(The Center Square) – In one of the most competitive U.S. House races in the nation, illegal immigration happening more than 1,500 miles away from North Carolina’s northeastern corner district is taking front stage.
Republican Laurie Buckhout has made “securing the border” her top priority as she runs to unseat Democrat incumbent Don Davis in the 1st Congressional District. Davis has stepped out of party lines to also support securing the border.
The race is considered the only truly competitive congressional race in North Carolina; Davis is favored to win in a matchup that could shape whether the state goes from a 7-7 split of Republicans and Democrats to 10-4 or 11-3 Republicans.
Just as illegal immigration is a top issue across the nation, a Carolina Journal poll also found that illegal immigration was North Carolina voters’ second highest priority, with only inflation/prices taking a higher position. This despite Eagle Pass, Texas, a popular destination of immigrants and state lawmakers trekking down to see what is happening, being more than 1,500 miles from Davis’ Snow Hill roots.
Buckhout has aligned herself with former President Donald Trump and his calls to “build the wall.”
“America has seen a record-high number of border crossings thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies,” her campaign website says. “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.”
Buckhout blames Democratic policies for the millions of illegal immigrants who have entered the country since the Biden administration took power.
“Kamala Harris has overseen all of the disastrous policies implemented by this administration over the last 3½ years,” she said on social media two weeks ago. “We MUST work hard over the next 54 days to defeat her and Radical Democrats like Don Davis.”
Unlike many of his fellow party members, Davis, who first took office in 2023, has spoken out against open border policies.
“The border crisis has left our nation vulnerable to national security risks,” said Davis. “At the same time, the American people are crying out for Congress to address this. I have visited the border three times. It’s difficult for Border Patrol personnel to keep up when there are surges of unlawful migrant crossings and insufficient staffing and technology to handle the crisis.”
Davis was one of five Democrats to vote in favor of House Resolution 8752, which would have granted additional funding to securing the border. The bill passed the U.S. House and was essentially dead on arrival in the Democratic-majority U.S. Senate.
Davis also voted in favor of a resolution condemning Vice President Kamala Harris and her handling of the border.
“The administration and Congress must address the concerns of the southern border. These issues cannot be overlooked,” Davis said of the resolution.
Just weeks after that, he endorsed Harris.
