A coastal North Carolina legislator announced his bid on Wednesday for a U.S. House seat next year, looking to unseat Democratic incumbent Don Davis in what is now the state's currently only swing congressional district.

State Sen. Bobby Hanig of Currituck County said he would seek the Republican nomination for the sprawling 1st Congressional District, which covers 22 counties from the northern Outer Banks to the Raleigh metro area's outskirts.

Davis and Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, also a Republican, have already filed federal candidate paperwork for the 1st District seat in 2026. The official state election filing period is in December, with primaries set for early March.

Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats, with the 1st District seat the only

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