By Caitlin Yilek
Politics Reporter
Updated March 3, 2026 / 11:41 PM EST / CBS News
Washington — Laurie Buckhout captured the Republican nomination Tuesday in the redrawn North Carolina 1st Congressional District, setting up a November rematch with Democratic Rep. Don Davis.
Davis, a vulnerable incumbent, faces a difficult reelection fight in a district that has shifted right after multiple rounds of redistricting by state Republicans. He narrowly defeated Buckhout in 2024 by less than two points after the legislature approved a new map in 2023; lawmakers enacted another GOP-friendly map last year.
Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, entered the primary field of five candidates and had shown strength in early polling. An Emerson College survey in early February put her about four percentage points ahead of her closest rival, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck, though that lead fell within the poll’s margin of error.
Former President Donald Trump did not back any candidate in the GOP primary. The race now moves to the general election, where Buckhout will challenge Davis for the seat in November.