The Rev. Mark Harris has secured the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina, marking his second attempt to head to Washington following a 2018 absentee ballot scandal. Harris narrowly surpassed the 30% threshold to avoid a potential runoff in the six-candidate race in the state's 8th District, edging out political newcomer Allan Baucom.
Harris is set to face Democrat Justin Dues in the upcoming November election in a district that heavily favors Republicans, stretching from Charlotte to Lumberton in the eastern part of the state.
In the 2018 election, Harris initially appeared to have won the general election by a slim margin of under 1,000 votes. However, an investigation uncovered irregularities involving a political operative linked to Harris who collected numerous absentee ballots that were either incomplete or left blank. While Harris himself was not charged in the scandal, he cooperated with investigators and advocated for a new election, which was eventually granted by the State Board of Elections. The seat was later won by Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop.
After entering the race this year, Harris dismissed the previous scandal as a 'manufactured scandal' and criticized Democrats for what he described as extreme tactics to push their agenda.
Elsewhere in North Carolina, the 13th District saw attorney Kelly Daughtry and former federal prosecutor Brad Knott heading towards a potential runoff, as Daughtry fell short of the 30% threshold required for an outright victory. In the 6th District, Blue Cross and Blue Shield lobbyist Addison McDowell and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker emerged as the top contenders, setting the stage for a possible runoff.
The primary elections on Tuesday brought significant changes to North Carolina's congressional delegation, with three districts expected to shift from Democratic to Republican control in the upcoming November election. The state's Republican-controlled General Assembly redrew voting maps for the 2022 elections, leading to these anticipated changes.
Notable departures include North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, who secured the Republican nomination for the 14th District after 21 years in the General Assembly. Moore will face Democrat Pam Genant, an Army veteran and registered nurse, in the November election. Additionally, U.S. Reps. Dan Bishop and Patrick McHenry opted not to seek reelection, opening up their Republican-dominated districts to new representation.
Currently, North Carolina's congressional delegation consists of seven Democrats and seven Republicans. However, following the November election, the delegation is projected to shift to 10 Republicans and three Democrats, with the 1st District, currently under Democratic control, considered a toss-up.
