Republicans haven't held this seat since 1883. They're hoping that'll change.
Retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout is looking to flip a congressional seat long held by Democrats. To do so, she'll have to defeat a fellow mild-mannered, military veteran in Don Davis.
North Carolina’s 1st District is the lone congressional tossup in the entire Southeast. It features Democratic Rep. Don Davis and Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout.
Both are mild-mannered, military veterans who insist they are the ones best equipped to address the needs of voters in a district that stretches across 22 northeastern counties.
The seat has been held by Democrats since 1883 (and a Black Democrat since 1992). But it’s been redrawn to be more competitive for Republicans this election. The district now leans ever so slightly to the left, having swung for then-candidate Joe Biden in 2020 by less than 1.3 percentage points.
It’s likely the only competitive congressional race in North Carolina. And with a bitterly divided Congress, the outcome of this contest could very well determine which party controls the U.S. House in 2025, and with it, the fate of the next president’s legislative agenda.
This past week, I spoke with Buckhout about the state of the race and what voters might expect from her if she’s elected. Here’s a portion of that conversation:
Q: Can you talk about the importance of getting this win for Republicans and why this race matters so much?
A: It could be one of the seats that holds the House this year. So that's pretty exciting news. We have slim margins and both parties are fighting pretty hard for it. Democrats have brought in a lot of money on it, and obviously they want to hold the seat. Obviously, we want it. It's been blue for 141 years, and I think folks are ready for a change.
Q: When you get on the ground and introduce yourself to voters for the first time, what's your message to them?
A: I ask them questions. And I say, “Hey, are you any better off than you were four years ago? Is gas any cheaper? Are groceries any cheaper? Do you have any more jobs? Is there any less crime? Is there any less fentanyl?” And people have been touched by that scourge all over the district. So I ask people if their lives are any better, and bottom line, it's a resounding no.
Q: Walk me through your concerns with Davis more broadly.
A: Davis has not really done much in this district that anyone can point on. When I ask that question about are you better after these last four years, he's been up there for two years, he's voted with with Biden, he's voting with Harris. He makes an occasional token vote. If you want nothing to continue, and if you want the hardships, Davis is a yes vote for Harris and Biden bottom line.
Q: Republicans have had control of the House. Why should they keep having it when people can point the finger for part of the blame to their lives not being better these last four years to House Republicans?
A: [House Republicans] are doing the best they can. They're fighting the good fight. They're putting up good bills, and you don't get progress on it because of the Senate. What they're doing, though, is working very hard to stop bad bills.
They’re working very hard to stop Americans from being damaged even more by what the Harris-Biden agenda is bringing, which is the gas prices, the open border, the fentanyl, the horrific inflation. They’re fighting back. It's very hard to get good bills passed when you don't have the Senate and you don't have the White House.
Q: What do you think you could realistically get done if Republicans have a majority? And then what do you think you could realistically get done if Democrats have the majority?
A: If Republicans have the majority, we need to work on closing the border. We need to work on inflation. We need to work on domestic energy. People are really suffering here. [With] Congresswoman Buckhout, you would see somebody that the constituents could count on to have that pulpit, to be a vocal advocate and to fight for them.
I'm not beholden to House leadership. I'm not beholden to a president. I'm not beholden to a speaker. … I'm absolutely willing to cross party lines when it's in the interest of the district. If good things can happen in the district, I'm all about bipartisan actions.
Q: You and Davis are veterans. Foreign policy is obviously very important to both candidates. How would you contrast either your experience or your views on foreign policy with his?
A: For starters, I have a master's degree in national military strategy. I served 26 years regular Army and active duty. I rose to the rank of colonel, served in the Pentagon on the joint staff and on the Army staff, testified before subcommittees in Congress as a colonel and had a top secret clearance for over 40 years.
I thank Don Davis for his service, but obviously he did five years and then some years in the Reserves. He did not deploy. He's not a combat veteran. He did not serve at the levels that I did. And if he had the clearance that I did, it expired many, many years ago.
We're very different in terms of experience [and] in terms of understanding. I think I have a great breadth of experience and understanding what the threats are to America, how to address those threats, and how to advise other congressional members on those threats.
Q: What specifically would you do as congresswoman to help voters economically?
A: First off, we have to support domestic exploration and revitalizing our domestic energy businesses. We have to get back our own energy independence. That has a huge effect on inflation.
Second, we need to stop the uncontrolled spending that's going on right now under this administration. The printing money that doesn't exist, it's just causing inflation to go through the roof.
Those are the two biggest issues right now and we have to work on closing that border we have.
This is the latest installment in the Candidate Conversation series, which runs every Sunday between now and the election. If you have a candidate you’d like to hear from between now and the November election, please send me a note!