North Carolina's 1st congressional district

North Carolina's 1st congressional district is located in the northeastern part of the state. It consists of many Black Belt counties that border Virginia and it extends southward into several counties of the Inner Banks and the Research Triangle. It covers many rural areas of northeastern North Carolina, among the state's most economically poor, as well as outer exurbs of urbanized Research Triangle. It contains towns and cities such as Greenville, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Goldsboro, Henderson, and Roanoke Rapids.

North Carolina's 1st congressional district
From 2023 to 2025 From 2025 Interactive map of district boundaries
Representative	Don Davis D–Snow Hill
Population (2022)	753,536^[1]
Median household income	$53,854^[1]
Ethnicity	47.4% White 40.3% Black 7.2% Hispanic 3.1% Two or more races 0.9% Asian 0.7% Native American 0.4% other
Cook PVI	D+2^[2]

The first district is currently represented by Don Davis.

On February 5, 2016, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the 1st district, as well as the 12th, were gerrymandered along racial lines, which was unconstitutional, and must be redrawn by March 15, 2016.^[3] It was re-drawn again in 2019 following court-mandated redistricting, which removed portions of the Research Triangle from the district and changed it to D+3 from a D+17 on the Cook Partisan Voting Index.^[4]

Besides a brief period from 1895 until 1899 when the district was held by a Populist, the 1st district has been consistently Democratic since 1883.

On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved a new map which changed the 1st district boundaries to add Chowan, Franklin, Greene, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and the remainder of Vance County while removing Wayne County.^[5]

Counties

Counties in the 2023–2025 district map:

• Bertie County
• Chowan County
• Edgecombe County
• Franklin County
• Gates County
• Greene County
• Halifax County
• Hertford County
• Martin County
• Nash County
• Northampton County
• Pasquotank County
• Perquimans County
• Pitt County (part)
• Tyrrell County
• Vance County
• Warren County
• Washington County
• Wilson County

Recent statewide election results

Year	Office	Results
2000	President	Gore 57–42%
2004	President	Kerry 57–42%
2008	President	Obama 62–37%
2012	President	Obama 68–31%
2016	President	Clinton 68–31%
2020	President	Biden 54–45%

