Veteran Laurie Buckhout will be the Republican nominee for the House seat representing North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ projects. 

Buckhout, a retired Army colonel who founded a consulting firm, defeated Sandy Smith, who was the GOP’s choice for the district in 2020 and 2022, both unsuccessful bids. 

Buckhout will face Democratic Rep. Don Davis in what became a toss-up district after the Republican-controlled Legislature approved a new congressional map making it much more competitive. The district has not elected a Republican in more than 100 years but with considerably different congressional lines from now. 

The district was represented by former Rep. GK Butterfield (D-N.C.) for almost 20 years before he stepped down in 2022 and Davis was elected to the seat. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as a toss-up.