Don Davis (North Carolina politician)

For the Republican Party politician from North Carolina, see Donald Davis (North Carolina Republican politician).
For other persons, see Don Davis (disambiguation).

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
Snow Hill, North Carolina, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseYuvonka Davis
Children3
Education
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Air Force
Years of service1994–2001
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 for a decade, representing the 5th district from 2013 to 2023, following an earlier term from 2009 to 2011.[3]

Early life and education

Davis was born in Snow Hill in North Carolina.[4] He also lived in Irving, Texas, for a period, attending MacArthur High School.[5]

He attended the United States Air Force Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994.[6] After graduation, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force, serving for eight years and rising to the rank of captain.[7] During his service, Davis was a coordinator of Air Force One operations at Joint Base Andrews.[4]

Davis received a master of science degree from Central Michigan University.[6] He then returned to North Carolina, where he taught and completed a master of arts in sociology and a doctorate in education at East Carolina University.[7]

Early career

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.[4] He taught courses in military history, leadership, and national affairs.[7] He was discharged from the Air Force in 2001.[6]

In 2001, Davis was elected mayor of Snow Hill. 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.[8] He was reelected as mayor in 2005.[9]

North Carolina Senate

Elections

2008–2010

In 2007, Davis announced his candidacy for the North Carolina's 5th Senate district seat.[7] 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.[10] However, since he did not secure the 40% required to win outright, he advanced to a runoff against Kathy Taft.[11]

In June 2008, Davis won the Democratic nomination with 63% of the vote in the runoff.[12][13] He went on to face North Carolina representative Louis Pate, a Republican from Wayne County, in the general election.[12] 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.[14] However, in 2010, Davis was defeated by Pate in a rematch of the 2008 election.[15]

2012–2022

After his defeat in 2010, Davis ran and won a Senate seat for the newly redrawn 5th district in the 2012 election.[16] Davis ran unopposed in 2016. He defeated Pitt County district attorney Kimberly Robb in the 2018 election.[17]

Committee assignments

  • 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[18]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

Main article: 2022 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election

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.[19] Davis won the Democratic nomination in the May 2022 primary for the district, defeating former state senator Erica D. Smith and other candidates.[20]

In the November general election, Davis faced Republican nominee Sandy Smith in the race for the district in the northeastern part of the state.[21] 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.[21] Davis won the election with 52.27 percent of the vote to Smith's 47.73 percent, maintaining Democratic control of the district.[22][23]

2024

Main article: 2024 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election

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.[24] The revised map made the 1st congressional district the state’s only competitive district.[24] He defeated Republican nominee Laurie Buckhout by 1.5 percentage points.[25][26][27]

Tenure

Davis was sworn into office on January 7, 2023, as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district.[28] He has been described as one of the more moderate Democrats in the U.S House.[29]

During the 118th Congress, he was appointed to the Armed Services and Agriculture committees.[28] In August, Davis introduced with Republican Representative Marcus Molinaro the bipartisan Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act to improve rural access to federal flood mitigation programs and reduce the financial costs to communities facing flood risks.[30]

In October 2023, Davis voted to provide Israel with support following the Hamas-led attack on Israel.[31][32] He was among the House Democrats who voted to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib for her comments about the Gaza war.[33] In March 2024, Davis, Representative August Pfluger, and a news reporter wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner, which criticized the push by many members of Congress to condition U.S. aid to Israel.[34]

In 2024, Davis invited 109-year-old Cassie Smith from Battleboro, North Carolina, to attend the State of the Union address.[35] 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.[36] 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.[37]

In 2025, Davis joined Republicans in voting to ban gender affirming care for transgender minors, and criminalize anyone who helps them obtain it.[38]

On January 22, 2026, he voted to pass HR 7147 funding bill for the Dept. of Homeland Security, including funding for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[39]

Committee assignments

Davis's committee assignments for the 119th Congress include:[40]

Caucus memberships

Davis's caucus memberships include:[41]

Personal life

Davis is married to Yuvonka. They live in Greene County, North Carolina, and have three sons.[41] He is Presbyterian and a lay minister.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "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. ^ Wooten, Kimberly (December 1, 2021). "State Senator, former Snow Hill mayor running for Congress, Butterfield seat".
  4. ^ a b c "North Carolina New Members 2023". The Hill. November 17, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  5. ^ "Unearthed yearbook photos raise questions over bio of NC-01's Davis".
  6. ^ a b c "Davis, Don 1971 –". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  7. ^ a b c d e 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.
  8. ^ News & Observer: U.S. Rep. Ballance resigns
  9. ^ "Don Davis to resign as Snow Hill mayor". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023.
  10. ^ Whittle, Matthew (June 25, 2008). "Davis will battle Pate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  11. ^ Whittle, Matthew (May 16, 2008). "Runoff in works for seat in Senate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  12. ^ a b 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.
  13. ^ Whittle, Matthew (May 16, 2008). "Runoff in works for seat in Senate". The Goldsboro News-Argus. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  14. ^ News & Observer: Legislators began on January 1, technically Archived January 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results Statewide" (PDF). nccourts.gov. June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  16. ^ Wooten, Kimberly (December 1, 2021). "State Senator, former Snow Hill mayor running for Congress, Butterfield seat".
  17. ^ Livingston, Ginger. "Robb running for NC Senate".
  18. ^ "2021-2022 Session SPC's Office, Senate Committee Assignments by Member". North Carolina General Assembly 10th Edition. September 8, 2022.
  19. ^ "Senator Don Davis announces campaign for Congress to replace Butterfield". WITN. December 1, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  20. ^ "Davis wins Democratic primary for 1st Congressional District". WITN. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Duncan, Charles (November 8, 2022). "Davis projected to replace Butterfield in N.C. District 1". Spectrum News 1.
  22. ^ "2022 North Carolina 1st Congressional District Election Results by County". F&S Politics.
  23. ^ "NC Senator Don Davis defeated Sandy Smith in the state's first Congressional District". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. November 9, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Specht, Paul (February 23, 2024). "Contentious GOP primary battle emerges in NC congressional toss-up district". WRAL News.
  25. ^ Apel, Alyse. "GOP CC invests $1.45M in Buckhout campaign". Daily Advance. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  26. ^ "Donald Davis". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  27. ^ "Democratic incumbent Don Davis wins reelection in North Carolina's only toss-up congressional race". AP News. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". April 15, 2024. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  29. ^ "Democratic incumbent Don Davis wins reelection in North Carolina's only toss-up congressional race". AP News. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  30. ^ Pumphrey, Michelle (August 23, 2023). "Congressman Don Davis introduces bipartisan bill to tackle rural America's flooding challe". WCTI. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ "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.
  33. ^ Fink, Jenni (November 7, 2023). "Full List of Democrats Who Voted to Censure Rashida Tlaib". Newsweek. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  34. ^ Pfluger, August; Davis, Don; Makovsky, Michael (March 27, 2024). "Conditioning US aid to Israel would be a mistake". Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  35. ^ Coffey, Kelsey (March 7, 2024). "NC guests to attend State of the Union address in Washington, DC". WRAL News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  36. ^ Cohrs, Rachel (February 5, 2024). "The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices". Stat News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  37. ^ Richards, Charlene (December 18, 2024). "Senate vote shields loss of F-15E jets and jobs at Seymour Johnson AFB". WITN-TV (Channel 7).
  38. ^ "U.S. House passes bill making gender-affirming care a crime". www.advocate.com. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  39. ^ Brams, Sophie. "The Hill". The Hill. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  40. ^ "Don Davis". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  41. ^ a b c d "Rep. Don Davis (R-North Carolina, 1st)". November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
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