EXCLUSIVE: GOP Army Vet Laurie Buckhout Runs Against ‘Most Vulnerable’ Democrat

Republican Army veteran Laurie Buckhout is launching a bid to unseat Democratic North Carolina Rep. Don Davis, in a seat the GOP is looking to flip during next year’s midterm elections.

Buckhout, who worked in a cyber role for the Trump administration over the past year, lost to Davis in 2024 by less than two percentage points. Davis is likely to be on the defensive in the potential rematch contest following the state’s Republican-controlled legislature redrawing the congressional map to put the congressman’s swing district firmly into the Republican column.

Buckhout filed to run Friday in North Carolina’s newly-redrawn 1st congressional district, according to a source familiar with Buckhout’s campaign plans. Friday was the last day in the state for candidates to file for 2026 races.

The largely rural district stretches from the northeastern part of the state to the Republican-heavy coast. Davis’ seat has been continuously represented by Democrats since 1883, but Buckhout is pledging to deliver Republican control.

“Working families in North Carolina need a fighter who will stand with President Trump and deliver results,” Buckhout said in a statement obtained by the DCNF. “I’ve led soldiers in combat and built a business from scratch. I know what it takes to fight for hardworking people — secure the border, rebuild our military, and put families first. That’s exactly what I’ll do in Congress.”

Trump carried Davis’ seat by three percentage points in 2024, though the newly-drawn district would have backed the president by double digits.

The GOP primary field is crowded, though Buckhout is likely to benefit from high name recognition due to her previous run for the seat. Trump endorsed Buckhout’s 2024 campaign, which raised nearly $5 million.

North Carolina state legislator Bobby Hanig, Lenoir County commissioner Eric Rouse and Carteret County sheriff Asa Buck are also running in the March 3 primary.

Davis announced in early December that he would seek reelection despite GOP-led mid-decade redrawing of the state’s congressional map complicating his path for a third term.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the contest as “Lean Republican” following the redistricting.

In November, the Capitol Hill-focused outlet Roll Call named Davis the “most vulnerable” House incumbent seeking reelection in 2026, citing the fact that the redraw made his seat significantly redder.

Davis has sought to brand himself as a moderate Democrat. He was one of a handful of Democrats who supported legislation to criminalize child sex change procedures Thursday, which House Minority Whip Katherine Clark labeled “extreme” and urged her caucus to vote against.

Davis also bucked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to end the government shutdown in November, though he joined Democrats against initially funding the government in September.

Trump is scheduled to give a speech Friday evening in Rocky Mount — the largest city in the 1st district — to tout the administration’s affordability agenda.

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