# NC’s redrawn 1st District is most expensive race in US

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ncs-redrawn-1st-district-is-most-expensive-race-in-us/
- Published: 2026-10-29T14:58:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:35:20+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6181205-nc-house-race-record-spending/
- Topics: Americas, Elections, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Advertising and bookings reached $52.9 million, a record for a US House general election.
- Democratic incumbent Don Davis faces Republican Laurie Buckhout again.
- Republican lawmakers redrew the district after Davis’s narrow 2024 win.

## Summary

The contest for North Carolina’s redrawn 1st Congressional District has set a record for advertising in a US House general election. Figures reported by political advertising tracker AdImpact in late October put spending and future advertising bookings at $52.9 million: $29.6 million from Democratic advertisers and $23.3 million from Republican advertisers. Democratic incumbent Don Davis is seeking re-election against Republican Laurie Buckhout, a retired Army colonel. The figure covers adverts already run and those booked for later, rather than money already spent alone.

Republican state lawmakers redrew the district in 2025 to improve their party’s prospects of gaining the seat. A federal court allowed the new map to be used while legal challenges continued. Davis beat Buckhout by just over 6,300 votes in 2024, when advertising in the district totalled $38.5 million. The close previous result, changed boundaries and potential effect on control of the House have made the rematch a focus of spending by both parties.

## Coverage

- [The Hill: NC’s redrawn 1st District is most expensive race in US](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6181205-nc-house-race-record-spending/)
- [Public Radio East: First district Congressional race the most expensive U.S. House election in American history](https://www.publicradioeast.org/2026-10-30/first-district-congressional-race-the-most-expensive-u-s-house-election-in-american-history)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.