NC's Laurie Buckhout suspended from Kalshi after betting on her own campaign

Danielle Battaglia, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Aug 31, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout found herself in trouble after literally betting on herself.

Buckhout, a Republican from Edenton, used the prediction market Kalshi to bet on her own campaign against Rep. Don Davis, a Democrat from Snow Hill.

It’s not clear what bet Buckhout made, but she wagered less than $1,000 on it. Kalshi suspended Buckhout from using its website for three years.

She also must pay a $2,589.96 financial penalty.

“It was a dumb mistake,” Buckhout told multiple media outlets Monday. “And as soon as I learned there was an issue, I worked to make it right. Safe to say my career as a Kalshi trader was short-lived.”

The website currently shows a bet on whether Buckhout or Davis will win North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District race. As of Monday afternoon, the odds were on Davis at 65% with a nearly $75,000 volume.

“Eastern North Carolinians are struggling with the everyday costs of healthcare, gas, groceries, and housing, while my opponent treats a congressional election as an opportunity to cash in,” Davis said. “The news that my opponent was caught, fined, and slapped with a three-year ban for trading on insider information is a disqualifying breach of public trust.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also called out Buckhout.

“Looks like Laurie Buckhout is getting a jump-start on her insider trading aspirations,” said Madison Andrus, spokeswoman for the committee. “If Buckhout can’t be trusted to follow the most basic prediction market rules, there is no chance she can be trusted as an ethical representative for North Carolina families.”

The 2026 election marks Buckhout’s second matchup against Davis, who defeated her in 2024.

Buckhout is a retired Army colonel. She founded a consulting company specializing in electronic warfare and cyberspace operations, and later sold it for $9 million.

She moved to North Carolina in 2021. After she lost to Davis, Trump appointed Buckhout as assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy.

She said last year she had no intention to run again due to a series of health problems.

At the end of 2025, Republicans redrew the district to favor a Republican win, and Buckhout announced her candidacy against Davis, who is in his third term in office.

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