Representative Donald G. Davis, North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District

 

Background

Born and raised in Snow Hill, North Carolina, Don Davis has dedicated his life to service as a veteran, educator, minister, and public servant. After eight years in the U.S. Air Force, where he coordinated Air Force One operations and served as a mortuary officer, he returned home as an assistant professor at East Carolina University, mentoring students for over two decades. At 29, Davis became the youngest mayor of Snow Hill, rebuilding the local economy and investing in infrastructure. He went on to serve six terms in the State Senate, where he championed rural communities by expanding high-speed internet, raising teacher pay, securing tax exemptions for military pensions, and delivering over $215 million for the ECU Brody School of Medicine. Elected to Congress in 2022, Davis now represents eastern North Carolina, continuing his proven record of fighting for families and rural communities.

Centered in Principle, Forward in Action

Congressman Don Davis of North Carolina’s 1st District is carving out a distinctive space in today’s polarized political terrain. Elected to the U.S. House in 2024, Davis is both a Democrat and a signer of the Forward Party pledge — a move that signals his conscious embrace of pragmatic governance over rigid partisan divides. 

In a virtual meeting of the North Carolina Forward Party, Rep. Davis stressed, “It’s not about the parties. It’s not about the labels. It’s about the policy. It’s about the principles, about how we’re able to help families.” He has described his political identity as being aligned with the “silent majority” in the middle — people fatigued by partisan extremes on both left and right.

Rep. Davis’ forward-aligned stance comes at a time when many voters in competitive districts (his among them) express disappointment with gridlock and partisan posturing. His district is one of those that voted for Donald Trump in 2024, yet elected Davis as a Democrat — a signal that local concerns and effective problem-solving can outweigh party labels in certain places.

By signing the Forward Party pledge, Davis is not simply adopting an identity — he is signaling a willingness to hold himself to standards of collaboration, moderation, and putting constituents first rather than party purity. For many constituents, that kind of approach promises more stability, less rancor, and a political voice that more directly reflects everyday challenges: health care costs, job security, veterans’ needs, and community infrastructure.

Issues & Advocacy

The Forward Party rejects litmus tests and instead empowers candidates to build their own platforms rooted in the needs of their communities, while operating within guardrails that keep solutions centered on consensus rather than extremes. Rather than dictating a one-size-fits-all agenda, Forward supports leaders who listen to their constituents and craft solutions that reflect their priorities.

  • Health Care: Expanding access to affordable, quality health care and strengthening rural hospitals to ensure no community is left behind.
  • Jobs and the Economy: Supporting policies that create jobs, grow small businesses, and invest in infrastructure to boost economic opportunity across eastern North Carolina.
  • Education: Fighting to raise teacher pay, strengthen schools, and expand opportunities so every student can succeed.
  • Agriculture: Protecting farmers, advancing rural development, and ensuring agriculture remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy.
  • Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families: Delivering on commitments to military families and veterans, including education, career training, health care, housing, and protecting benefits like Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ pensions.

For more details on his priorities and initiatives, visit Rep. Don Davis’s official website at dondavis.house.gov