Redrawn District Stretches Candidates Across 20 Counties
North Carolina Republicans expanded the First Congressional District, and the enlarged territory is making campaigning difficult for both candidates.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections
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Republicans in North Carolina's legislature enacted a revised congressional map on October 22, 2025, reshaping the First Congressional District to cover 20 counties, roughly a quarter of the state. Democrat Don Davis, who won the district by about 6,300 votes over Republican Laurie Buckhout in 2024, now faces a rebuilt electorate.
Why it matters
The redistricting removed heavily Democratic areas with substantial Black populations, including parts of Wilson County, and added Republican-leaning rural communities along the Virginia border and the coast. Trump narrowly carried the district in 2024, and the new boundaries shift the race's competitive balance.
The revised district spans 20 counties, and advertising spending and reservations in the congressional contest have reached $52.9 million, making it the most expensive US House general election race of 2026. It is not yet known how the enlarged geography will affect that spending.
The players
Don Davis
Democratic U.S. Representative who has represented North Carolina's First Congressional District and is seeking to hold the seat in the redrawn district.
Laurie Buckhout
Republican candidate challenging Davis in the 2026 race for the revised First Congressional District, who lost to him in 2024.
North Carolina Republican-controlled legislature
The state legislative body that enacted the revised congressional map on October 22, 2025.
The details
Coastal travel in the district can depend on limited roads and ferry connections, and closures on Highway 12 and disrupted ferry services affect travel on the Outer Banks. Davis visited the Outer Banks five times this year, while Buckhout made one reported visit, and Buckhout's campaign describes travel times of four hours to reach some destinations.
Timeline
2024: Davis defeated Buckhout by about 6,300 votes.
October 22, 2025: The legislature enacted the revised congressional map.
2026 midterm elections: The congressional race for the revised First District takes place.
Political Context
Buckhout's campaign faces the challenge of reaching voters across a district that now spans 20 counties, while the 2024 race was decided by about 6,300 votes. The partisan opposition has argued that the new boundaries were drawn to give Republicans a stronger electoral advantage.
Voters in the revised First District will be represented by a congressional candidate chosen in the 2026 midterm elections. Residents in the newly added counties will have a different set of contests on their ballots than they did before the redistricting.
The takeaway
Voters in North Carolina should check which congressional district they now live in, since the revised map changes the counties included in the First District.
Further reading
Explore more on Elections in North Carolina's congressional races.
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