Six candidates are running in the Republican primary election for North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District on March 5, 2024. Three lead in noteworthy endorsements, media attention, and fundraising: Allan Baucom (R), John Bradford III (R), and Mark Harris (R).
Incumbent Dan Bishop (R) is running for Attorney General of North Carolina rather than seeking re-election. If no candidate wins more than 30% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 14 runoff.
Baucom is a farmer and business owner. Baucom says he is a political outsider who plans on “taking a common sense, conservative, businesslike approach to Washington.” The sheriff and district attorney of Stanly County and the sheriff and district attorney of Union County endorsed Baucom. He says his priorities include term limits, immigration, and the national debt. Baucom signed a pledge to sponsor a constitutional amendment on term limits if elected.
Bradford is a small business owner and a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He was elected in 2014, lost his re-election bid in 2018, and won again in 2020. Bradford is running on his political experience, calling himself “a new type of conservative leader with a proven record of tackling big issues with conservative principles.” He says his priorities include taxes, the budget, education, and immigration. U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore have endorsed Bradford. Bradford says his legislative accomplishments include “balancing the state budget every year and delivering the largest personal income tax cut in state history.”
Harris is a pastor who previously ran to represent North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018. Harris says that the 2018 election was stolen from him but that he is running in 2024 to fight against both Democrats and Republicans who disparaged him and to serve the district. He says his priorities include abortion, immigration, the military, and education. The House Freedom Fund endorsed Harris.
In the 2018 election, initial results showed Harris with 49.3% of the vote and Democrat Dan McCready with 48.9%. After a hearing into allegations that a Harris campaign employee engaged in ballot tampering, the state Board of Elections did not certify the election results. The board then voted unanimously to call for a special election, which Harris did not run in due to health issues.
Also running in the primary are Don Brown (R), Leigh Brown (R), and Chris Maples (R).
Justin Dues (D) is running unopposed in the district’s Democratic primary, meaning the winner of the Republican primary will face him in the general election.
