Summary
Current Position: State Senator of District 5
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2023 US Representative for District 1
Donald G. Davis (born August 29, 1971) is an American educator and politician. He currently represents the 5th senate district in the North Carolina Senate. Davis was first elected to the post in 2008, representing Pitt, Wayne, and Greene counties. He was defeated for re-election in 2010, but ran and won a Senate seat for the newly redrawn 5th District in the 2012 election.
He is the Democratic nominee in the 2022 election for North Carolina’s 1st congressional district.
OnAir Post: Don Davis
About
Born and raised in Snow Hill, North Carolina, Don Davis has spent his life heeding the call to serve. Don is a veteran, educator, minister, and dedicated public servant.
After working in the tobacco fields and attending church often twice on Sunday with his grandmother, Don attended the United States Air Force Academy, and was commissioned into the Air Force where he served in uniform for 8 years. As a 1st Lieutenant, Don coordinated Air Force One operations at Andrews Air Force Base and supported families of military members killed in action as a mortuary officer.
While stationed at Air Force ROTC Detachment 600, Don returned to eastern North Carolina as an assistant professor of Aerospace Studies at East Carolina University instructing national security affairs and leadership courses. As an educator for over 20 years, Don mentored thousands of students as they completed their studies.
As a veteran, Don continued his commitment to public service by becoming the youngest Mayor of Snow Hill at age 29. As Mayor, Don restored confidence in the government by re-building the economy and investing in decades old infrastructure projects – like filling potholes and expanding high-speed internet. Don believed then, as he does now, that our government should work for the people.
In 2008, Don ran and won his first State Senate election. In his six terms as Senator, Don has served as a champion for eastern North Carolina, fighting for our rural communities and delivering results for our families. He worked to expand high-speed internet, raise teacher pay, ensure that military pensions are tax exempt–and even secured over $215 million in funding for the ECU Brody School of Medicine to expand access to quality health care right here in rural North Carolina. Don has a proven record for delivering on the critical needs of our rural counties.
Don is running for Congress to fight for eastern North Carolina. Don is a proven champion for our families and understands the issues that matter most to eastern North Carolina.
He lives in Greene County, NC, with his wife Yuvonka and three sons: Ryan, Justin, and Kyler.
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia
Politics
Source: none
Finances
DAVIS, DONALD G has run in 7 races for public office, winning 6 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $1,113,748.
Source: Follow the Money
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
Issues
Source: Campaign page
Economy & Jobs
Don is focused on improving the quality of life for eastern North Carolina families for generations to come. The east has been left behind by years of underinvestment, and policies from Washington, D.C. that ignored the true needs of those of us who live in rural communities. 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.
Don is fighting for important investments that will allow eastern North Carolina to thrive by ensuring access to high-speed broadband, which drives investment in small businesses and industry; creating good-paying jobs and opportunities for our children who live in rural communities, and expanding 21st century infrastructure to rural North Carolina in order to connect businesses with the global market.
Healthcare
Don understands no one should have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the care, medication, or life-saving treatments they need. Eastern North Carolina is experiencing a healthcare crisis because families in eastern North Carolina don’t have access to quality affordable primary care, dental care, and mental health care. Communities in eastern North Carolina experience higher rates of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and maternal mortality and morbidity than anywhere else in the state.
Families have to drive for hours in order to seek treatment. Don knows it’s essential to care for our aging communities that have greater healthcare needs and less mobility. No one should lose or be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, and no one fighting a serious illness should face the fear of lifetime coverage caps. Don is working to ensure that every person has accessible, quality healthcare.
Veterans
As an United States Air Force veteran, Don knows the challenges faced by soldiers returning to civilian life, and for military families both during and after their loved one’s deployment. Don will push to strengthen education, career training, health, and housing assistance for veterans.
Don fought to secure $150,000 to support veterans suffering from PTSD/TBI because he knows the importance of being responsive to work with veterans and their families to help them access existing resources, and ensure quality health care through the VA. But right now, unemployment, homelessness, and suicide rates among our nation’s veterans are unacceptably high. Don knows, as a country, we must make the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life a positive one for our veterans.
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. When Don goes to Congress he will fight to expand access to early childhood education, lower the cost of higher education, and invest heavily in our HBCUs.
With the rise of attacks on our HBCUs across the country, Don knows we must be steadfast against hate and invest in our communities. Don secured over $140 million to ensure generations of leaders are able to attend Elizabeth City State University. But we know investments haven’t always been equal, especially in rural communities. Inequality among our North Carolina public schools was exacerbated during the COVID’19 crisis. That’s why Don worked closely with our school officials and our educators to put a plan in place to support our educations and keep families safe, and he will continue to fight for our children in Washington.
Rural Infrastructure
Don understands that investing in rural infrastructure allows eastern North Carolina to thrive for generations to come. That’s why Don secured over $1 billion to expand broadband internet in North Carolina, and will continue to fight for reliable access to high-speed broadband internet that provides critical economic and educational opportunities. In our rapidly changing and increasingly online economy, the internet is an essential service to small businesses, educators, and everyday citizens alike, and it must become and remain equally accessible to all users.
Don also knows that agriculture and our farmers are the foundation of our economy. We must work with the USDA to ensure our farmers have the resources they need to run 21st century businesses.
Women’s Rights
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 knows that the decision of how and when to start a family is deeply personal.
