Currently holds the office of U.S. House of Representatives - North Carolina 1st Congressional District until January 3, 2025.
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives - North Carolina 1st Congressional District in 2024 North Carolina General Election.
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Get StartedDon knows that now more than ever, women’s rights are under attack. Congress must take action to codify Roe v. Wade and protect women’s constitutional rights across the country. He knows that a woman’s health decisions should be between her and her doctor. Don knows that the decision of how and when to start a family is deeply personal. That is why Don is fighting to lower rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in eastern North Carolina. Our region has the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the state. Maternal mortality and morbidity is especially harmful to African American women who have a preterm birth rate that is 48 percent higher than the rate among all other women in North Carolina. Learn more
Don will fight for needed criminal justice reform. Don understands no person in a free and fair society should make less money, be denied government services, pay more for healthcare, lose a job or housing opportunities, or face discrimination in the community or workplace because of their gender, race, creed, national origin, disability, whom they love, or anything else that defines them. Learn more
Don will push to strengthen education, career training, health, and housing assistance for veterans. Don fought to secure 150,000 to support veterans suffering from PTSD/TBI because he knows the importance of being responsive to work with veterans and their families to help them access existing resources and ensure quality health care through the VA. But right now, unemployment, homelessness, and suicide rates among our nation’s veterans are unacceptably high. Don knows, as a country, we must make the process of transitioning from active duty to civilian life a positive one for our veterans. Learn more
We must take action to bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs, support our small businesses, and strengthen North Carolina’s agriculture—especially as farmers face increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to global climate change. Don is fighting for important investments that will allow eastern North Carolina to thrive by ensuring access to high-speed broadband, which drives investment in small businesses and industry; creating good-paying jobs and opportunities for our children who live in rural communities, and expanding 21st-century infrastructure to rural North Carolina in order to connect businesses with the global market. Learn more
When Don goes to Congress he will fight to expand access to early childhood education, lower the cost of higher education, and invest heavily in our HBCUs. With the rise of attacks on our HBCUs across the country, Don knows we must be steadfast against hate and invest in our communities. Don secured over 140 million to ensure generations of leaders are able to attend Elizabeth City State University. But we know investments haven’t always been equal, especially in rural communities. Inequality among our North Carolina public schools was exacerbated during the COVID’19 crisis. That’s why Don worked closely with our school officials and our educators to put a plan in place to support our education and keep families safe, and he will continue to fight for our children in Washington. Learn more
The climate crisis poses a massive threat to eastern North Carolina — especially our farmers who face increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to global climate change. Don believes eastern North Carolina should be a safe, healthy place to live and raise children – with clean air and water, free from the dangers of toxic pollution. Air and water pollution and the impacts of the climate crisis disproportionately impact our poorest families, working-class communities, and communities of color who are more likely to live in areas where air and water pollution exceed national standards. Don will fight for eastern North Carolina’s right to live in safe and healthy communities. Learn more
Don understands no one should have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the care, medication, or life-saving treatments they need. Eastern North Carolina is experiencing a healthcare crisis because families in eastern North Carolina don’t have access to quality affordable primary care, dental care, and mental health care. Communities in eastern North Carolina experience higher rates of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and maternal mortality and morbidity than anywhere else in the state. Families have to drive for hours in order to seek treatment. Don knows it’s essential to care for our aging communities that have greater healthcare needs and less mobility. No one should lose or be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, and no one fighting a serious illness should face the fear of lifetime coverage caps. Don is working to ensure that every person has accessible, quality healthcare. Learn more
Don understands that investing in rural infrastructure allows eastern North Carolina to thrive for generations to come. That’s why Don secured over 1 billion to expand broadband internet in North Carolina and will continue to fight for reliable access to high-speed broadband internet that provides critical economic and educational opportunities. In our rapidly changing and increasingly online economy, the internet is an essential service to small businesses, educators, and everyday citizens alike, and it must become and remain equally accessible to all users. Don also knows that agriculture and our farmers are the foundation of our economy. We must work with the USDA to ensure our farmers have the resources they need to run 21st-century businesses. Learn more
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