RALEIGH – New federal campaign-finance reports show Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis reporting about $1.3 million in third-quarter receipts, while Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout reported $933,240 in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District race.
Davis’ campaign reported roughly $2 million in cash on hand at the end of September. Buckhout’s Federal Election Commission filing lists $1,858,411.79 in ending cash. The reports cover activity through Sept. 30 and were filed in October.
Carolina Journal reported the new totals on Oct. 16 after reviewing the candidates’ filings. The outlet said both campaigns had reported raising about $1.05 million during the second quarter. Davis ended that period with about $3.57 million in cash, while Buckhout had about $1.9 million.
The comparison shows Davis with more receipts during the latest quarter and a modest advantage in available cash as the campaign entered October. It also shows the gap in cash balances narrowing from the end of June. The reports provide a snapshot of campaign resources, not a measure of voter support or an election forecast.
Receipts can include individual contributions, political-committee contributions, transfers and other sources reported under federal rules. Cash on hand reflects both money raised and money spent over time, so the quarterly receipt totals alone do not explain changes in each campaign’s balance.
Davis is seeking another term in the eastern North Carolina district. Buckhout is challenging him again after their 2024 contest, which Davis won by 6,307 votes. The district’s boundaries were changed for the 2026 election, adding coastal counties and moving several inland counties to another district.
The new reports are filed statements from the campaigns and can be amended. The FEC also warns that newly filed summary data may take time to appear in its processed public tables. For that reason, the figures here are attributed to the October filings and rounded where the filing-based report used rounded totals.
Fundraising affects how campaigns can pay for advertising, staff, voter contact and other operations during the closing weeks. It does not determine the result, but the latest disclosures offer voters a current look at the financial position of both major-party campaigns in a competitive congressional race.
Sources
- Federal Election Commission filing for Don Davis for NC
- Federal Election Commission filing for Laurie Buckhout for Congress
- Carolina Journal: Davis outpaces Buckhout in NC-1 fundraising
Photo Credit: U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Department of Defense via Wikimedia Commons; both public domain. Cropped and combined.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.