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{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Mark Harris
|name = Mark Harris
|image name = Mark Harris (FBCIT) (cropped close up).png
|image = Mark Harris (FBCIT) (cropped close up).png
|caption = Harris in 2018
|state = [[North Carolina]]
|district = {{ushr|NC|8|8th}}
|term_start = January 3, 2025
|term_end =
|succeeding = [[Dan Bishop]]
|predecessor = [[Dan Bishop]]
|successor =
|birth_name = Mark Everette Harris
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|4|24}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|4|24}}
|birth_place = [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]], U.S.
|birth_place = [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]], U.S.
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|education = [[Appalachian State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]] ([[Master of Divinity|MDiv]], [[Doctor of Ministry|DMin]])
|education = [[Appalachian State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]] ([[Master of Divinity|MDiv]], [[Doctor of Ministry|DMin]])
}}
}}
'''Mark Harris''' (born April 24, 1966) is an American pastor and politician from [[North Carolina]]. He is the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for the [[2024_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina#District_8|2024 election]] in the redrawn {{ushr|NC|8}}.<ref name="charlotteobserverharriswinsgopprimary2024">{{cite news |work=[[The Charlotte Observer]] |access-date=March 6, 2024 |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article286240475.html |date=March 5, 2024 |author=Noel, Rebecca |title=Mark Harris is GOP’s 8th District nominee six years after election fraud prompted do-over}}</ref>
'''Mark Everette Harris'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark Harris |url=https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H6NC09200/ |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=[[Federal Election Commission|FEC]] |language=en}}</ref> (born April 24, 1966) is an American pastor and political candidate from [[North Carolina]]. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], he is the member-elect for {{ushr|NC|8}}.<ref name="charlotteobserverharriswinsgopprimary2024">{{cite news |work=[[The Charlotte Observer]] |access-date=March 6, 2024 |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article286240475.html |date=March 5, 2024 |author=Noel, Rebecca |title=Mark Harris is GOP's 8th District nominee six years after election fraud prompted do-over}}</ref>


Harris previously ran to represent {{ushr|NC|9}} in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in the [[2016 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina|2016]] and [[2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election|2018]] elections. In 2016, he was defeated in the Republican [[Primary elections in the United States|primary]] by incumbent [[Robert Pittenger]]. Harris ran for Congress again in 2018, defeating Pittenger in the Republican primary.
Harris first ran for the [[United States Senate]] in [[2014 United States Senate election in North Carolina|2014]], placing third in the Republican primary. He then ran to represent {{ushr|NC|9}} in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in the [[2016 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina|2016]] election, but he was defeated in the Republican [[Primary elections in the United States|primary]] by incumbent [[Robert Pittenger]].


In the [[general election]] against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] opponent [[Dan McCready]], initial tallies appeared to show Harris winning the election but an election panel declined to certify these results after allegations of harvesting involving [[McCrae Dowless]], a Republican political operative employed by the Harris campaign. Dowless was later criminally charged in connection with the alleged fraud, but Harris was not. In February 2019, the bipartisan North Carolina Board of Elections dismissed the results of the election and called for [[2019 North Carolina's 9th congressional district special election|a new election]] to be held. Following more than a year of investigation by multiple North Carolina and Federal agencies, in 2020 Mark Harris was cleared in the probe related to the absentee ballot harvesting case that triggered a new special election. He was not a candidate in the new election, which was won by fellow Republican [[Dan Bishop]].
Harris ran for the 9th district again in [[2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election|2018]], narrowly defeating Pittenger in the Republican primary. In the [[general election]] against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] opponent [[Dan McCready]], initial tallies appeared to show Harris winning the election, but an election panel declined to certify these results following allegations of ballot fraud involving [[McCrae Dowless]], a Republican political operative employed by the Harris campaign. Dowless was later criminally charged in connection with the alleged fraud, but Harris was not charged. In February 2019, the bipartisan North Carolina Board of Elections dismissed the results of the election and called for [[2019 North Carolina's 9th congressional district special election|a new election]] to be held. Harris was not a candidate in the new election, which was won by fellow Republican [[Dan Bishop]].

