Dem Davis Re-elected in N.C.'s Only Toss-up House Race

Democrat freshman Rep. Don Davis defended his seat from a challenge by Republican opponent Laurie Buckhout to win North Carolina's only toss-up House race.

DecisionDesk HQ and Newsmax called the race for Davis, who finished with 49.5% of the vote compared with Buckhout's 47.9%.

Davis faced an uphill fight this year compared to 2022 because of redistricting by the GOP-controlled state legislature last year that left the 1st congressional district less blue than it once was. The race attracted millions of advertising dollars from both parties.

Davis' seat was crucial for Democrats to keep in order to have a chance of controlling the House.

Davis, who serves on the Agriculture and House Armed Services committees, has earned a reputation as one of the more moderate House Democrats, which might have won favor with some independents in his district. He voted with Republicans a few times during his first term, including to condemn Vice President Kamala Harris' work at the U.S.-Mexico border. The day after that vote in July, however, he endorsed her presidential run. And last month, he spoke at a rally for Harris in Greenville.

Buckhout's campaign worked hard to tie Davis to Harris' platform in hopes of winning over some voters disillusioned with the Biden-Harris administration. Buckhout focused primarily on connecting Davis to Harris' economic and immigration policies.

Democrat groups, meanwhile, tried to connect Buckhout to Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, whose gubernatorial campaign was thrown into disarray after CNN reported that he made graphic sexual and racist comments on a pornography website's message board about a decade ago. Robinson denied those claims, and The Associated Press has not independently verified them.

Groups supporting Davis, such as the Democratic Legislative Congressional Committee, ran ads in the district also tying Buckhout to Robinson's shifting stance on abortion. The group used photos in which Buckhout and Robinson appeared together to draw the connection.

Both candidates touted their military experience throughout the campaign. Veterans make up about 7% of the district's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Davis spent several years in the Air Force, while Buckhout served in the U.S. Army for more than 25 years before retiring in 2010.