Mark Harris, a North Carolina pastor, has won the Republican nomination for North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District. This victory comes five years after his apparent win in an earlier House election was overturned due to ballot fraud allegations. The North Carolina State Board of Elections confirmed Harris’s win with over 30% of the vote, enough to avoid a runoff. Incumbent Dan Bishop is vacating the seat to run for North Carolina attorney general, leaving Harris poised to become the next member of Congress from this red district.
Harris expressed gratitude for his supporters on social media following his primary win, acknowledging their continued support throughout the years. He will face Democrat Justin Dues in the fall general election in a district that President Donald Trump won by 18 points in 2020. This marks Harris’s fourth attempt at a congressional seat, following unsuccessful bids for the Senate in 2014, the House in 2016, and the House in 2018, which made national headlines due to the ensuing ballot fraud scandal.
The 2018 election, in which Harris appeared to be the winner by 905 votes, was marred by allegations of absentee ballot tampering involving a campaign consultant. The state Board of Elections did not certify the result and a new election was called for, which Harris did not participate in. The 2019 election was won by Bishop, further complicating the fallout from the scandal. Harris addressed the controversy in his 2022 campaign, framing it as a political attack by Democrats akin to the alleged stolen election from President Trump in 2020.
The ballot fraud scandal played a significant role in this year’s primary, with Harris’s opponents bringing up the issue during debates and attacks. Despite this, Harris managed to secure the Republican nomination and is now focused on the general election against Dues. The district’s strong support for Trump in the past presidential election indicates a favorable environment for Harris, who is positioning himself as a candidate aligned with Trump’s values. The outcome of this election will determine the political future of North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District and Harris’s bid for redemption after the tainted 2018 contest.