Harris then announced his bid for the 8th district in 2024, following Bishop's decision to retire and instead run for [[2024 North Carolina Attorney General election|Attorney General]]. After defeating five opponents to win the Republican nomination, Harris went on to win [[2024 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 8|the general election]] in what was described by multiple outlets as a comeback bid.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harrison |first=Steve |date=2024-03-05 |title=Mark Harris wins Republican primary, completing his political comeback in the 8th District |language=en-US |work=[[WUNC (FM)]] |url=https://www.wunc.org/2024-03-05/mark-harris-wins-republican-primary-completing-his-political-comeback-in-the-8th-district |access-date=2024-11-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-11-06 |title=Charlotte-area Republicans win Congressional races, including Mark Harris comeback |language=en-US |work=[[WFAE]] |url=https://www.wfae.org/politics/2024-11-06/charlotte-area-republicans-win-congressional-races-including-mark-harris-comeback |access-date=2024-11-13}}</ref>


== Early life and career ==
== Early life and career ==
Harris was born in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]], on April 24, 1966.<!-- Parents' names? --><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 20, 2015 |title=A quick look at Mark Harris, a Republican candidate for US Senate in North Carolina |publisher=[[Fox News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/a-quick-look-at-mark-harris-a-republican-candidate-for-us-senate-in-north-carolina}}</ref> He attended local schools there before earning his [[bachelor's degree]] in political science from [[Appalachian State University]]. He earned both a [[Master of Divinity]] (M.Div.) and [[Doctor of Ministry]] (D.Min.) from [[Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]].<ref name="CharlotteObserver">{{Cite web |last=Funk |first=Tim |date=May 20, 2016 |title=Pastor Mark Harris feels called to new kind of leadership |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article78890507.html |access-date=May 9, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Charlotte Observer]]}}</ref>
Harris was born in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]], on April 24, 1966.<!-- Parents' names? --><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 20, 2015 |title=A quick look at Mark Harris, a Republican candidate for US Senate in North Carolina |publisher=[[Fox News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/a-quick-look-at-mark-harris-a-republican-candidate-for-us-senate-in-north-carolina}}</ref> He attended local schools there before earning his [[bachelor's degree]] in political science from [[Appalachian State University]]. He earned both a [[Master of Divinity]] (M.Div.) and [[Doctor of Ministry]] (D.Min.) from [[Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary]].<ref name="CharlotteObserver">{{Cite web |last=Funk |first=Tim |date=May 20, 2016 |title=Pastor Mark Harris feels called to new kind of leadership |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article78890507.html |access-date=May 9, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Charlotte Observer]]}}</ref>


Harris is the lead pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in [[Mooresville, North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Gary |date=July 15, 2020 |title=NC Prosecutor Ends Probe of Ex-Congressional Candidate|url=https://apnews.com/1cd1862143d994eb8863963d423c5959 |access-date=July 20, 2020 |website=[[The Associated Press]]}}</ref> He has served as the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shiles |first=Bob |date=July 28, 2017 |title=Harris stumps on 'faith, family' |url=https://www.robesonian.com/news/101391/harris-stumps-on-faith-family |access-date=May 9, 2018 |website=[[The Robesonian]]}}</ref> and as president of the [[Baptist State Convention of North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trygstad |first=Kyle |date=September 12, 2013 |title=Conservative Preacher Joins North Carolina Senate Primary |url=http://atr.rollcall.com/conservative-preacher-to-challenge-hagan/ |access-date=September 12, 2013 |website=Roll Call}}</ref> He served as senior of [[Augusta, Georgia]]'s Curtis Baptist Church from January 1, 2000 to July 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fbicard.org/mark-harris|title = Mark Harris}}</ref>
Harris is the lead pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in [[Mooresville, North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Gary |date=July 15, 2020 |title=NC Prosecutor Ends Probe of Ex-Congressional Candidate|url=https://apnews.com/1cd1862143d994eb8863963d423c5959 |access-date=July 20, 2020 |website=[[The Associated Press]]}}</ref> He has served as the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shiles |first=Bob |date=July 28, 2017 |title=Harris stumps on 'faith, family' |url=https://www.robesonian.com/news/101391/harris-stumps-on-faith-family |access-date=May 9, 2018 |website=[[The Robesonian]]}}</ref> and as president of the [[Baptist State Convention of North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trygstad |first=Kyle |date=September 12, 2013 |title=Conservative Preacher Joins North Carolina Senate Primary |url=http://atr.rollcall.com/conservative-preacher-to-challenge-hagan/ |access-date=September 12, 2013 |website=Roll Call |archive-date=September 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915082056/http://atr.rollcall.com/conservative-preacher-to-challenge-hagan/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He served as senior of [[Augusta, Georgia]]'s Curtis Baptist Church from January 1, 2000 to July 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fbicard.org/mark-harris|title = Mark Harris}}</ref> He began preaching at [[Mooresville, North Carolina]]'s Trinity Baptist Church in February 2020.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://trinitybaptist.com/staff | title=Staff }}</ref>


