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American politician (born 1971)

Don Davis
Official portrait, 2022
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byG. K. Butterfield
Member of the North Carolina Senate
from the 5th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2023
Preceded byLouis Pate
Succeeded byKandie Smith
In office
January 1, 2009 – January 1, 2011
Preceded byJohn Kerr
Succeeded byLouis Pate
Mayor of Snow Hill
In office
December 10, 2001 – December 10, 2008
Preceded byJames Bizzell
Succeeded byDennis Liles
Personal details
BornDonald Gene Davis
(1971-08-29) August 29, 1971 (age 54)
Snow Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseYuvonka Davis
Children3
Education
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Air Force
Years of service
1994–2001
RankCaptain

Donald Gene Davis (born August 29, 1971)[1] is an American politician and former Air Force officer serving as the United States representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2023.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the North Carolina Senate, representing the 5th district from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2023.[3]

Born in Snow Hill, North Carolina, Davis graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and served eight years in the Air Force, reaching the rank of captain. He returned to North Carolina to teach at East Carolina University and later entered local politics, winning election as mayor of Snow Hill.

He was elected to the U.S. House in 2022 following the retirement of G. K. Butterfield. Davis has been described as a moderate Democrat,[4] and is noted for his bipartisan record.[5]

Early life and education

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Davis was born in Snow Hill, North Carolina,[6] and was raised in part by his grandmother, Edna Dixon, who worked for the Greene and Wayne county school systems.[7] He later lived in Irving, Texas, where he attended MacArthur High School.[8]

After high school, he attended the United States Air Force Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994.[9] Following graduation, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force, serving for eight years and rising to the rank of captain.[10] During his service, he worked as a coordinator of Air Force One operations at Joint Base Andrews.[6]

While in the military, he received a Master of Science degree from Central Michigan University.[9] He then returned to North Carolina, where he taught sociology and earned a Master of Arts degree from East Carolina University, as well as a Doctor of Education.[10]

Early career

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Davis began his teaching career as an assistant professor of aerospace studies at the Air Force ROTC department at East Carolina University starting in 1998.[6] He taught courses in military history, leadership, and national affairs.[10] He was discharged from the Air Force in 2001.[9]

Following his military service, Davis entered politics, motivated in part by a damaged section of road from his childhood that remained unrepaired when he returned to his hometown of Snow Hill.[11] In 2001, he was elected mayor of the town[12] and oversaw the repaving of ninety percent of its roads.[11]

During this period, he also served as the chair of the Democratic Party for North Carolina's 1st congressional district. In 2004, he briefly ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1st district but withdrew before the primary.[13] He was reelected as mayor in 2005.[12]

North Carolina Senate

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First term (2008–2010)

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In 2007, Davis announced his candidacy for the North Carolina's 5th Senate district seat.[10] He was one of six Democratic candidates to compete for the position, which was being vacated by retiring senator John Kerr III. In the May 2008 primary election, Davis received 36% of the vote, the highest among the candidates.[14] However, since he did not secure the 40% required to win outright, he advanced to a runoff against Kathy Taft.[15]

In June 2008, Davis won the Democratic nomination with 63% of the vote in the runoff.[16][17] He went on to face North Carolina representative Louis Pate, a Republican from Wayne County, in the general election.[16] Davis defeated Pate, winning 53% of the vote in November 2008. His term as senator for District 5, representing Pitt, Wayne, and Greene counties, began on January 1, 2009.[18] However, in 2010, Davis was defeated by Pate in a rematch of the 2008 election.[19]

Later terms (2012–2026)

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Davis during his tenure as a North Carolina State Senator, 2013

After his defeat in 2010, Davis ran and won a Senate seat for the newly redrawn 5th district in the 2012 election.[3] Davis ran unopposed in 2016 and defeated Pitt County district attorney Kimberly Robb in the 2018 election.[20] He was re-elected in 2020, defeating Republican Karen Kozel.[21]

