Hours after retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout announced her candidacy for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, one of her Republican primary opponents fired back with sharp criticism, questioning whether her decision contradicts earlier statements about her health and ability to serve.

State Sen. Bobby Hanig released a statement Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, challenging Buckhout’s reversal on running for Congress, pointing to quotes she gave earlier this year in which she explicitly ruled out another campaign due to health concerns to the Albemarle Observer.

“Voters deserve full and honest context,” Hanig said in his statement. “For months, Ms. Buckhout told me and others that she was not running for Congress.”

When asked for comment, Buckhout said she is not a big fan of speaking ill of other Republican candidates. She is personally going to run on the issues, citing her lifetime of experience as making her a better candidate to represent the district.

Buckhout noted that while she hopes to win, she’ll support whoever wins the Republican primary.

Earlier Statements Come Back Into Focus

Hanig’s criticism centers on an interview Buckhout gave to the Albemarle Observer in May 2025, in which she explained her decision not to seek the congressional seat again.

“I’ve sort of kept this under my hat, but I would like folks to know why I am not running for Congress again,” Buckhout told the Observer at the time. “And although some wonderful people have asked me to run again, I think a public servant needs to be fit to serve. I had a couple of serious health incidents during my own campaign last year, and I realized I would not be able to do it again.”

During her Dec. 17, 2025, announcement on Henry Hinton’s Talk of the Town radio show, Buckhout addressed her health situation, explaining that she had been suffering from kidney dysfunction related to burn pit exposure during her deployment in Iraq. She said the VA had placed her on incorrect medication for years, but after switching to different medical care paid for through her military retirement benefits, her condition improved dramatically.

“I’m feeling like a million bucks,” Buckhout said during the radio interview.

Hanig, however, suggested the timing of her recovery was suspicious.

“Did her health miraculously improve at the same time the district was redrawn?” he asked in his statement. “Ms. Buckhout is an opportunist who has not engaged with Eastern North Carolina voters since her failure to defeat Don Davis last year.”

Allegations of Behind-the-Scenes Maneuvering

In what may be the most provocative element of his statement, Hanig claimed that Buckhout recently contacted him seeking to clear the primary field.

“Of note, I received a call last week from Ms. Buckhout asking me to step aside because she wanted to trade on offering me her Chief of Staff role and I told her no!” Hanig wrote.

The allegation suggests Buckhout was attempting to consolidate Republican support before formally announcing her candidacy, though she has not publicly commented on any such conversations.

Hanig also noted that Buckhout “recently stepped away from a position working in Washington DC citing her health and the strain of travel” — a reference to her departure from the Pentagon role as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, which she left in September.

Drawing Parallels to Presidential Race

Hanig drew a comparison between questions about Buckhout’s health and concerns raised about President Joe Biden during the 2024 campaign, arguing that if age and fitness were legitimate topics then, they should be now.

“The health of President Joe Biden was a legitimate topic during the 2024 campaign when assessing his ability to serve, then it is equally appropriate to consider her own public statements about her health and the capacity to handle the rigors of federal office,” Hanig said.

“Serving Eastern North Carolina requires sustained energy, frequent travel, and the ability to fight every day in Washington,” he continued. “Voters deserve transparency about who is fully prepared to meet that standard.”

Hanig Touts Legislative Record

The state senator also used his response to highlight his own credentials and record representing parts of the 1st Congressional District in the North Carolina General Assembly.

“I’ve been serving the voters of the district for years and fighting for our values and our way of life,” Hanig said. “I am the only candidate who has legislatively voted to implement President Trump’s agenda. I have proven my commitment to Eastern North Carolina by being a leader in the fight to save the shrimping industry and on many other battles critical to the district.”

Hanig emphasized his established presence in the region, contrasting it with what he characterized as Buckhout’s absence since her November 2024 loss to Don Davis. “I know Eastern North Carolina Republican primary voters want a leader who will always fight for their interest and help President Trump Make America Great Again!” he said.

A Rapidly Intensifying Primary

The sharp exchange between Hanig and Buckhout signals that the Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District is likely to become contentious in the coming weeks. With the filing deadline on Friday, December 19, and the primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, candidates have just over two months to make their case to voters.

In addition to Buckhout and Hanig, the Republican field includes Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck, Lenoir County Commissioner Eric Rouse, and attorney Ashley-Nicole Russell.

The newly redrawn district, which now stretches from Granville County near the Virginia border down to the coast, is considered more favorable to Republicans than the configuration Buckhout ran in during 2024. That race resulted in a narrow loss to Davis.

During her radio appearance Wednesday, she expressed confidence about the primary, saying she believed she had “the most experience” of any candidate in the field and predicting she would “outraise everybody in the race very, very quickly.”

As the primary campaign heats up, voters in the 1st Congressional District can expect to hear more about candidate qualifications, health, and readiness to serve—issues that Hanig’s statement has now placed squarely at the center of the Republican contest.

Hanig’s Statement

Statement from Senator Bobby Hanig on Laurie Buckhout’s Reversal on Congressional Run

Laurie Buckhout has decided to go back on her word and enter the Republican primary for NC Congressional District 1.

For context this is what Ms. Buckhout was quoted as saying in the Albemarle Observer 5/22/25 about not running for the seat and about her health.

“I’ve sort of kept this under my hat, but I would like folks to know why I am not running for Congress again. … and although some wonderful people have asked me to run again, I think a public servant needs to be fit to serve. I had a couple of serious health incidents during my own campaign last year, and I realized I would not be able to do it again.”

Below is Eastern North Carolina’s Conservative Senator Bobby Hanig’s response to Ms. Buckhout’s entrance in the primary.

“Voters deserve full and honest context. For months, Ms. Buckhout told me and others that she was not running for Congress. Earlier this year, she publicly stated that her health issues prevented her from serving, explaining that the physical demands of campaigning and holding office were more than she could handle.

She also recently stepped away from a position working in Washington DC citing her health and the strain of travel.

The health of President Joe Biden was a legitimate topic during the 2024 campaign when assessing his ability to serve, then it is equally appropriate to consider her own public statements about her health and the capacity to handle the rigors of federal office.

Did her health miraculously improve at the same time the district was redrawn? Ms. Buckhout is an opportunist who has not engaged with Eastern North Carolina voters since her failure to defeat Don Davis last year.

Serving Eastern North Carolina requires sustained energy, frequent travel, and the ability to fight every day in Washington. Voters deserve transparency about who is fully prepared to meet that standard.

Of note, I received a call last week from Ms. Buckhout asking me to step aside because she wanted to trade on offering me her Chief of Staff role and I told her no!

I’ve been serving the voters of the district for years and fighting for our values and our way of life. I am the only candidate who has legislatively voted to implement President Trump’s agenda. I have proven my commitment to Eastern North Carolina by being a leader in the fight to save the shrimping industry and on many other battles critical to the district. I know Eastern North Carolina Republican primary voters want a leader who will always fight for their interest and help President Trump Make America Great Again!”