CURRITUCK COUNTY, N.C. — First-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis and GOP opponent Laurie Buckhout remain in a close contest for North Carolina’s only toss-up congressional district.
As of the early hours of Wednesday morning, the race for House District 1 in North Carolina is too close to call; so close, in fact, Buckhout suggested there may be a potential recount between her and Davis.
Largely rural and agricultural, NC-01 stretches from Currituck County all the way down to Lenoir County and is considered one of the top 10 House races to watch in the county.
Meredith College political science professor Dr. David McLennan told 13NewsNow before the election that the fact the district is so rural works in Davis's favor.
"He's running in a district that is fairly moderate. It doesn't have any big cities," McLennan told 13News Now.
Davis was criticized by members of his own party for some of his moderate moves. He voted for a resolution condemning Vice President Kamala Harris for her role in the Biden administration’s border policy.
The district's political landscape is a bit different for Davis compared to when he defeated Republican opponent Sandy Smith in 2022. Last year, the GOP-controlled state legislature added a handful of conservative-leaning counties to the district, making it less blue than it once was.
Davis was born and raised in Snow Hill and has held various political positions in the region, including as his hometown's mayor and a state senator. He also is a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Buckhout served in the U.S. Army for more than 25 years before retiring and starting a Virginia-based military technology consulting company. She sold the company and moved to Edenton a few years ago.
There's no word yet on an official recount, but Buckhout said, "Like all of you, we are reviewing all the results as they come in. Once the votes have been counted, we will look at all options for getting this over and done with. If a recount is required, we will be ready."