Keith Davenport (North Carolina)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Keith Davenport

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 5, 2024

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1973 - 1976

Personal

Birthplace

Rome, N.Y.

Religion

Non-Denominational

Profession

Activist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

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Keith Davenport (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024.

Davenport completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Davenport ran for president of the United States in 2020 as a Republican, but he changed his partisan affiliation to the Democratic Party before declaring his Senate candidacy.

Biography

Keith Davenport was born in Rome, New York. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1976. His career experience includes working as an activist.

Elections

2024

See also: North Carolina's 8th Congressional District election, 2024

North Carolina's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)

North Carolina's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 8

Mark Harris defeated Justin Dues in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 8 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Harris (R)	59.6	238,640
		Justin Dues (D)	40.4	161,709

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 400,349
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Dan Bishop (R)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Justin Dues advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 8.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Keith Davenport (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 8

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 8 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Harris	30.4	24,764
		Allan Baucom	27.0	21,964
		John Bradford III	17.8	14,458
		Don Brown	10.5	8,519
		Leigh Brown	9.6	7,845
		Chris Maples	4.7	3,787

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 81,337
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Davenport in this election.

2022

See also: United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Ted Budd defeated Cheri Beasley, Shannon Bray, Matthew Hoh, and Michelle Lewis in the general election for U.S. Senate North Carolina on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ted Budd (R)	50.5	1,905,786
		Cheri Beasley (D)	47.3	1,784,049
		Shannon Bray (L)	1.4	51,640
		Matthew Hoh (G)	0.8	29,934
		Michelle Lewis (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	137
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,378

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,773,924
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michele Parks (Independent)
• Marc White (Independent)
• Charles Roberson (Independent)
• Susan Gaddy (Independent)
• Brenda Rodriguez (Independent)
• Hayden Boyette (Independent)
• Barry Caulder (Independent)
• Kimrey Rhinehardt (Independent)
• Adrien Meadows (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cheri Beasley	81.1	501,766
		James Carr Jr.	3.5	21,903
		Alyssia Hammond	3.4	21,005
		Marcus Williams	2.8	17,446
		Constance Johnson	2.0	12,500
		Everette Newton	1.6	10,043
		Chrelle Booker	1.6	9,937
		Brendan K. Maginnis	1.1	7,044
		Robert Colon	1.1	6,904
		Greg Antoine	0.8	5,179
		Tobias LaGrone	0.8	5,048

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 618,775
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jenna Hamrick (D)
• Richard Watkins (D)
• Keith Davenport (D)
• Erica Smith (D)
• Jeff Jackson (D)
• Ava Edwards (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ted Budd	58.6	448,128
		Pat McCrory	24.6	188,135
		Mark Walker	9.2	70,486
		Marjorie K. Eastman	2.9	22,535
	Submit photo	David Flaherty	1.0	7,265
		Kenneth Harper Jr.	0.9	7,129
		Jennifer Banwart	0.4	3,088
	Submit photo	Charles Moss	0.4	2,920
		Leonard L. Bryant	0.4	2,906
		Benjamin Griffiths	0.4	2,870
		Debora Tshiovo	0.4	2,741
		Lee Brian	0.3	2,232
		Lichia Sibhatu	0.3	2,191
	Submit photo	Drew Bulecza	0.3	2,022

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 764,648
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Rene Borghese (R)
• James Gaghan (R)
• Carlton Ellerby (R)
• Marty Cooke (R)
• Jon Warren (R)
• Len McBride (R)

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Shannon Bray advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Keith Davenport completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Davenport's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the former Mayor of Brooksville, Oklahoma. I am a US veteran, having served as a police officer in the United States Air Force.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We have reached a political juncture in America where the vast majority of Americans are tired of the tit for tat politics. I know I am. So, I'm runing to put substance behind the words. Serving in Congress is not a career choice but an opportunity of service.
• The very worst thing we can do is what we've always done in our selection process. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is ludicrous.
• I am a born again Christian and my faith in Jesus Christ is very important to me. While it is the basis of my world views, I won't use Congress as a platform for those views. Decisions regarding morality do not belong in the political spectrum. They should be adjuged at home or in the church.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

