Don Davis picks his district, and says he'll move

Rep. Don Davis is running to keep his seat in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, despite Republican attempts to oust him in the 2026 midterms.

Why it matters: The centrist Democrat faces a steeper challenge than ever after Republicans redrew the congressional map, making the tossup district right-leaning and moving Davis's home out of it.

What they're saying: "No matter how the district lines are drawn, I will keep fighting for eastern North Carolina," Davis said in an emailed statement, indicating he will campaign on affordability, healthcare and national security.

• Davis also said he'll move to the redrawn district, though it's not a requirement. The new map puts the two-term congressman's hometown of Snow Hill in NC-03.

State of play: Several Republicans are competing to face Davis, setting up a GOP primary that could get messy.

• Bobby Hanig, a state senator who upped his profile defending shrimp trawlers from a state ban, filed yesterday.
• Also running? Eric Rouse, a loyalist of President Donald Trump and Lenoir County commissioner, and Sandy Roberson, the mayor of Rocky Mount who criticized Trump for January 6, but supports his policies.

Catch up quick: State lawmakers shuffled a handful of eastern North Carolina counties between the 1st and 3rd in October, aiming to help Republicans maintain control of Congress.

• A panel of federal judges said last week that North Carolina can use the redrawn map in 2026, rejecting a lawsuit that alleged it racially discriminates against Black voters.

Between the lines: North Carolina Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton told Axios the party still thinks NC-01 is winnable, pointing to Democratic victories in Virginia last month as a sign of a coming blue wave.

• "I think people are going to surprise y'all," she said.

What's next: Candidate filing is open until noon on Dec. 19. The primary is March 3.