While in the state Senate, Davis was known as a moderate Democrat[22] with a reputation for bipartisanship.[23] He worked to fund the expansion of East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.[24] He sponsored a bill in 2021 to provide $215 million for the project, which was ultimately included in the state budget signed into law later that year.[25] He also supported legislation related to broadband expansion in rural communities and raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction for nonviolent crimes to 18.[26]

In June 2026, Davis was one of 10 House Democrats to sign onto a pro-capitalist, anti-socialist initiative, Promise to America[27], shortly after three candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America won in Democratic congressional primaries.[28]

Committee assignments

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  • Agriculture, Energy, and Environment
  • Appropriations on Education/Higher Education
  • Education/Higher Education
  • Health Care
  • Redistricting and Elections
  • Rules and Operations of the Senate
  • Select Committee on Nominations
  • Select Committee on Storm Related River Debris and Damage in NC[29]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2022

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North Carolina's 1st congressional district 2022 election results by county

In December 2021, Davis announced his candidacy for the U.S. House seat in North Carolina's 1st congressional district following the retirement of Democratic incumbent G. K. Butterfield.[30] Davis won the Democratic nomination in the May 2022 primary for the district, defeating former state senator Erica D. Smith and other candidates.[31]

In the November general election, Davis faced Republican nominee Sandy Smith in the race for the district in the northeastern part of the state.[32] Represented by G. K. Butterfield since 2004, the district became more competitive in 2022 after a court-ordered map replaced partisan lines drawn by the Republican-led General Assembly.[32] Davis won the election with 52.27 percent of the vote to Smith's 47.73 percent, maintaining Democratic control of the district.[33][34]

2024

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Davis ran for reelection in 2024 under congressional boundaries enacted by the Republican-controlled General Assembly in 2023, which replaced the court-ordered map used in 2022.[35] The revised map made the 1st congressional district the state’s only competitive district, despite its long history of electing Democrats and not having elected a Republican since 1883.[35][36] He defeated Republican nominee Laurie Buckhout by 1.5 percentage points.[37][4]

Tenure

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Davis talking with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

First term (2023–2025)

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Davis was sworn into the 118th Congress on January 7, 2023, as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district.[38] He has been described as a moderate Democrat,[4][39] and has received recognition for his bipartisan record.[5] In 2024, the Lugar Center ranked him as the most bipartisan North Carolina representative and freshman Democrat in the House,[40] and in 2025 his office received the Congressional Management Foundation’s Democracy Award for bipartisan engagement.[5]

During his first term, he was appointed to the Armed Services and Agriculture committees,[38] representing a largely rural district in northeastern North Carolina with many farmers and military veterans.[41] In August 2023, he introduced with Republican Representative Marcus Molinaro, the bipartisan Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act to improve rural access to federal flood mitigation programs and the related costs.[42]

Later in 2023, Davis voted to provide Israel with support following the Hamas-led attack,[43][44] and joined other House Democrats in censuring Representative Rashida Tlaib for her comments on the Gaza war.[45] The following year, he co-authored an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner with Republican Representative August Pfluger, and a reporter, which criticized the push by some members of Congress to condition U.S. aid to Israel.[46]

In 2024, Davis invited 109-year-old Cassie Smith from Battleboro to attend the State of the Union address.[47] The following month, he was the sole Democratic co-sponsor of a Republican-led bill by representatives Greg Murphy and Brett Guthrie that would limit Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices.[48] At the end of the year, he voted for the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized $895 billion in military spending and included provisions that prevented the elimination of 520 jobs at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and delayed retirement of its F-15E aircraft.[49]

Second term (2025–present)

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During the 119th Congress in his second term, Davis introduced the Frontline Fighter Force First Act in 2025, a bill to modernize aircraft at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and prioritize investment in next-generation fighter jets to support national defense.[50] Later that year, he joined Republicans in voting for legislation to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors and criminalize those who assist them in obtaining it.[51] The following year, he voted with the Republican majority for H.R. 7147, a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security that included funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[52]

