Donald Davis

Donald Gene Davis is a Democratic U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 1st congressional district, first elected to Congress in 2022 and assuming office on January 3, 2023. A native of Snow Hill, North Carolina, Davis earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy and served eight years in the U.S. Air Force, where he reached the rank of captain and coordinated Air Force One operations. He furthered his education with a Master of Science from Central Michigan University and both a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Education from East Carolina University. Davis's political career began as the Mayor of Snow Hill from 2001 to 2008, where he was noted as the town's youngest mayor at age 29. He subsequently served six terms in the North Carolina State Senate between 2009 and 2023, representing the 5th district. During his tenure in the state legislature, he focused on rural infrastructure, including expanding high-speed internet and securing funding for the ECU Brody School of Medicine. In the U.S. House of Representatives, he serves on the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Armed Services and is a member of the centrist New Democrat Coalition and the Problem Solvers Caucus.

Donald Davis is frequently identified as a moderate Democrat with a voting record that reflects a bipartisan approach. His primary policy focuses include expanding healthcare access, particularly for rural communities, where he has advocated for Medicaid expansion, increased funding for rural hospitals, and lower prescription drug costs. In economic and agricultural matters, he supports infrastructure investments like high-speed internet and policy protections for tobacco and other local farmers. On national security and immigration, Davis has demonstrated a centrist stance, having voted in favor of funding for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while also calling for increased agency accountability. Additionally, he has supported legislation related to veteran benefits, such as making military pensions tax-exempt, and has occasionally crossed party lines on social issues, such as voting in favor of a bill to restrict gender-affirming care for minors.