==Political career==
==Political career==
Harris ran for the [[United States Senate]] in the [[United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2014|2014 election]], finishing in third place in the Republican primary behind [[Thom Tillis]] and [[Greg Brannon]].<ref name=CharlotteObserver/> He later ran against [[incumbent]] congressman [[Robert Pittenger]] for the [[United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2016#District 9|U.S. House in 2016]]. The election went to a recount, with Pittenger certified the winner by 134 votes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrill |first=Jim |date=June 20, 2016 |title=Recount confirms Robert Pittenger's win in the 9th District |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article84894337.html |access-date=May 9, 2018 |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer}}</ref>
Harris ran for the [[United States Senate]] in the [[2014 United States Senate election in North Carolina|2014 election]], finishing in third place in the Republican primary behind [[Thom Tillis]] and [[Greg Brannon]].<ref name=CharlotteObserver/> He later ran against [[incumbent]] congressman [[Robert Pittenger]] for {{ushr|NC|9}} in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in the [[2016 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina|2016 election]]. The election went to a recount, with Pittenger certified the winner by 134 votes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrill |first=Jim |date=June 20, 2016 |title=Recount confirms Robert Pittenger's win in the 9th District |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article84894337.html |access-date=May 9, 2018 |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer}}</ref>


===2018 congressional campaign===
===2018 congressional campaign===
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====Election fraud allegations====
====Election fraud allegations====
{{toolong|section}}
{{main|2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election}}
{{main|2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election}}
Following the November 6, 2018, midterm elections in [[North Carolina's 9th congressional district]], initial tallies put Harris 905 votes ahead of his Democratic competitor, [[Dan McCready]]. McCready conceded on the day after the election, but the state Democratic Party filed affidavits with the state's board of voters claiming that the Harris campaign had used independent contractors to collect unsealed absentee ballots from voters and alter them before submitting them to the post office.<ref name="Wise"/><ref name="Levy"/><ref name="APDalesio"/> The North Carolina Board of Elections voted 9–0 on November 27 not to certify the election.<ref name="Morrill"/>
Following the November 6, 2018, midterm elections in [[North Carolina's 9th congressional district]], initial tallies put Harris 905 votes ahead of his Democratic competitor, [[Dan McCready]]. McCready conceded on the day after the election; however, the state Democratic Party filed affidavits claiming that the Harris campaign had engaged in ballot fraud.<ref name="Wise"/><ref name="Levy"/><ref name="APDalesio"/> The North Carolina Board of Elections voted 9–0 on November 27 not to certify the election.<ref name="Morrill"/>