That is why Don is fighting to lower rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in eastern North Carolina. Our region has the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the state. Maternal mortality and morbidity is especially harmful to African American women who have a preterm birth rate that is 48 percent higher than the rate among all other women in North Carolina.
Equity & Justice
Don knows that every person must be treated with dignity and have equal rights under the law. He fought to raise the age at which children could be tried as adults in North Carolina. And when he goes to Congress, Don will fight for needed criminal justice reform. Don understands no person in a free and fair society should make less money, be denied government services, pay more for healthcare, lose a job or housing opportunities, or face discrimination in the community or workplace because of their gender, race, creed, national origin, disability, whom they love, or anything else that defines them.
Environment
The climate crisis poses a massive threat to eastern North Carolina — especially our farmers who face increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to global climate change. Don believes eastern North Carolina should be safe, healthy places to live and raise children – with clean air and water, free from the dangers of toxic pollution. 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 in safe and health communities.
See Also
Google Search
More Web Links
Wikipedia
Donald Gene Davis (born August 29, 1971)[1] is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 1st congressional district since 2023.[2]
A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 5th district in the North Carolina Senate from 2013 to 2023. Davis was first elected to the post in 2008, representing Pitt, Wayne, and Greene counties. He was defeated for reelection in 2010, but ran and won a Senate seat for the newly redrawn 5th district in the 2012 election.
Early political career
Elected mayor of Snow Hill in 2001, Davis also chaired North Carolina’s 1st congressional district Democratic Party. He filed to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1st district in 2004, but dropped out before the primary election.[3]
In 2005, Davis was reelected as mayor. On October 1, 2007, he announced plans to file for the North Carolina Senate District 5 seat. Davis was one of six Democratic candidates to file for the seat held by retiring Senator John Kerr III. He received the most votes, 36%, in the May 6, 2008, primary election.
As Davis did not receive the 40% of the vote required to win the primary, he faced Kathy Taft in a runoff. On June 24, 2008, Davis won the Democratic nomination with 63% of the vote in the runoff. He faced North Carolina Representative Louis Pate, a Wayne County Republican, in the general election.
On November 4, 2008, Davis defeated Pate with 53% of the vote. His term began on January 1, 2009.[4]
In a rematch of the 2008 election, Pate defeated Davis in the 2010 election.[5]
In October 2013, Davis went on a legislative visit to China sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.[6]
In July 2014, it was reported that Davis had “met with a group of Chinese medical exchange students from Wuhan” to “discuss the role politics plays in health care”.[7]
Davis ran unopposed in 2016. He defeated Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb in the 2018 election.[8]
Committee assignments
- Agriculture, Energy, and Environment
- Appropriations on Education/Higher Education
- Education/Higher Education
- Health Care
- Redistricting and Elections
- Rules and Operations of the Senate
- Select Committee on Nominations
- Select Committee on Storm Related River Debris and Damage in NC
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022
On December 1, 2021, Davis announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives to succeed retiring Democrat G. K. Butterfield.[9] He won the Democratic primary for the 2022 election for North Carolina’s 1st congressional district, defeating former state senator Erica D. Smith.[2] In November 2022, Davis won the general election, defeating Republican nominee Sandy Smith.
Tenure
Davis invited a 109-year-old woman from Battleboro named Cassie Smith to attend the 2024 State of the Union Address. He called Smith a “living symbol of our democracy”.[10]
Caucus memberships
Source:[11]
Political positions
Healthcare
He co-sponsored a bill by Representatives Greg Murphy and Brett Guthrie to weaken Medicare‘s price reduction negotiation program in 2024, saying in a written statement that Congress needs to “support the development of critical, life-sustaining medical treatments and cures”.[13]
Israel-Hamas war
Davis voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[14][15] He was also among the House Democrats who voted to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib for her comments about the Israel-Hamas war.[16]
In March 2024, Davis, representative August Pfluger, and a news reporter wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner. The piece criticized the push by many members of Congress to condition U.S. aid to Israel.[17]
See also
References
- ^ “Rep. Don Davis (R-North Carolina, 1st)”. November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ a b “Davis wins Democratic primary for 1st Congressional District”. WITN. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ News & Observer: U.S. Rep. Ballance resigns[permanent dead link]
- ^ News & Observer: Legislators began on January 1, technically Archived January 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ “11/04/2008 Official General Election Results Statewide” (PDF). nccourts.gov. June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ “Legislators, NC contingent in China for economic development trip”.
- ^ “Chinese students meet lawmakers”.
- ^ Livingston, Ginger. “Robb running for NC Senate”.
- ^ “Senator Don Davis announces campaign for Congress to replace Butterfield”. WITN. December 1, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Coffey, Kelsey (March 7, 2024). “NC guests to attend State of the Union address in Washington, DC”. WRAL News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ “Committees and Caucuses”. Representative Davis. January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ “NewDem Members”. NewDem Action Fund. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Cohrs, Rachel (February 5, 2024). “The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices”. Stat News. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). “House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). “Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session”. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Fink, Jenni (November 7, 2023). “Full List of Democrats Who Voted to Censure Rashida Tlaib”. Newsweek. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ Pfluger, August; Davis, Don; Makovsky, Michael (March 27, 2024). “Conditioning US aid to Israel would be a mistake”. Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
External links
- Congressman Don Davis official U.S. House website
- Don Davis for Congress campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
