumbentG.K. Butterfield (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
✔
Image of G.K. Butterfield
G.K. Butterfield

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Roger Allison (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
✔
Image of Roger Allison
Roger Allison Candidate Connection

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Previous election results


District map

2025_01_03_nc_congressional_district_01.jpg

Redistricting

2025-2026

See also:Redistricting in North Carolina ahead of the 2026 elections

North Carolina redrew its congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. The state Senate approved a new congressional map on October 21, 2025, and the state House followed on October 22, 2025.[8][9] TheNew York Times' Eduardo Medina wrote, "Republicans already have control of 10 of the state’s 14 congressional seats. The new map could give them an extra seat in the First Congressional District, which previously included all eight of the state’s majority Black counties and has now been redrawn to include more conservative-leaning counties. The district is currently held by Representative Don Davis, a Democrat."[10]

2020-2023

See also:Redistricting in North Carolina after the 2020 census

On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new congressional district boundaries.[11] The legislation adopting the new maps passed thestate Senate by a vote of 28-18 and theState House by a vote of 64-40.[12] Both votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[13][14]

The New York Times' Maggie Astor wrote, "The map creates 10 solidly Republican districts, three solidly Democratic districts and one competitive district. Currently, under the lines drawn by a court for the 2022 election, each party holds seven seats. The Democratic incumbents who have been essentially drawn off the map are Representatives Jeff Jackson in the Charlotte area, Kathy Manning in the Greensboro area and Wiley Nickel in the Raleigh area. A seat held by a fourth Democrat, Representative Don Davis, is expected to be competitive."[11]

How does redistricting in North Carolina work? In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. District maps cannot be vetoed by thegovernor. State legislative redistricting must take place in the first regular legislative session following the United States Census. There are no explicit deadlines in place for congressional redistricting.[15]

State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:[15]

  • Districts must be contiguous and compact.
  • Districts "must cross county lines as little as possible." If counties are grouped together, the group should include as few counties as possible.
  • Communities of interest should be taken into account.

There are no similar restrictions in place regarding congressional districts.[15]


Below are the congressional maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 congressional elections.

2020

2019_05_02_nc_congressional_district_01.jpg

2024

2025_01_03_nc_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also:Redistricting in North Carolina after the 2010 census

North Carolina's congressional district plan was subject to litigation following its adoption in 2011. Two challenges to the plan were heard by the Supreme Court of the United States:Cooper v. Harris, which was decided in 2017, andRucho v. Common Cause, which decided on June 27, 2019. As a result ofRucho, North Carolina's congressional district plan was upheld. For more complete information, seethis article.

District analysis

See also:The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also:FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

2026

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, theCook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+1. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made North Carolina's 1st the 215th most Republican district nationally.[16]

2024

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, theCook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+1. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made North Carolina's 1st the 220th most Republican district nationally.[17]

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the2020 presidential election in this district would have been followingredistricting.Joe Biden (D) would have defeatedDonald Trump (R) 50.4%-48.8%.[18]

2022

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, theCook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+2. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 2 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made North Carolina's 1st the 194th most Democratic district nationally.[19]

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the2020 presidential election in this district would have been followingredistricting.Joe Biden (D) would have received 53.2% of the vote in this district andDonald Trump (R) would have received 45.9%.[20]

2018

Heading into the 2018 elections, based on results from the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections, theCook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made North Carolina's 1st Congressional District the 171st most Democratic nationally.[21]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.96. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.96 points toward that party.[22]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "June Primary Candidates," accessed March 27, 2016
  2. ↑Politico, "2012 Election Map, North Carolina," accessed November 7, 2012
  3. ↑U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
  4. ↑U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
  5. ↑U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
  6. ↑U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
  7. ↑U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
  8. ↑Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs namedsenatepass
  9. ↑Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs namedhousepass
  10. ↑New York Times, "North Carolina State Senate Approves New Congressional Map in Effort to Add a Seat," October 21, 2025
  11. ↑11.011.1The New York Times, "North Carolina Republicans Approve House Map That Flips at Least Three Seats," October 26, 2023
  12. ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 757 / SL 2023-145," accessed October 26, 2023
  13. ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #613," accessed October 26, 2023
  14. ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #492," accessed October 26, 2023
  15. ↑15.015.115.2All About Redistricting, "North Carolina," accessed April 20, 2015
  16. ↑Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  17. ↑Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
  18. ↑Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  19. ↑Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed February 6, 2023
  20. ↑Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  21. ↑Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  22. ↑FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
Republican Party (12)
Democratic Party (4)