The Board of Elections subsequently opened an investigation which centered around the activities of [[McCrae Dowless|Leslie McCrae Dowless]], who had felony convictions for perjury and fraud. Dowless had been employed by numerous campaigns of Republican candidates to orchestrate "get out the vote" efforts. The accusation is that Dowless, who was hired by the Harris campaign, paid workers to illegally collect absentee ballots from voters.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bruno |first=Joe |date=December 5, 2018 |title=Who is McCrae Dowless, man who appears to be center of 9th District investigation? |publisher=WSOC-TV |url=https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/man-in-center-of-voter-fraud-investigation-in-nc-district-9-race-has-criminal-past/882190369 |access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref> According to ''[[The Washington Post]]'', Harris directed the hiring of Dowless for his campaign even though Harris received personal warnings in 2016 that Dowless had almost certainly used questionable tactics to deliver absentee votes in rural [[Bladen County, North Carolina|Bladen county]] for Todd Johnson, another losing candidate in the District's Republican congressional 2016 primary.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gardner, Amy |last2=Ross, Kirk |date=December 13, 2018 |title=N.C. congressional candidate sought out aide, despite warnings over tactics |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/nc-congressional-candidate-sought-out-aide-despite-warnings-of-voting-irregularities/2018/12/13/daea8338-fca1-11e8-83c0-b06139e540e5_story.html |access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref>
The Board of Elections later opened an investigation into the activities of [[McCrae Dowless|Leslie McCrae Dowless]], a Harris campaign operative who had prior felony convictions for perjury and fraud.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bruno |first=Joe |date=December 5, 2018 |title=Who is McCrae Dowless, man who appears to be center of 9th District investigation? |publisher=WSOC-TV |url=https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/man-in-center-of-voter-fraud-investigation-in-nc-district-9-race-has-criminal-past/882190369 |access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref> According to ''[[The Washington Post]]'', Harris directed the hiring of Dowless for his campaign even though Harris received personal warnings in 2016 that Dowless had almost certainly used questionable tactics when working for a previous campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gardner, Amy |last2=Ross, Kirk |date=December 13, 2018 |title=N.C. congressional candidate sought out aide, despite warnings over tactics |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/nc-congressional-candidate-sought-out-aide-despite-warnings-of-voting-irregularities/2018/12/13/daea8338-fca1-11e8-83c0-b06139e540e5_story.html |access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref>


