After graduating from Central High School, he attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 and his Masters of Public Policy in 1999.

Davis was an administrator of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission from 2004 to 2011, and deputy director of the Prince George's County Office of Community Relations from 2011 to 2021.

[1] Davis was the fourth African American to chair a House standing committee in Maryland and the first from Prince George's County.

[4] During his tenure as the chair of the Economic Matters Committee, he was involved in negotiations to avert a 72 percent rate increase in Baltimore Gas and Electric utility costs,[5] which led into a special legislative session after legislators failed to pass a bill during the regular 2006 legislative session[6] and eventually led to a bill that would temporarily cap rate increases to 15 percent and replace the five-member Maryland Public Service Commission with regulators selected by the legislature.

[29] During the Democratic primary, he received endorsements from more than a dozen members of the Maryland General Assembly and county councilmember Derrick Leon Davis,[30] and raised about $464,000 in campaign contributions.

He was sworn in on December 17, becoming the first state treasurer from Prince George’s County, and the second African-American to hold the position, after Richard N.

[36] During his tenure, Davis has placed additional scrutiny onto contracts with inadequate participation from historically disadvantaged business owners[37] and raised concerns about settlements involving law enforcement agencies or correctional officers.

[45] In June 2023, Maryland Matters reported that Davis was continuing to raise funds for his campaign account as state treasurer, which he said was to stay "prepared" for the future and that he had no plans to leave his position.