US House of Representatives District 1
November 3, 2026 · Congressional District 1 (119th Congress), North Carolina · U.S. House district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Average · 49 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 747,584 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,021,191 ÷ 747,584) ÷ ln(1,021,191 ÷ 546,488) = 49.88, comparing all US House districts nationwide (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
United States Representative is responsible for:
- Voting on federal laws, taxes, and the federal budget
- Representing their district's interests in Congress
- Starting tax and spending bills, which must begin in the House
- Helping district residents deal with federal agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Immigration, Government Spending Reduction, Social Programs and Welfare, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, National Defense, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Foreign Trade, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure, Peaceful Foreign Policy
Candidates
Don Davis
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Don Davis has represented North Carolina's 1st Congressional District since 2023 and is seeking re-election in 2026 against Republican Laurie Buckhout in a rematch of their 2024 race. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who served eight years in the Air Force, he was elected mayor of Snow Hill at 29, served about 12 years in the North Carolina Senate, and taught for two decades at East Carolina University, where he earned a doctorate in education. He is a fifth-generation eastern North Carolinian and Presbyterian minister.
Records: Immigration 1 against, Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Laurie Buckhout
Republican · declared
Laurie Buckhout is the 2026 Republican nominee for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, a rematch of her narrow 2024 loss to Don Davis. A retired U.S. Army colonel with 26 years of service, she commanded an 800-person battalion task force in Iraq in 2003 and finished her career as the Army's chief of electronic warfare. She founded Corvus Consulting, a defense electronic-warfare and cyber firm she sold in 2019, and served in a Defense Department cyber policy post in 2025. She won the March 2026 Republican primary outright over four opponents.
Records: National Defense 1 for
Election sources
Source: wunc.org
Source: ncsbe.gov