While the allegations of irregularities were being investigated, Harris sought to have himself certified as the winner of the election.<ref name="NewsObserver">{{Cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Brian |last2=Morrill |first2=Jim |last3=Portillo |first3=Ely |date=February 21, 2019 |title=NC state board votes for new election in 9th district after Harris calls for new race |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article226561504.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |website=[[The News & Observer]] |language=en}}</ref> In January 2019, Harris filed a petition to have a court certify him as the winner of the election; Harris's petition was rejected that same month.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cohen, Ethan |last2=Devine, Curt |title=GOP candidate will ask NC court to certify results of disputed election |date=January 3, 2019 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/politics/north-carolina-election-board-district-9-hearing-postpone/index.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 22, 2019 |title=North Carolina judge refuses to certify Republican as winner of... |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-north-carolina-idUSKCN1PG2CQ |access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref> That same month, Harris said "no evidence has been supplied that suggests the outcome of the race is in question"; ''[[The News & Observer]]'' disputed Harris's assertion, stating that it was "extremely unlikely" that Harris knew "the extent of evidence that has been submitted to the NC elections board".<ref name="HuffPost">{{Cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=December 18, 2018 |title=North Carolina GOP Criticizes State Election Board, Supports Candidate In Election Fraud Probe |language=en-US |work=[[HuffPost]] |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/north-carolina-election-fraud-probe-mark-harris_us_5c18207be4b0432554c34980 |access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref> On February 9, 2019, Harris said that "Democrats and liberal media have spared no expense disparaging" his good name and blamed "a liberal activist" on the Board of Elections for controversy surrounding the election. He described the alleged ballot-harvesting scheme as "unsubstantiated slandering".<ref name=NewsObserver/> During the investigation, the North Carolina Republican Party declared, "Mark Harris won the election",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Don't let politicians mislead you about the NC9 election fraud investigation |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article225098460.html |access-date=February 22, 2019 |website=[[The News & Observer]] |language=en}}</ref> calling on the state elections board to certify Harris as the winner.<ref name=HuffPost/> The party also defended Harris, describing him as an "innocent victim".<ref>{{Cite web |title='An innocent victim': Amid election fraud claims, NC GOP defends Mark Harris |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article222751275.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |website=The News & Observer |language=en}}</ref>
In January 2019, Harris filed a petition to have a court certify him as the winner of the election; Harris's petition was rejected that same month.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cohen, Ethan |last2=Devine, Curt |title=GOP candidate will ask NC court to certify results of disputed election |date=January 3, 2019 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/politics/north-carolina-election-board-district-9-hearing-postpone/index.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 22, 2019 |title=North Carolina judge refuses to certify Republican as winner of... |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-north-carolina-idUSKCN1PG2CQ |access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref> That same month, Harris said "no evidence has been supplied that suggests the outcome of the race is in question"; ''[[The News & Observer]]'' disputed Harris's assertion, stating that it was "extremely unlikely" that Harris knew "the extent of evidence that has been submitted to the NC elections board".<ref name="HuffPost">{{Cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=December 18, 2018 |title=North Carolina GOP Criticizes State Election Board, Supports Candidate In Election Fraud Probe |language=en-US |work=[[HuffPost]] |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/north-carolina-election-fraud-probe-mark-harris_us_5c18207be4b0432554c34980 |access-date=February 21, 2019}}</ref> On February 9, 2019, Harris said that "Democrats and liberal media have spared no expense disparaging" his good name and blamed "a liberal activist" on the Board of Elections for controversy surrounding the election. He described the alleged ballot-harvesting scheme as "unsubstantiated slandering".<ref name="NewsObserver">{{Cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Brian |last2=Morrill |first2=Jim |last3=Portillo |first3=Ely |date=February 21, 2019 |title=NC state board votes for new election in 9th district after Harris calls for new race |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article226561504.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |website=[[The News & Observer]] |language=en}}</ref> During the investigation, the North Carolina Republican Party declared, "Mark Harris won the election",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Don't let politicians mislead you about the NC9 election fraud investigation |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article225098460.html |access-date=February 22, 2019 |website=[[The News & Observer]] |language=en}}</ref> calling on the state elections board to certify Harris as the winner.<ref name=HuffPost/> The party also defended Harris, describing him as an "innocent victim".<ref>{{Cite web |title='An innocent victim': Amid election fraud claims, NC GOP defends Mark Harris |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article222751275.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |website=The News & Observer |language=en}}</ref>

The outcome of the election remained uncertified while state election officials investigated the alleged fraud.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morrill |first=Jim |date=November 29, 2018 |title='Tangled web' in Bladen County has questions swirling about votes in the 9th District |work=The Charlotte Observer |location=Charlotte, North Carolina |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article222363510.html |access-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Amy |last2=Ross |first2=Kirk |date=November 29, 2018 |title=Certification in limbo in N.C. House race as fraud investigation continues |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/certification-in-limbo-in-nc-house-race-as-fraud-investigation-continues/2018/11/29/109209f6-f406-11e8-80d0-f7e1948d55f4_story.html |access-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> In early January, Republican party officials refused to send Democratic governor [[Roy Cooper]] the names of their party's candidates to fill vacancies on the board. Responding to their actions, Cooper said, "If politicians and the people they hire are manipulating the system to steal elections, all of us should pull together to get to the bottom of it and stop it — regardless of whether the candidate who finished ahead in a tainted election is a Republican or a Democrat".<ref>Featherston, Emily (January 2, 2019). [http://www.wect.com/2019/01/02/no-interim-ncsbe-cooper-will-not-appoint-new-board-says-lack-gop-support-obstructing-election-fraud-investigation/ "Election fraud hearing postponed; Cooper will not appoint new board, calls lack of GOP support 'obstruction'"]. [[WECT]]. Retrieved March 2, 2019.</ref>


