Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

RandySF

(76,248 posts)
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 12:18 PM Jul 7

NC-SEN: Don Davis (D) eyes open North Carolina Senate seat

Democratic Rep. Don Davis is exploring a run for the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, according to a spokesperson.

Davis is “looking at all options and not ruling anything out,” said the spokesperson, Hannah Spengler. But running for the Senate seat would mean giving up a competitive House seat in a district won by President Donald Trump last year. Davis narrowly won reelection last year, and Republicans have signaled they’ll try to flip the seat again this cycle.

Former Rep. Wiley Nickel is already running on the Democratic side, and former Gov. Roy Cooper, who remains popular in North Carolina, also looms large over the race. He’s expected to make a decision this summer.

Among Republicans, Lara Trump — the president’s daughter-in-law and a Wilmington native — is looking at the race, as are RNC Chair Michael Whatley and Rep. Pat Harrigan.


https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/07/congress/don-davis-senate-00441092

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

dsc

(53,037 posts)
1. He is my congressman
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 12:36 PM
Jul 7

And he would not be my choice in a primary. On the plus side his office is well run and they respond to all contact but if a democrat votes the wrong way he is often doing so

Jersey Devil

(10,426 posts)
5. He's my Congressman as well and so was Wiley Nickel
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 11:16 PM
Jul 7

Lost Nickel when they gerrymandered my district (again) and would hate to lose Davis as well. I am hoping for Cooper to jump in but I think Nickel would be a good choice if Cooper does not run.

Grins

(8,666 posts)
2. He hasn't yet hit me up for $$$ so I think he won't.
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 12:55 PM
Jul 7

I get hit EVERY DAY for money by Democrats. And I don’t live in their states! And I’m pissed.

Celerity

(51,179 posts)
3. Yet another No Labels Problem Solver 'centrist' trying to get into the US Senate. In 2024, Davis was the sole Democratic
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 01:06 PM
Jul 7

co-sponsor of a Republican-led bill by Representatives Greg Murphy and Brett Guthrie that would limit Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices. In March 2024, Davis, Republican Representative August Pfluger, and a news reporter wrote an opinion piece in the RW Washington Examiner, which criticized the push by many members of Congress to condition U.S. aid to Israel.Also, in 2025, Davis was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the horrid Laken Riley Act.

Davis was one of least 4 centrist, corporate-friendly Dems tried to scupper Biden's pharma cost reductions. These are the type of Dems who undercut our messaging and tried to reverse some of Biden's and most of the rest of our Party's good work. They worked with Rethugs to do Big Pharma's bidding.

Democrats Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Wiley Nickel (NC), Scott Peters (CA), and Donald Davis (NC) all co-sponsored at least one of multiple bills that would stifle regulators’ ability to bring down prices of drugs covered by the Medicare. The bills would significantly reduce or outright block the drug price reduction framework contained in Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.


All 4 are or were (Nickel retired, but now is also running for the US Senate in 2026) No Labels' Problem Solvers Caucus members, with Gottheimer being the co-chair.

The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices

https://www.statnews.com/2024/02/05/democrat-weaken-medicare-drug-price-negotiation/

WASHINGTON — Two Republican lawmakers who introduced legislation to water down the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiation program managed to find themselves a Democratic co-sponsor — even though every single Democrat in Congress in 2022 voted for the legislation.

They found their perfect candidate in Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat representing a North Carolina district that includes parts of the state’s Research Triangle. He came to Washington in 2023, so didn’t vote on the original law. He received donations in 2023 from the political action committees for Gilead, Astellas, Genentech, Bayer, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Bristol Myers Squibb, BIO, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, AbbVie, and Eli Lilly.

snip


All 4 are or were also in the moderate/centrist New Democrat Coalition, with Nickel and Gottheimer also in the conservative Blue Dog Coalition (Gottheimer still is, Nickel, as stated retired).


One of the bills, the Optimizing Research Progress Hope and News (ORPHAN) Cures Act, would exclude vital drugs for many diseases from the price reduction process.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5539/text?s=1&r=88


Two other bills,

the Maintaining Investments in New Innovation (MINI) Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5547

and the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act,

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7174/cosponsors?s=7&r=1

would delay or block the price reduction apparatus for many other drugs.






dsc

(53,037 posts)
4. I think the votes they took on negotiating drug prices is bad public policy
Mon Jul 7, 2025, 06:21 PM
Jul 7

but both Nickel and Davis represent many drug manufacturing plants so they are representing the parochial interests of their districts.

mucholderthandirt

(1,623 posts)
7. We don't need any more of this type. Dems need to get a clue.
Tue Jul 8, 2025, 05:42 PM
Jul 8
another No Labels Problem Solver 'centrist'
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»NC-SEN: Don Davis (D) eye...