House - Don Davis - NC-1

DONATE to his 2022 campaign via his website
VOLUNTEER options
Democrat running for open seat in northeastern North Carolina, including rural areas, Greenville, and some Research Triangle exurbs
Video clips:

Don’s background

Don was born and raised in Snow Hill, North Carolina. He is a veteran, educator, minister and State Senator.

When he was young Don earned money working in the tobacco fields. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, and served in the Air Force for 8 years. As a 1st Lieutenant, Don coordinated Air Force One operations at Andrews Air Force Base and, as a mortuary officer, supported families of military members killed in action.

Don returned to eastern North Carolina to serve as an assistant professor of Aerospace Studies at East Carolina University, teaching national security affairs and leadership courses. He has been an educator for over 20 years.

Don became the youngest Mayor of Snow Hill at age 29.

Don’s service as State Senator

In 2008 Don ran and won his first State Senate election. In his six terms as a State Senator in North Carolina, Don has fought for rural communities. He has worked to expand high-speed internet, ensure that military pensions are tax exempt – and secured over $215 million in funding for the Eastern Carolina University Brody School of Medicine to expand access to quality health care. He worked with both parties to pass bills that raised teacher pay and invested in state universities. Because of his work, he was named the North Carolina Sheriffs Association’s “Defender of Public Safety” for 2021 – their top award for state legislators – and earned the Champion for Children award from the North Carolina Association of School Administrators.

Don’s opponent

Don is running against far-right Republican Sandy Smith, who describes herself as a "Pro-Trump fighter" and as “#ProTrump, #ProVets, #ProWall, #Pro2nd, #ProLife, #MAGA”.

Smith was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, supporting Trump's efforts to stop Congress' certification of Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. She tweeted on January 6th: “In DC fighting for Trump! Just marched from the Monument to the Capitol! #StopTheSteaI #FightForTrump”.

Smith falsely attributed her 2020 loss in a congressional race to the Dominion voting machines even though those machines were not used anywhere in North Carolina – she was echoing a conspiracy theory that those machines "switched votes."

In a July 2012 motion for a domestic violence protection order, Sandy Smith’s daughter reported that she had been assaulted by her mother and an aunt “on multiple occasions”, according to court documents filed in Lenoir County District Court. Sandy’s daughter said in the complaint that her mother “pushed and shoved me, she slapped me, pulled me by my hair, pulled me to the ground and sat on me. She held me down by my hair and punched me in the face”; she said she was in a lot of pain and was taken to the hospital emergency room. Smith’s daughter also reportedly stated that the county’s department of social services “has been called three times and the sheriff’s department has responded to approximately 9 calls.” Smith’s daughter added that her mother and aunt “constantly put me down and call me names such as: slut, cunt, bitch, whore, tramp, loser, crackhead, trailer park trash.” Here is a 30-second video about the daughter’s request for a protective order.

Court records and other reports also indicate that Smith was accused of battering her former husbands. She allegedly struck one of her husbands with a frying pan, and tried to run him over.

Another of Smith’s former husbands, Eric Goranson, said he woke up one day to Smith trying to “bash my head in with the alarm clock…She continued a barrage of physical assaults against me, using her hands, the clock and a broom. Still in a daze, I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. She proceeded to break through the door and continue her crazed attack.”

Sandy Smith’s responses to the above reports are in this September 2022 article.

In the 2022 Republican congressional primary race in this district, Smith’s Republican opponent, Rocky Mount mayor Sandy Roberson, made public a press release that described Smith’s “checkered past of scamming people and companies out of money, taking large ‘loans’ from the federal government, and even changing her identity multiple times.”

Smith supports a total abortion ban with no exceptions. She wants to privatize Social Security. She says that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. She said: “’The Fake News’ media is pushing the narrative of racism in the United States and creating a threat to domestic security.”

Trump endorsed Smith at a rally, saying: “She’s going to be terrific”.

Don’s priorities if elected to Congress

Don’s priorities in Congress would include:

Rebuilding our rural economy: “Eastern North Carolina…has been left behind by years of underinvestment…We must take action to bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs, support our small businesses, and strengthen North Carolina’s agriculture — especially as farmers face increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to global climate change…”

Accessible healthcare: “No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the care, medication, or life-saving treatments they need. Families in eastern North Carolina don’t have access to quality affordable primary care, dental care, and mental health care. Don is working to ensure that every person has accessible, quality healthcare.”

Strong education: “As an educator for over 20 years with a Doctorate in education, Don knows first hand the value of quality, affordable education at every level. Don is fighting to make good public schools available to every child in eastern North Carolina, no matter what zip code they live in, and to make college and job training more accessible for all North Carolinians.”

Women’s rights and health: “Don knows that now more than ever, women’s rights are under attack. Congress must take action to codify Roe v. Wade and protect women’s constitutional rights across the country. He knows that a woman’s health decisions should be between her and her doctor…Don is fighting to lower rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in eastern North Carolina.”

Environment: “Air and water pollution and the impacts of the climate crisis disproportionately impact our poorest families, working class communities, and communities of color who are more likely to live in areas where air and water pollution exceed national standards. Don will fight for our community’s right to live in safe and healthy communities.”

Praise for Don

G.K. Butterfield, the district’s outgoing congressman (and former North Carolina Supreme Court justice), said when endorsing Don: “He believes in getting legislation passed to uplift families and communities that have been left behind. He knows when to fight and when to compromise.”

Congressman Jim Clyburn said: “I proudly endorse Senator Don Davis to continue the work of Congressman G.K. Butterfield in the U.S. House of Representatives. Don has a long history of fighting for rural communities, supporting affordable health care and prescription drugs and protecting voting rights. I respectfully ask the voters of the First District to send Don Davis to Congress to join us in this fight for our future. The First District is now a toss-up district. Every vote really matters. Please vote Don Davis for Congress.”

Don has been endorsed by VoteVets, the National Education Association, the Sierra Club, and National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Referring to the NRDC endorsement, Davis said: “Climate change is profoundly impacting our communities here in eastern North Carolina. We need to take immediate action to mitigate its effects so that our kids and grandkids can continue to enjoy and thrive off the land we know and love. I’ve been a strong advocate for clean air and drinking water in our rural communities my entire time in the North Carolina General Assembly.”

Call to action

We need to do whatever we can to help elect Don, and to ensure that Sandy Smith never serves in Congress. As Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, Chair of the DCCC, said: “Don Davis has a public servant’s heart, a resolute work ethic, and a fighting spirit that will serve North Carolina families well in Congress.”