Ashley-Nicole Russell
Ashley-Nicole Russell (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Russell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Russell obtained bachelor's degrees in political science and in criminal justice from Appalachian State University and a law degree from North Carolina Central University. As of the 2026 elections, Russell owned one law firm and was a co-founder and co-owner of two other law firms.[1][2]
2026 battleground election=
Ballotpedia identified the March 3 Republican primary for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Asa Buck (R), Laurie Buckhout (R), Robert Hanig (R), Eric Rouse (R), and Ashley-Nicole Russell (R) are running in the Republican primary for North Carolina's 1st Congressional District on March 3, 2026.
The election is taking place in the context of redistricting that changed the district's boundaries from those used in 2024. The Assembly's Christa Dutton said the new lines "[made] the 1st District, which now spans the northeast part of the state from the Virginia border to the coast, more conservative."[3] The winner will face incumbent Donald Davis (D), who is unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the general election.
Buck is the sheriff of Carteret County. He was first elected in 2006. Buck's campaign website said he had spoken to voters across the district and "has found that his litmus test of Conservatism works well in almost every question of what the Federal Government should do, or NOT do, for the people."[4]
Buckhout is a U.S. Army veteran, the founder of a consulting firm, and a former assistant national cyber director for policy in the second Trump administration. Buckhout was the Republican nominee in 2024, losing to Davis 50%–48% under the old district lines. Buckhout is running on her professional experience. Her campaign website says she has "extensive experience working with Federal and Congressional organizations on legal, budgetary and legislative matters."[5]
Hanig is a U.S. Army veteran and the owner and operator of a pool service company. Hanig was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2022 and also served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and on the Currituck County Commission. Hanig says he is running "to help make the system work for everyone...I'm America First and Constituent First with a record to prove it. I've been counted out, but I've never been outworked."[6]
Rouse owns and operates six businesses, including a construction firm and a drilling service. Rouse was first elected to the Lenoir County Commission in 2010. Rouse says he is running "to fight for you -- the hardworking folks across North Carolina who get up early, bust their tails, and just want to be left alone to raise their families."[7]
Russell is an attorney operating a family law practice. Russell's campaign website says she will "go to Washington as an outsider, not another career politician. She will fight alongside President Trump to drain the swamp, push for term limits, balance the budget, defend our constitutional rights, and rebuild an economy that finally puts American families first."[8]
If no candidate wins more than 30% of the vote, the second-place candidate may request that the top two finishers advance to a May 12 runoff.
As of February 2026, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the general election Lean Republican and Inside Elections rated it Tilt Republican.
Elections
2026
See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1
Incumbent Donald Davis (D) and Tom Bailey (L) are running in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Donald Davis (D) | |
 | Tom Bailey (L) | |
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Donald Davis (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1
Asa Buck (R), Laurie Buckhout (R), Robert Hanig (R), Eric Rouse (R), and Ashley-Nicole Russell (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on March 3, 2026.
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sandy Roberson (R)
Libertarian Party primary
The Libertarian Party primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Tom Bailey (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 without appearing on the ballot.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Election campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asa Buck | Republican Party | $248,160 | $14,863 | $233,297 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Laurie Buckhout | Republican Party | $2,022,326 | $27,598 | $2,021,032 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Robert Hanig | Republican Party | $306,906 | $72,764 | $234,142 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Eric Rouse | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Ashley-Nicole Russell | Republican Party | $201,740 | $6,810 | $194,930 | As of December 31, 2025 |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[9][10][11]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
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Note: As of February 6, 2026, Eric Rouse (R) had not registered as a candidate with the Federal Election Commission.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ashley-Nicole Russell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Russell's responses.
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Those values shaped her career as an attorney, small business owner, and national advocate for families. She founded North Carolina’s first Collaborative Family Law firm because she believes strong families are the foundation of a strong nation.
In Congress, Ashley Nicole will fight to secure the border, enforce our laws, and protect American sovereignty. She will work to lower taxes, restore energy independence, cut job-killing regulations, and bring good-paying jobs back home. She believes in an economy that rewards work, not bureaucracy.
She will defend parents’ rights, expand school choice, and return control of education to local communities. She will stand for life, protect free speech, defend religious liberty, and support law enforcement.
She believes in this country, in its people, and in the promise of the American Dream. She will bring strength, clarity, and conviction to Congress, and she will never stop fighting for the values that make America great.- Faith
- Family
- Freedom
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Russell's campaign website stated the following:
Economy and Cost of Living
Lower prices and stop inflation.
Stop the Spending, Balance the Budget
Balanced Budget Amendment. No more trillion-dollar spending sprees.
Term Limits and Outsider Reform
Throw out the career politicians from both parties.
Secure the Border With President Trump
Finish the wall, fund enforcement, stop fentanyl.
Protect Kids & Families
Ban sex changes for minors. Eliminate boys in girls’ sports.
Defend the Second Amendment
Keep and bear arms; no compromises.
— Ashley-Nicole Russell's campaign website (February 11, 2026)
Campaign ads
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Ashley-Nicole Russell while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House North Carolina District 1 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ ANR Law, "Ashley-Nicole Russell," accessed February 13, 2026
- ↑ Ashley-Nicole Russell, "Home page," accessed February 13, 2026
- ↑ The Assembly, "This Competitive Race for U.S. House Could Be a Rematch," December 17, 2025
- ↑ Asa Buck campaign website, "Home page," accessed February 9, 2026
- ↑ Laurie Buckhout campaign website, "Meet Laurie," accessed February 9, 2026
- ↑ YouTube, "Welcome to the official YouTube channel of Bobby Hanig for Congress!" October 11, 2025
- ↑ YouTube, "GODS COUNTRY," October 16, 2025
- ↑ Ashley Nicole-Russell campaign website, "Home page," accessed February 9, 2026
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