In 2026, Davis was one of eight Democrats to join House Republicans in passing the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, also sometimes referred to as the "Don't Say Trans" bill, which mandates that transgender youth be outed to their parents by school professionals, and which would bar schools from teaching any subject related to the concept or existence of transgender people. The bill and those who voted for it were denounced by the Congressional Equality Caucus.[53][54][55]

In June 2026, Davis sought $175 million in federal funding for rural healthcare following the closure of Martin General Hospital and introduced legislation to support rural hospitals.[56] Later that month, the House Armed Services Committee approved 29 provisions sponsored by Davis for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, including measures supporting military readiness and operations at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and .

Caucus memberships

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Davis's caucus memberships include:[1]

Personal life

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Davis is married to Yuvonka. They live in Greene County, North Carolina, and have three sons.[1] He is Presbyterian and a lay minister.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rep. Don Davis (R-North Carolina, 1st)". November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Davis wins Democratic primary for 1st Congressional District". WITN. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Wooten, Kimberly (December 1, 2021). "State Senator, former Snow Hill mayor running for Congress, Butterfield seat".
  4. 1 2 3 "Democratic incumbent Don Davis wins reelection in North Carolina's only toss-up congressional race". AP News. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Voice, Outer Banks (December 2, 2025). "Incumbent Davis to seek re-election in newly drawn First Congressional District". The Outer Banks Voice. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "North Carolina New Members 2023". The Hill. November 17, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ Battaglia, Danielle (September 3, 2024). "NC Democrat Don Davis missed some controversial votes, but there's more to the story". The News and Observer.
  8. ↑ "Unearthed yearbook photos raise questions over bio of NC-01's Davis".
  9. 1 2 3 "Davis, Don 1971 –". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Whittle, Matthew (October 11, 2007). "Don Davis files for John Kerr's seat in N.C. Senate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Wise, Lindsay (October 27, 2024). "One Democrat's Survival Plan: Criticize Harris, Don't Say 'Trump'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Don Davis to resign as Snow Hill mayor". The Goldsboro News-Argus. December 4, 2008. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023.
  13. ↑ News & Observer: U.S. Rep. Ballance resigns[permanent dead link]
  14. ↑ Whittle, Matthew (June 25, 2008). "Davis will battle Pate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  15. ↑ Whittle, Matthew (May 16, 2008). "Runoff in works for seat in Senate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  16. 1 2 Whittle, Matthew (June 24, 2008). "Breaking News: State Senate District 5 runoff results". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  17. ↑ Whittle, Matthew (May 16, 2008). "Runoff in works for seat in Senate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  18. ↑ News & Observer: Legislators began on January 1, technically Archived January 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results Statewide" (PDF). nccourts.gov. June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ Livingston, Ginger. "Robb running for NC Senate".
  21. ↑ "North Carolina State Senate - District 5 Election Results | Knoxville News Sentinel". www.knoxnews.com. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  22. ↑ Jones, Reuben (December 12, 2023). "Don Davis looks to 2024". Spectrum News 1. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  23. ↑ Fain, Travis (December 4, 2023). "Davis seeking second congressional term in northeast NC". WRAL News (Channel 5). Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  24. ↑ WITN Web Team (January 27, 2021). "State lawmakers file bills for new ECU Brody School of Medicine building". WITN-TV (Channel 7). Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  25. ↑ Battaglia, Danielle (May 6, 2024). "Did NC congressman help expand ECU's Brody School of Medicine?". The News & Observer.
