North Carolina's 1st congressional district is located in the northeastern part of the US 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. Some of larger towns and cities in the district include Elizabeth City, Goldsboro, Henderson, Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids, and Wilson.
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. 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.
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 had approved a new map that was only used for the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections which changed the 1st district boundaries to add Chowan, Currituck, Franklin, Greene, Pasquotank, Perquimans counties and the remainder of Vance County while removing Wayne County.
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a new congressional map shifting the district's Cook Partisan Voting Index from D+2 to R+1. It is the most competitive district in North Carolina. The district was also one of 13 congressional districts that voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election while simultaneously electing a Democrat in the 2024 House of Representatives elections.
In 2025, the district was once again subject to redistricting, after the North Carolina House and Senate passed a map immune to Democratic governor Josh Stein's veto. The counties of Greene, Lenoir, Wayne, and Wilson were drawn into the new third district, with the counties of Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, and Pamlico now being placed into the first district. The district is now considered a likely pickup for Republicans in the 2026 United States House of Representatives elections.
Counties and communities For the 120th and successive Congresses (based on the districts drawn following a 2025 legislative session), the district will contain all or portions of the following counties and communities.
Beaufort County (11) All eleven communities Bertie County (8)
All eight communities Camden County (3) All three communities
Carteret County (18) All eighteen communities
Craven County (13) All thirteen communities
Chowan County (4) All four communities Currituck County (3) All three communities
Dare County (15) All fifteen communities
Edgecombe County (10)
All ten communities
Hyde County (4)
All four communities Gates County (2) Gatesville, Sunbury Granville County (1) Oxford (part; also 13th Halifax County (10) All ten communities
Hertford County (6)
All six communities
Martin County (9)
All nine communities
Nash County (12)
All 12 communities Northampton County (9) All nine communities Onslow County (1) Swansboro Pamlico County (10)
All 10 communities Pasquotank County (1)
Elizabeth City (shared with Camden County) Perquimans County (2) Hertford, Winfall Tyrrell County (1) Columbia Vance County (4) All four communities
Warren County (3)
All three communities
Washington County (3)
All three communities
Recent election results from statewide races 2023–2027 boundaries Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 54% - 45% SenateHagan 57% - 41% GovernorPerdue 62% - 36%2010 SenateMarshall 51% - 48%2012 PresidentObama 55% - 45% GovernorDalton 54% - 45%2014 SenateHagan 53% - 45%2016 PresidentClinton 51% - 46% SenateRoss 51% - 47% GovernorCooper 52% - 47% Lt. GovernorColeman 52% - 47% Secretary of StateMarshall 59% - 41% AuditorWood 57% - 43% TreasurerBlue III 54% - 46% Attorney GeneralStein 55% - 45%2020 PresidentBiden 50% - 49% SenateCunningham 50% - 47% GovernorCooper 53% - 46% Lt. GovernorLewis Holley 51% - 49% Secretary of StateMarshall 54% - 46% AuditorWood 55% - 45% TreasurerChatterji 50.2% - 49.8% Attorney GeneralStein 53% - 47%2022 SenateBudd 52% - 46%2024 PresidentTrump 51% - 48% GovernorStein 53% - 44% Lt. GovernorHunt 50% - 48% Secretary of StateMarshall 52% - 48% AuditorBoliek 49.2% - 48.7% TreasurerBriner 51% - 49% Attorney GeneralJackson 51% - 49%
2027–2033 boundaries Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 51% - 48% SenateHagan 54% - 44% GovernorPerdue 61% - 37%2010 SenateBurr 52% - 46%2012 PresidentObama 51% - 49% GovernorMcCrory 49.2% - 49.1%2014 SenateHagan 49% - 48%2016 PresidentTrump 51% - 46% SenateBurr 51% - 46% GovernorMcCrory 51% - 48% Lt. GovernorForest 51% - 47% Secretary of StateMarshall 54% - 46% AuditorWood 53% - 47% TreasurerFolwell 51% - 49% Attorney GeneralNewton 50.1% - 49.9%2020 PresidentTrump 53% - 46% SenateTillis 51% - 45% GovernorForest 50% - 49% Lt. GovernorRobinson 54% - 46% Secretary of StateSykes 50.4% - 49.6% AuditorWood 51% - 49% TreasurerFolwell 54% - 46% Attorney GeneralO'Neill 52% - 48%2022 SenateBudd 56% - 42%2024 PresidentTrump 55% - 44% GovernorStein 49% - 47% Lt. GovernorWeatherman 52% - 46% Secretary of StateBrown 52% - 48% AuditorBoliek 53% - 44% TreasurerBriner 56% - 44% Attorney GeneralBishop 53% - 47%
