RALEIGH — North Carolina Congressman Don Davis (D-Snow Hill) is exploring getting into the 2026 North Carolina U.S. Senate race following Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ announcement that he will not seek reelection.
The news was first reported by Politico July 7 and was confirmed by Davis’ campaign manager, Hannah Spengler, in a post on X.
“Can confirm,” Spengler wrote in response to a post by Politico reporter Nicholas Wu citing Spengler as saying Davis is “looking at all options and not ruling anything out.”
Davis first ran for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District seat in 2022 and won reelection in 2024. Prior to running for Congress, Davis served in the N.C. Senate representing the 5th District (2013-22).
Over the past two years, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has targeted Davis in multiple ad campaigns. Upon news that Davis was exploring a run for Tillis’ seat, the NRCC issued a statement that Davis is looking at that race because he is in trouble facing reelection to his current U.S. House seat.
“Don Davis showed up to Congress, made a mess of things for North Carolinians, and now is trying to run for the hills because he knows voters are ready to hold him accountable,” wrote NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole. “Davis is a coward, and whether he runs for House or Senate, his days in Congress are numbered.”
The reasons given by the NRCC for Davis facing a tough reelection in 2026 included voting twice against H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill, which made President Donald Trump’s tax cuts permanent, as well as voting against the Rescissions Act and a measure banning men from women’s sports.
Davis was considered to be “the most vulnerable” Democratic seat in the U.S. House during the 2024 election cycle and appears to be maintaining that status for 2026, per Roll Call.
Democrats are still waiting for former Gov. Roy Cooper to make a decision on getting into the race, and there has been speculation that N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson or Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt may be contenders.
Two sources familiar with the race, who spoke under condition of anonymity to North State Journal, indicated that remarks by Jackson at a recent event seemed to imply Cooper was getting in the race and Jackson would endorse Cooper. North State Journal contacted Jackson’s office for clarification, and a few hours after North State Journal posted that information on X, Raleigh outlet WRAL said Jackson told them that he would endorse Cooper should he run.
Adding fuel to speculation Cooper will run is an invitation to an event on July 18 at a venue in Winston-Salem, titled “Coffee with Cooper,” which says the former governor will speak about “the future of North Carolina.”
Former Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel is currently the only Democrat who has formally filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission.
On the Republican side, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump and RNC Chair Michael Whatley both have been mentioned.
Three individuals have paperwork to run as Republicans for the seat: Brooks Agnew, an author and former manufacturing engineer; Don Brown, an attorney and former JAG officer; and Triad area businessman Andy Nilsson.
Statehouse Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne), who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee, confirmed to North State Journal that he’s received “at least 15 calls” from various people and groups both in the state and in Washington, D.C., asking if he’d consider running for the seat.
Bell, who is in his seventh term in the House, told North State Journal he’s not ruling anything out.
“I am very happy in the North Carolina House as rules chair under Speaker Destin Hall,” said Bell, adding that he would listen to what people who would like to see him run have to say.
Bell said that “when and if” the time comes to consider entering the race, he will sit down with his wife and daughter to discuss it.