There are a number of issues that I am particularly passionate about. I'm running on a platform to push for passage of congressional term limits for all members Congress (2 six-year terms for US Senators and 3 two-year terms for members of the US House). I will self term limit even if the bill doesn't pass! The founding fathers did not intend for elected office to be a career choice, which does nothing but create a nearly unmovable, unfettered foundation of power and influence. Rather, serving in Congress was intended to provide opportunities for Americans to participate in our legislative process. You bring your ideas to Washington and then when your election terms are finished, you go home. A few other issues that I'm passionate about are the elimination of the debt ceiling which is nothing more than a tool that the parties use to force agendas. It's not about limiting anything because at the end of the day, they just raise the limit. To prove that fact, they have never lowered the limit! With an unsustainable public debt of $33 trillion, it is past time for passage of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. The American people should be able trust those that we hire to serve us and not some hidden party agenda. Quickly... a few other issues include passage of a Gun Safety Day. I'll talk more about that on my campaign website. Climate change is not a political talking point... at least it shouldn't be. It's a scientific fact.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My Dad would be at the top of the list because he was a man of the deepest integrity and unquestionable honor.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honor. I think everything is encapsulated in that character trait.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Do your job. It should never be about money, power or influence. It should be about one thing and one thing only... doing the right thing for the right reasons.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I did my job.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The date was November 22, 1963., I was all of 9 years old. We were out on the playground when teachers ushered us into the auditorium. We had no idea what was going on. I noticed some of the teachers were crying. After awhile, the principal announced that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, had been assassinated in Dallas. That event, even at that young age, changed my life forever.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was a Hested's, a five and dime store back around 1969. I don't remember much about it. I may have worked the cash register and did some stocking in the store.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Silent Night by The Temptations

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Tradition... honor... integrity... As a young child, I met John John and Caroline Kennedy when we took a field trip (I attended James A. Garfield Elementary School) to the White House back in 1963. That single event changed me. It created within me a deep love and respect for the traditions innate to service. That's what I see should be a reflection of the uniqueness of the House as an institution.... a commitment to service.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

It's beneficial certainly. But, I don't think it is necessary. I think what is more beneficial and certainly necessary is having a heart for serving others. I don't think we can represent anyone effectively unless and until we can have, at the minimum, empathy for their plight. That's why I don't think a person who has always been wealthy can serve the vast majority of Americans. Most Americans are not wealthy! If I can feel your pulse, I have a better understanding of your needs and thus, how I can participate in helping fulfill them. That's what service is all about.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

I think the greatest challenges facing us as a nation have to do with those who would try to circumvent and destroy the legitimacy of the single document that is the basis of who we are... the United States Constitution.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes for a single term. I also believe there should be limits to the number of terms... 3 two-year terms. I will term limit myself if legislation similar to H.J. Res. 1 does not become law.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I am a very strong supporter of congressional term limits because it inhibits the ability of that office holder or those office holders to concentrate power. Unfettered, absolute power corrupts absolutely!

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Yes. John F. Kennedy

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've heard stories from people most concerned about student loans and the long-term impact those loans have upon students even after leaving school.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. While compromise is necessary, it should not mean that you surrender your personal convictions or the matter of doing the right thing, just for the sake of compromise. There are times when compromise is nothing more than surrender. That's why my slogan is "for the right reasons".

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

The late Senator Tom Coburn (OK-R) once said, that Congress does not have a sound accounting process in place. Without some type of process of accountability including a balanced budget amendment, elimination of the debt ceiling and congressional term limits, Congress has essentially a blank check. Unfettered power has resulted in an unsustainable public debt, according to a report from the CBO a few years back.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The best way to answer that question is to state how the US House should NOT be using its investigative powers... to fulfill someone's political pipe dream. Congress has an obligation to serve the people of the United States not some hidden agenda of anyone!

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Keith Davenport did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Keith Davenport campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House North Carolina District 8	Withdrew primary	$0	N/A**
2022	U.S. Senate North Carolina	Withdrew primary	$0	N/A**
2020	President of the United States	Lost general	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

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Candidate

U.S. House North Carolina District 8

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Footnotes

[show]

North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ted Budd (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Davis (D)

District 2

Deborah Ross (D)

District 3

Gregory Murphy (R)

District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

District 5

Virginia Foxx (R)

District 6

Addison McDowell (R)

District 7

David Rouzer (R)

District 8

Mark Harris (R)

District 9

Richard Hudson (R)

District 10

Pat Harrigan (R)

District 11

Chuck Edwards (R)

District 12

Alma Adams (D)

District 13

Brad Knott (R)

District 14

Timothy Moore (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (4)