Laurie Buckhout
Laurie Buckhout (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]
Biography
Laurie Buckhout was born in Virginia and lives in Edenton, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University, a master’s of military arts and science in national military strategy, and a master’s of science in information management from Webster University. Buckhout served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of Colonel. After leaving the military, Buckhout founded her own business.[1]
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."[2] 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."[3]
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."[4]
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."[5]
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."[6]
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."[7]
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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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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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 | $2,151,679 | $633,733 | $1,544,249 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Robert Hanig | Republican Party | $344,686 | $204,180 | $140,506 | As of February 11, 2026 |
| Eric Rouse | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Ashley-Nicole Russell | Republican Party | $211,900 | $120,125 | $91,775 | As of February 11, 2026 |
|
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.[8][9][10]
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 |
|---|---|
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.
2024
See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2024
North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1
Incumbent Donald Davis defeated Laurie Buckhout and Tom Bailey in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Donald Davis (D) | 49.5 | 186,341 |
 | Laurie Buckhout (R) | 47.8 | 180,034 | |
| Tom Bailey (L) | 2.6 | 9,949 | |
| Total votes: 376,324 | |||
| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Schaffer (Independent)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Donald Davis advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brian Moutoux (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1
Laurie Buckhout defeated Sandy Smith in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Laurie Buckhout | 53.5 | 33,893 |
 | Sandy Smith | 46.5 | 29,471 | |
| Total votes: 63,364 | |||
| = 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
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Tom Bailey advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1.
Endorsements
Buckhout received the following endorsements.
- Former President Donald Trump (R)
- Congressional Leadership Fund
Pledges
Buckhout signed the following pledges.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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Campaign website
Buckhout's campaign website stated the following:
Securing Our Border
America has seen a record-high number of border crossings thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's open border policies. Our nation is under siege by millions of illegal immigrants and tragically, the crisis of fentanyl pouring in through our southern border is enough to kill every American.
Laurie Buckhout is a STRONG advocate for securing our border by building the wall and reimplementing the “Remain in Mexico” policies of the Trump Administration.
Fixing Our Broken Economy
The Biden-Harris-Davis agenda created devastating inflation rates and made the cost of living unaffordable in Eastern North Carolina. Laurie will fight for working families who can’t afford another year of rising costs at the gas pump and grocery store.
As a small business owner, Laurie Buckhout knows what it takes to balance a budget and create American jobs. Rural communities like ours have seen the devastating effects of outsourcing good jobs. Laurie will fight to bring back jobs here in rural communities.
Protect the 2nd Amendment
Laurie Buckhout is no stranger to defending herself, her loved ones, and her country. As a combat veteran, Laurie understands the vital importance of the right to keep and bear arms. She will stand strong against the extremists who mock our hunting heritage and would punish law-abiding gun owners with additional red tape.
Supporting Our Nation's Military
America has the greatest fighting force in the world, but we must fight to keep it that way. A strong and ready military deters American enemies and establishes peace here at home. Laurie is committed to investing in our nation’s military to continue asserting our dominance over all threats, foreign and domestic. The United States must have the strength by all means necessary to protect us from countries like China, Iran, and Russia and to defend our allies like Israel.
Supporting Our Veterans
Our troops make immense sacrifices while bravely serving our nation. They deserve a strong leader in Congress who will fight to ensure they receive the very best care when their mission is complete. Laurie’s promise to fellow veterans does not end when they return home, she will not rest until our veterans receive the proper care they deserve.
Lead On Technology and AI
China wants to beat America in artificial intelligence. We can’t let that happen. Laurie served in President Trump’s administration protecting our national security — she knows the threat. We need to slash the regulations strangling American innovation and unleash American energy to power our tech sector. Under my watch, America will dominate AI, not China.
— Laurie Buckhout's campaign website (February 11, 2026)
Campaign ads
View more ads here:
2024
Laurie Buckhout did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Buckhout’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Fight for America First Policies
|
” |
| —Laurie Buckhout’s campaign website (2024)[12] | ||
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
- ↑ Colonel (Ret.) Laurie Buckhout for Congress, "Issues," accessed January 27, 2024
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Colonel (Ret.) Laurie Buckhout for Congress, “Issues,” accessed January 27, 2024
