Republican · North Carolina's 1st District · 2026
Laurie Buckhout
Buckhout grew up on a cattle farm in Virginia's Shenandoah region.
Biography
Laurie Buckhout and her husband are both Army veterans, and their family includes two sons.1 They live in Edenton and had been married for 30 years when she described their household in October 2026.1 Her education includes a James Madison University bachelor's degree and graduate degrees in military strategy and information management.2
Buckhout served 26 years in the Regular Army and retired as a colonel.2 She commanded a battalion level task force during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.2 Her decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal and Bronze Star, and her military qualifications include the Combat Action and Parachutist badges.2
After military retirement, she founded Corvus Consulting, specializing in electronic warfare and cyberspace operations, and sold it to Castellum in 2019.3 Her professional service includes leading the Association of Old Crows, an electronic warfare organization.2 She has also taught at National Defense University, Marine Corps University and George Mason University.2 In 2025, she was deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy while also performing the assistant secretary's duties.2
Her platform emphasizes lower costs, border security, national defense and government accountability.1 She also promises support for rural hospitals, farms and small towns.4 This rematch follows her 2024 campaign against Don Davis.3 She faces Democrat Don Davis.5