List of members representing the district Member Party Years Congress Electoral history District location District established March 24, 1790 John B. Ashe Anti-Administration March 24, 1790 –March 3, 1791 Elected in 1790.Redistricted to the and re-elected there. 1790–1791Anson, Burke, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Rowan, Rutherford, and Wilkes counties John Steele Pro-Administration March 4, 1791 –March 3, 1793 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1791. 1791–1793Burke, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Rowan, Rutherford, and Wilkes counties Joseph McDowell Anti-Administration March 4, 1793 –March 3, 1795 Elected in 1793.Lost re-election. 1793–1803Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Lincoln, Rutherford, and Wilkes counties James Holland Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 Elected in 1795.Lost re-election. Joseph McDowell Jr. Democratic-Republican March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1799 Elected in 1796.Lost re-election. Joseph Dickson Federalist March 4, 1799 –March 3, 1801 Elected in 1798.Lost re-election. James Holland Democratic-Republican March 4, 1801 –March 3, 1803 Elected in 1800.Redistricted to the . Thomas Wynns Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 –March 3, 1807 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1803.Re-elected in 1804.Retired. 1803–1813Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties Lemuel Sawyer Democratic-Republican March 4, 1807 –March 3, 1813 Elected in 1806.Re-elected in 1808.Re-elected in 1810.Lost re-election. William H. Murfree Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 –March 3, 1817 Elected in 1813.Re-elected in 1815.Retired. 1813–1823Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties Lemuel Sawyer Democratic-Republican March 4, 1817 –March 3, 1823 Elected in 1817.Re-elected in 1819.Re-elected in 1821.Lost re-election. Alfred M. Gatlin Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –March 3, 1825 Elected in 1823.Lost re-election. 1823–1833Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties Lemuel Sawyer Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –March 3, 1829 Elected in 1825.Re-elected in 1827.Lost re-election. William B. Shepard Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –March 3, 1837 Elected in 1829.Re-elected in 1831.Re-elected in 1833.Re-elected in 1835. 1833–1843Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties Samuel T. Sawyer Whig March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1839 Elected in 1837. Kenneth Rayner Whig March 4, 1839 –March 3, 1843 Elected in 1839.Re-elected in 1841.Redistricted to the . Thomas L. Clingman Whig March 4, 1843 –March 3, 1845 Elected in 1843. 1843–1853Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Rutherford, and Yancey counties James Graham Whig March 4, 1845 –March 3, 1847 Elected in 1845. Thomas L. Clingman Whig March 4, 1847 –March 3, 1853 Elected in 1847.Re-elected in 1849.Re-elected in 1851.Redistricted to the . Henry M. Shaw Democratic March 4, 1853 –March 3, 1855 Elected in 1853. 1853–1861Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties Robert T. Paine Know Nothing March 4, 1855 –March 3, 1857 Elected in 1855. Henry M. Shaw Democratic March 4, 1857 –March 3, 1859 Elected in 1857. William N. H. Smith Opposition March 4, 1859 –March 3, 1861 Elected in 1859.North Carolina seceded from the Union in May 1861. Vacant March 4, 1861 –July 6, 1868 Civil War and Reconstruction John R. French Republican July 6, 1868 –March 3, 1869 Elected to finish the shorter term.Lost renomination. 1868–1873Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties Clinton L. Cobb Republican March 4, 1869 –March 3, 1875 Elected in 1868.Re-elected in 1870.Re-elected in 1872.Lost re-election. 1873–1883Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington counties Jesse J. Yeates Democratic March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1879 Elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Lost re-election, but contested the result. Joseph J. Martin Republican March 4, 1879 –January 29, 1881 Elected in 1878.