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Davis pads fundraising lead in US House race




Democratic congressional candidate Don Davis raises his fist during a short but impassioned speech to round out the Wilson County Democratic Party’s Fall FLING on Oct. 6. Nicholas Schnittker | Times file photo

Democratic U.S. House nominee Don Davis collected nearly $80,000 more than Republican rival Sandy Smith in the last quarterly fundraising period before Election Day, and Smith made a $200,000 loan to her campaign as the 1st Congressional District race enters the homestretch.

Don Davis

Davis added $618,715.92 to his war chest from July through September while Smith set aside $539,705.77 during the same three-month span, according to campaign finance reports the candidates’ committees filed with the Federal Elections Commission on Saturday.



The Greene County state senator hauled in $415,753.41 in contributions from individuals, $202,300 from political action committees and $600 from political party committees, his October quarterly report states. He didn’t loan his campaign any money during the third quarter of 2022.

A businesswoman and military mom who lives in Rocky Mount, Smith received $290,011.85 in individual contributions, $27,000 from PACs and $13,081.83 in transfers from other authorized committees, with no money coming from political party committees. The $200,000 loan to her campaign boosted her over the half-million-dollar mark.

Sandy Smith

For the entire election cycle, Smith’s campaign has collected $1,984,282.51 and Davis and his backers have raised $1,528,889.37. 

Despite the difference between those sums, Davis has received more campaign contributions than his opponent. Smith loaned her campaign a combined total of $652,000, while her counterpart loaned $19,000 to his own committee.

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Davis significantly outspent Smith in the third-quarter fundraising period. His report shows $497,909.79 in operating expenses and $507,137.97 in total disbursements. Smith spent $162,693.80 on her campaign’s operation and paid a total of $165,014.52 from the committee’s account in the 90-day snapshot of candidate finances.

Due largely to loan proceeds, Smith enters the three-week countdown to North Carolina’s Nov. 8 midterms with more money in the bank. Her campaign reported $418,427.96 in cash on hand compared to Davis’ $320,264.34 in cash reserves.

Sandy Smith for Congress Inc. owes Smith $283,435 in loan repayments, according to FEC filings. Davis’ committee, Don Davis for NC, still owes the candidate the full balance of his $19,000 loan.

Eclipsing the $2 million mark would place either candidate in rare company. Throughout North Carolina’s 14 congressional districts, only four Democrats and four Republicans have raised more than that amount for next month’s election.

Democrats with the highest year-to-date fundraising totals are Jeff Jackson in the 14th District ($5.3 million), Wiley Nickel in the 13th ($2.9 million), Kathy Manning in the 6th ($2.7 million) and Jasmine Beach-Ferrara in the 11th ($2.1 million).

Republicans who have raised the most money so far include Madison Cawthorn ($4.4 million) who lost his 11th District primary to GOP opponent Chuck Edwards, Kelly Daughtry in the 13th ($3.6 million), Patrick McHenry in the 10th ($3.5 million) and Richard Hudson in the 9th District ($2.9 million).

Candidates for federal office are required to file quarterly reports with the FEC. In state and local contests, filings are submitted to the N.C. State Board of Elections, which uses a different schedule to set campaign finance report deadlines.

Disclosures for North Carolina’s “third quarter plus” reporting period, which includes July through September and Oct. 1-22, are due on Nov. 1.