Donald Davis is a former Air Force officer and small business owner who flipped North Carolina's 1st District from red to blue in 2022, becoming one of the few Democrats to win a Republican-held seat that cycle. A political newcomer who emphasizes his military service and rural roots, Davis has positioned himself as a pragmatic Democrat focused on agricultural issues, veterans' affairs, and economic development in eastern North Carolina. His victory in a competitive district that includes both rural farming communities and urban areas around Rocky Mount made him a closely watched freshman representative in a narrowly divided House.