List of members representing the district

Member (Residence)	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
District established March 24, 1790
John B. Ashe (Halifax)	Anti-Administration	March 24, 1790 – March 3, 1791	1st	Elected in 1790. Redistricted to the 3rd district and re-elected there.	1790–1791 Anson, Burke, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Rowan, Rutherford, and Wilkes counties
John Steele (Salisbury)	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	2nd	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1791. [data missing]	1791–1793 Burke, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Rowan, Rutherford, and Wilkes counties
Joseph McDowell (Morganton)	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795	3rd	Elected in 1793. Lost re-election.	1793–1803 Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Lincoln, Rutherford, and Wilkes counties
James Holland (Rutherfordton)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797	4th	Elected in 1795. Lost re-election.
Joseph McDowell Jr. (Quaker Meadows)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1799	5th	Elected in 1796. Lost re-election.
Joseph Dickson (Lincoln County)	Federalist	March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1801	6th	Elected in 1798. Lost re-election.
James Holland (Rutherfordton)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803	7th	Elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 11th district.
Thomas Wynns (Hertford County)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1807	8th 9th	Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Retired.	1803–1813 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties
Lemuel Sawyer (Elizabeth City)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1813	10th 11th 12th	Elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Lost re-election.
William H. Murfree (Murfreesboro)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817	13th 14th	Elected in 1813. Re-elected in 1815. Retired.	1813–1823 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties
Lemuel Sawyer (Elizabeth City)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1823	15th 16th 17th	Elected in 1817. Re-elected in 1819. Re-elected in 1821. Lost re-election.
Alfred M. Gatlin (Edenton)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th	Elected in 1823. Lost re-election.	1823–1833 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties
Lemuel Sawyer (Elizabeth City)	Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829	19th 20th	Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Lost re-election.
William B. Shepard (Elizabeth City)	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1837	21st 22nd 23rd 24th	Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Re-elected in 1835. [data missing]
					1833–1843 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties
Samuel T. Sawyer (Edenton)	Whig	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839	25th	Elected in 1837. [data missing]
Kenneth Rayner (Winton)	Whig	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843	26th 27th	Elected in 1839. Re-elected in 1841. Redistricted to the 9th district.
Thomas L. Clingman (Asheville)	Whig	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	28th	Elected in 1843. [data missing]	1843–1853 Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Rutherford, and Yancey counties
James Graham (Rutherfordton)	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847	29th	Elected in 1845. [data missing]
Thomas L. Clingman (Asheville)	Whig	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853	30th 31st 32nd	Elected in 1847. Re-elected in 1849. Re-elected in 1851. Redistricted to the 8th district.
Henry M. Shaw (Indian Town)	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Elected in 1853. [data missing]	1853–1861 Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Robert T. Paine (Edenton)	Know Nothing	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th	Elected in 1855. [data missing]
Henry M. Shaw (Indian Town)	Democratic	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859	35th	Elected in 1857. [data missing]
William N. H. Smith (Murfreesboro)	Opposition	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861	36th	Elected in 1859. North Carolina seceded from the Union in May 1861.
Vacant		March 4, 1861 – July 6, 1868	37th 38th 39th 40th	Civil War and Reconstruction
John R. French (Edenton)	Republican	July 6, 1868 – March 3, 1869	40th	Elected to finish the shorter term. Lost renomination.	1868–1873 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Clinton L. Cobb (Elizabeth City)	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875	41st 42nd 43rd	Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Re-elected in 1872. Lost re-election.
					1873–1883 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Jesse J. Yeates (Murfreesboro)	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879	44th 45th	Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Lost re-election, but contested the result.
Joseph J. Martin (Williamston)	Republican	March 4, 1879 – January 29, 1881	46th	Elected in 1878. Lost contested election before the end of the term.
Jesse J. Yeates (Murfreesboro)	Democratic	January 29, 1881 – March 3, 1881	46th	Won contested election. Retired.
Louis C. Latham (Greenville)	Democratic	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883	47th	Elected in 1880. Lost re-election.
Walter F. Pool (Elizabeth)	Republican	March 4, 1883 – August 25, 1883	48th	Elected in 1882. Died.	1883–1893 Beaufort, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Vacant		August 25, 1883 – November 20, 1883
Thomas G. Skinner (Hertford)	Democratic	November 20, 1883 – March 3, 1887	48th 49th	Elected to finish Pool's term. Re-elected in 1884. Lost renomination.
Louis C. Latham (Greenville)	Democratic	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889	50th	Elected again in 1886. Lost renomination.
Thomas G. Skinner (Hertford)	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891	51st	Elected in 1888. Lost renomination.
William A. B. Branch (Washington)	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895	52nd 53rd	Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost re-election.
					1893–1903 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Harry Skinner (Greenville)	Populist	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899	54th 55th	Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Lost re-election.
John H. Small (Washington)	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1921	56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th	Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Retired.
					1903–1913 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
					1913–1933 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Hallett S. Ward (Washington)	Democratic	March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1925	67th 68th	Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Retired.
Lindsay C. Warren (Washington)	Democratic	March 4, 1925 – October 31, 1940	69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th	Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Resigned to become U.S. Comptroller General.
					1933–1943 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Vacant		October 31, 1940 – November 5, 1940	76th
Herbert C. Bonner (Washington)	Democratic	November 5, 1940 – November 7, 1965	76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th	Elected to finish Warren's term. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Died.
					1943–1953 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
					1953–1963 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
					1963–1973 Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties
Vacant		November 7, 1965 – February 5, 1966	89th
Walter B. Jones Sr. (Farmville)	Democratic	February 5, 1966 – September 15, 1992	89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected to finish Bonner's term. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Died.
					1973–1983 [data missing]
					1983–1993 [data missing]
Vacant		September 15, 1992 – November 3, 1992	102nd
Eva Clayton (Littleton)	Democratic	November 3, 1992 – January 3, 2003	102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th	Elected to finish Jones's term. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Retired.
					1993–2003 [data missing]
Frank Ballance (Warrenton)	Democratic	January 3, 2003 – June 11, 2004	108th	Elected in 2002. Resigned.	2003–2013
Vacant		June 11, 2004 – July 20, 2004	108th
G. K. Butterfield (Wilson)	Democratic	July 20, 2004 – December 30, 2022	108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th	Elected to finish Ballance's term. Re-elected later in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Resigned.
					2013–2017
					2017–2021
					2021–2023
Vacant		December 30, 2022 – January 3, 2023	117th
Don Davis (Snow Hill)	Democratic	January 3, 2023 – present	118th	Elected in 2022.	2023–2025