  26. ↑ Anderson, Bryan (May 17, 2022). "Don Davis, Sandy Smith advance to November election for Butterfield seat". WRAL-TV (Channel 5). Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  27. ↑ "SIGNATORIES". PTA. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  28. ↑ Balk, Tim (June 26, 2026). "Centrist Democrats Rebuke Party's Left Wing: 'We Are Capitalist, Not Socialist'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  29. ↑ "2021-2022 Session SPC's Office, Senate Committee Assignments by Member". North Carolina General Assembly 10th Edition. September 8, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Senator Don Davis announces campaign for Congress to replace Butterfield". WITN. December 1, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Davis wins Democratic primary for 1st Congressional District". WITN. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  32. 1 2 Duncan, Charles (November 8, 2022). "Davis projected to replace Butterfield in N.C. District 1". Spectrum News 1.
  33. ↑ "2022 North Carolina 1st Congressional District Election Results by County". F&S Politics.
  34. ↑ "NC Senator Don Davis defeated Sandy Smith in the state's first Congressional District". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. November 9, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  35. 1 2 Specht, Paul (February 23, 2024). "Contentious GOP primary battle emerges in NC congressional toss-up district". WRAL News.
  36. ↑ Battaglia, Danielle (December 6, 2023). "'Powerful' Eastern NC district gets a redder tint, after a century of electing Democrats". The News & Observer. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Donald Davis". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  38. 1 2 "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". April 15, 2024. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  39. ↑ Moore, Mary Helen (August 18, 2025). "Congressman Don Davis, a N.C. Democrat, embraces Andrew Yang's centrist Forward Party". WUNC News. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  40. ↑ Campbell, Colin (October 25, 2024). "2024 North Carolina 1st Congressional District race: Meet the candidates in the election". WUNC News. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  41. ↑ Northam, Mitchell (November 6, 2024). "Incumbent Democrat Don Davis wins in tightly contested 1st District U.S. House race". WUNC News. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  42. ↑ Pumphrey, Michelle (August 23, 2023). "Congressman Don Davis introduces bipartisan bill to tackle rural America's flooding challe". WCTI. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  43. ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  45. ↑ Fink, Jenni (November 7, 2023). "Full List of Democrats Who Voted to Censure Rashida Tlaib". Newsweek. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  46. ↑ Pfluger, August; Davis, Don; Makovsky, Michael (March 27, 2024). "Conditioning US aid to Israel would be a mistake". Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  47. ↑ Coffey, Kelsey (March 7, 2024). "NC guests to attend State of the Union address in Washington, DC". WRAL News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  48. ↑ Cohrs, Rachel (February 5, 2024). "The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices". Stat News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  49. ↑ Richards, Charlene (December 18, 2024). "Senate vote shields loss of F-15E jets and jobs at Seymour Johnson AFB". WITN-TV (Channel 7).
  50. ↑ Media, Curtis (June 20, 2025). "Rep. Don Davis Introduces Bill to Modernize Seymour Johnson AFB and Strengthen National Defense". Goldsboro Daily News. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  51. ↑ "U.S. House passes bill making gender-affirming care a crime". www.advocate.com. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  52. ↑ Brams, Sophie. "The Hill". The Hill. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  53. ↑ "'MAGA's Weird Obsession' Continues as House Passes Bill Forcing Schools to 'Out' Trans Kids | Common Dreams". www.commondreams.org. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  54. ↑ Ennis, Dawn (May 21, 2026). "These 8 House Democrats Voted for the Republican Party's "Don't Say Trans" Bill". Them. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  55. ↑ "8 House Democrats who voted to pass 'Don't Say Trans' bill | Advocate.com". www.advocate.com. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  56. ↑ Weston, Annette (June 3, 2026). "Rep. Don Davis appeals to President Trump for $175 Million to reopen bankrupt ENC hospital". Public Radio East. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  57. ↑ Roux, Amy. "Congressman Don Davis Advances NDAA Provisions Supporting Seymour Johnson AFB, Military Readiness in Eastern North Carolina". Goldsboro Daily News - Wayne County's FREE Local News. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Don Davis". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
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