U.S. House, North Carolina 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District?
Don Davis has the strongest record in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. Don Davis scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Laurie Buckhout at 50, as of October 9, 2026. Don Davis's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Laurie Buckhout's highest marks are relevant experience. Tom Bailey (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Libertarian
Tom Bailey
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 44
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Laurie Buckhout
50 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 42
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Don Davis
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Tom Bailey
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Laurie Buckhout
- Mark against2026-08-31
Kalshi, a federally regulated prediction market, suspended her for three years and imposed a financial penalty for betting on her own race; she called it 'a dumb mistake.'
Sources: Roll Call, Aug. 31, 2026, News & Observer via Yahoo, Aug. 31, 2026
- Credit2025
Was appointed to lead Defense Department cyber policy as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense after the 2024 election.
- Creditbefore 2021
Founded a consulting company specializing in electronic warfare and cyberspace operations and later sold it for $9 million.
- Creditcareer
Served in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of colonel.
Source: Ballotpedia, Laurie Buckhout
Don Davis
- On the record2026-07
Was the only North Carolina Democrat to vote for the House bill restricting members' stock trading, which carried a voter ID provision and passed with most Democrats opposed.
Source: WRAL, July 2026
- On the record2024-07-25
Was one of six Democrats voting for the House resolution condemning Vice President Harris as a failed 'border czar.'
- Credit2026-07
WRAL's review of ethics disclosures lists him among North Carolina House members who own no individual stocks.
Source: WRAL, July 2026
- Credit2023
Ranked 5th of 436 House members on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Jan. 24, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10073198
Don Davis. His 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed May 16, 2026; no periodic transaction reports appear in the Clerk index for 2022 to 2026, and WRAL reports he owns no individual stocks. No House Ethics finding or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078601, WRAL, July 2026, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. Was one of six Democrats to vote for the July 2024 resolution condemning Vice President Harris's border role, and the only North Carolina Democrat to vote for the July 2026 House stock-trading bill most Democrats opposed.
Sources: News & Observer via Yahoo, July 25, 2024, WRAL, July 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. Retired Army colonel. In August 2026 Kalshi, a federally regulated prediction market, suspended her for three years and imposed a penalty for betting on her own race; she called it a mistake (R5).
Sources: Roll Call, Aug. 31, 2026, News & Observer via Yahoo, Aug. 31, 2026
Don Davis. In the U.S. House since 2023 and the state Senate for 12 years, after serving as an Air Force officer. No formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Donald Davis
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Tom Bailey. Served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1971. No official finding of misuse found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Tom Bailey
Laurie Buckhout. Retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel and later served as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for cyber policy. No official finding of misuse found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Laurie Buckhout, News & Observer via Yahoo, Aug. 31, 2026
Don Davis. Served as an Air Force officer and has taken the oaths of state and federal office. Not in Congress for the January 2021 electoral votes. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Donald Davis
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Tom Bailey. Retired Army veteran who, in his own account, served on the state Libertarian Party executive committee and chaired its legal action committee, which brought a federal ballot-access suit. Has not held public office.
Laurie Buckhout. Retired Army colonel who led troops in Iraq, founded an electronic warfare and cyber consulting firm later sold for $9 million, and served as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for cyber policy in 2025.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Laurie Buckhout, News & Observer via Yahoo, Aug. 31, 2026
Don Davis. U.S. representative since January 2023, and a state senator from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2023 (E9).
Source: Ballotpedia, Donald Davis
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Tom Bailey. Lists three campaign goals in his Ballotpedia survey (voting rights, federal tax reform, due process) in general terms.
Laurie Buckhout. Publishes issue positions on the economy, border security, farmers and fishermen, gun rights and the military in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Issues
Don Davis. Ranking member of the Agriculture subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development, and serves on Armed Services (E11); his House site publishes issue pages.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, House office site, contact
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Tom Bailey. One channel documented: Ballotpedia's 2026 survey (E19). No campaign website found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Tom Bailey
Laurie Buckhout. One channel documented: a campaign issues page. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey (E19).
Sources: Campaign site, Issues, Ballotpedia, Laurie Buckhout
Don Davis. Two channels documented: an email newsletter and issue pages on his House site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: House office site, Ballotpedia, Donald Davis
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Tom Bailey. Filed for office from a Greensboro address, which is outside the 1st District in eastern North Carolina.
Source: NC State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list
Laurie Buckhout. Lives in Edenton; moved to North Carolina in 2021. FEC by-state totals show about 25 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Laurie Buckhout, News & Observer via Yahoo, Aug. 31, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Don Davis. Born in Snow Hill, where he was mayor, and has held state and federal office from eastern North Carolina since 2009. FEC by-state totals show about 7 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Donald Davis, NC State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. Founded and sold a consulting company. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: News & Observer via Yahoo, Aug. 31, 2026, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Don Davis. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. Legislative Effectiveness Score 0.668 against a benchmark of 0.522 in the 118th Congress, meets expectations. His one enacted bill as sponsor names a post office.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. Missed 54 of 1,917 roll call votes, 2.8 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. Runs district offices in Elizabeth City, Rocky Mount and Goldsboro and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: House office site, contact, House office site
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 2.21207 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 5 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Tom Bailey. No public record found.
Laurie Buckhout. No public record found.
Don Davis. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District?
Don Davis has the strongest record in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. Don Davis scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Laurie Buckhout at 50, as of October 9, 2026. Don Davis's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Laurie Buckhout's highest marks are relevant experience. Tom Bailey (5 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
Tom Bailey (Libertarian), Laurie Buckhout (Republican), Don Davis (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Tom Bailey a good candidate for Congress?
Tom Bailey has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Laurie Buckhout a good candidate for Congress?
Laurie Buckhout scores 50 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 42 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Don Davis a good candidate for Congress?
Don Davis scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every North Carolina race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the North Carolina 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.