Past election results

2000

2000 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Eva Clayton (incumbent)	124,171	65.6
	Republican	Duane Kratzer, Jr.	62,198	32.9
	Libertarian	Christopher Delaney	2,799	1.5
Total votes			189,168	100
	Democratic hold

2002

2002 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Frank W. Ballance Jr.	93,157	63.74
	Republican	Greg Dority	50,907	34.83
	Libertarian	Mike Ruff	2,093	1.43
Total votes			146,157	100
	Democratic hold

2004

2004 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr.	137,667	63.98
	Republican	Greg Dority	77,508	36.02
Total votes			215,175	100
	Democratic hold

2006

2006 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	82,510	100
Total votes			82,510	100
	Democratic hold

2008

2008 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	192,765	70.28
	Republican	Dean Stephens	81,506	29.72
Total votes			274,271	100
	Democratic hold

2010

2010 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	103,294	59.31
	Republican	Ashley Woolard	70,867	40.69
Total votes			174,161	100
	Democratic hold

2012

2012 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	254,644	75.32
	Republican	Pete DiLauro	77,288	22.86
	Libertarian	Darryl Holloman	6,134	1.81
Total votes			338,066	99.9
	Democratic hold

2014

2014 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	154,333	73.38
	Republican	Arthur Rich	55,990	26.62
Total votes			210,323	100
	Democratic hold

2016

2016 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	240,661	68.62
	Republican	H. Powell Dew Jr.	101,567	28.96
	Libertarian	Joseph John Summerell	8,259	2.4
Total votes			346,830	99.98
	Democratic hold

2018

2018 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	190,457	69.9
	Republican	Roger Allison	82,218	30.2
Total votes			272,675	100.0
	Democratic hold

2020

2020 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. (incumbent)	188,870	54.2
	Republican	Sandy Smith	159,758	45.8
Total votes			348,618	100.0
	Democratic hold

2022

2022 North Carolina's 1st congressional district election^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Don Davis	134,996	52.4
	Republican	Sandy Smith	122,780	47.6
Total votes			257,776	100.0
	Democratic hold

See also

•  United States portal
•  North Carolina portal

• List of United States congressional districts
• North Carolina's congressional districts

References

1. "My Congressional District". census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP).
2. "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
3. Simpson, Ian (February 8, 2016). "Judges find two N. Carolina congressional districts racially gerrymandered". Reuters. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
4. "LEGISLATIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING". North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
5. Doule, Steve (February 23, 2022). "Check out new election maps: NC Supreme Court rejects appeals, approves special masters' districts". WGHP. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
6. "North Carolina's 1st Congressional District". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
7. "11/05/2002 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 15, 2002. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
8. "11/02/2004 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2004. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
9. "11/07/2006 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 17, 2006. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
10. "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 14, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
11. "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
12. "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 16, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
13. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 25, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
14. "11/06/2016 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
15. "District 1, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". Retrieved November 10, 2018.
16. "District 1, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". Retrieved January 5, 2021.
17. "NC SBE Contest Results". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved January 2, 2023.

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

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