Election 2026: Tarheel Democrat in close reelection bid condemns socialism

Only one North Carolina congressional candidate in the 2026 midterms broke away from party partisanship in the U.S. House of Representatives' vote to condemn socialism. U.S. Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat trying to keep a 71-cycle winning streak going for his party in the northeastern part of the state against Republican Laurie Buckhout, voted with all 10 of the state's Republicans. House Resolution 1490, passed 220-192, provided for the "condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes." A Republican last won the majority area that is now known as the 1st Congressional District in the 1882 cycle. Socialism, since 1830 introduction, consistently refers to social organization whereby ownership of property and distribution of income are subject to social rather than private control. The Democratic Party, on a national scale, has tension in an ideological tussle for control. The push and the resolution have not been considered coincidence. Democratic socialism is on the rise, replete with a desire not only for social reforms but also restructuring, including abolishing the U.S. Senate, having Congress pick the president and U.S. Supreme Court, defunding the Pentagon, and allowing all residents, regardless of citizenship, to vote. Sweden and Denmark have social democracies. This means governments are democratically elected; yet there is a capitalist framework for "extensive state regulation paired with limited state ownership" that can produce "a fair distribution of income without impairing economic growth," says the AP Stylebook. Bidding to unseat Davis for the second consecutive cycle is Buckhout, the retired Army colonel from Edenton. She lost to Davis 49.5%-47.8% in the state's only congressional race closer than 13.5% in 2024. The difference was 6,307 votes from 376,324 cast. This year's battle is immensely pivotal to majority power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans' 220-215 edge won in November 2024 is today 218-214 with one independent formerly Republican caucusing with his former party, and two vacancies. Davis, the retired first lieutenant from Snow Hill, voted with Republican Reps. Dr. Greg Murphy, Virginia Foxx, Addison McDowell, David Rouzer, Rev. Mark Harris, Richard Hudson, Pat Harrigan, Chuck Edwards, Brad Knott and Tim Moore. Democratic Reps. Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee and Alma Adams were against the resolution. None are expected to be seriously challenged in their Nov. 3 bids for reelection in the state's reliably blue urban areas., and thus have little to lose toeing the party line. Davis is trying to appeal to moderates and independent voters. Buckhout has attacked the position, with voting record history – and missing votes when Davis otherwise has one of the best attendance marks – on border security, farmers and children. "I'm voting against the House resolution condemning socialism in all its forms," Foushee wrote on social media. "The House should condemn the 34-count felon in the White House, not a bunch of people who just want universal healthcare." Her reference was to second-term Republican President Donald Trump. He was convicted in May 2024 by a state jury in New York, in January 2025 was given by a judge an unconditional discharge, and is facing no jail time, fines or probation while his legal counsel seeks appeal and possible removal from his record. "This shouldn't be a hard vote to take," Knott said. "Every time socialism has been tried, it has failed miserably and failed the people it claims to help. House Democrats had a simple choice today, and the vast majority of them chose socialism. That's not leadership. That's surrender to the radical left." To his point, one of history's most recent significant rejections of socialism was the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989. Hundreds of thousands of East Germans, under socialist governing, fled to West Berlin and West Germany rather than residents in the West going East. It was much the same at the end of World War II for the Axis Powers. Others in his party voting yea alongside Davis were Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor and Darren Soto from Florida, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez Jr. from Texas, Jared Golden from Maine, Marie Glesenkamp Perez from Washington, and Gabe Vasquez from New Mexico.