The North Carolina State Board of Elections held hearings from February 18 to February 21, 2019 to further investigate the disputed election results.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Portillo, Ely Portillo |last2=Morrill, Jim |date=February 21, 2019 |title='I had a comfort level' with tainted Bladen Co. operative, Mark Harris says |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article226550555.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |website=The Charlotte Observer |language=en}}</ref> During those hearings, election officials accused the Harris campaign of withholding incriminating documents.<ref name=NewsObserver/><ref name="NewYorkTimes">{{Cite news |last=Blinder |first=Alan |date=February 21, 2019 |title=New Election Ordered in North Carolina Race at Center of Fraud Inquiry |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/us/mark-harris-nc-voter-fraud.html |access-date=February 22, 2019 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Lisa Britt, the daughter of Dowless's ex-wife, testified that under Dowless's direction, absentee ballots had been unlawfully collected from voters. Britt added that in some cases, Dowless's associates had filled in blank ballot votes to favor Republican candidates and had falsified witness signatures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 18, 2019 |title=Key witness testifies to tampering with absentee ballots in N.C, House race |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/key-witness-testifies-tampering-absentee-ballots-n-c-house-race-n972896 |access-date=February 21, 2019 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> Bladen County, where Dowless had operated, was the only county in which Harris had prevailed over McCready in the absentee ballot results.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Election re-run in North Carolina after voter fraud inquiry |language=en-GB |publisher=[[BBC]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47323556 |access-date=February 22, 2019}}</ref> Harris's son, who is a federal prosecutor, told the board that he had repeatedly warned his father about Dowless and that Dowless might be involved in illegal activities.<ref name=NewsObserver/><ref name=BBC/> Harris told the board that Dowless had assured him that his operation was legal.<ref name=NewsObserver/>
The North Carolina State Board of Elections held hearings from February 18 to February 21, 2019 to further investigate the disputed election results.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Portillo, Ely Portillo |last2=Morrill, Jim |date=February 21, 2019 |title='I had a comfort level' with tainted Bladen Co. operative, Mark Harris says |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article226550555.html |access-date=February 21, 2019 |website=The Charlotte Observer |language=en}}</ref> During those hearings, election officials accused the Harris campaign of withholding incriminating documents.<ref name=NewsObserver/><ref name="NewYorkTimes">{{Cite news |last=Blinder |first=Alan |date=February 21, 2019 |title=New Election Ordered in North Carolina Race at Center of Fraud Inquiry |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/us/mark-harris-nc-voter-fraud.html |access-date=February 22, 2019 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Lisa Britt, the daughter of Dowless's ex-wife, testified that under Dowless's direction, absentee ballots had been unlawfully collected from voters. Britt added that in some cases, Dowless's associates had filled in blank ballot votes to favor Republican candidates and had falsified witness signatures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 18, 2019 |title=Key witness testifies to tampering with absentee ballots in N.C, House race |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/key-witness-testifies-tampering-absentee-ballots-n-c-house-race-n972896 |access-date=February 21, 2019 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> Bladen County, where Dowless had operated, was the only county in which Harris had prevailed over McCready in the absentee ballot results.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Election re-run in North Carolina after voter fraud inquiry |language=en-GB |publisher=[[BBC]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47323556 |access-date=February 22, 2019}}</ref> Harris's son, who is a federal prosecutor, told the board that he had repeatedly warned his father about Dowless and that Dowless might be involved in illegal activities.<ref name=NewsObserver/><ref name=BBC/> Harris told the board that Dowless had assured him that his operation was legal.<ref name=NewsObserver/>
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''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that Harris "appeared to mislead" the board with some of his testimony. Harris later acknowledged that some of his testimony had been inaccurate, blaming his health problems as an explanation for his erroneous testimony.<ref name=NewYorkTimes/><ref name=BBC/> He then said that "It's become clear to me the public's confidence in the 9th District seat general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted." Harris's attorney David Freedman also said "we agree that the actions that occurred in Bladen County likely affected the election."<ref name=NewsObserver/>
''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that Harris "appeared to mislead" the board with some of his testimony. Harris later acknowledged that some of his testimony had been inaccurate, blaming his health problems as an explanation for his erroneous testimony.<ref name=NewYorkTimes/><ref name=BBC/> He then said that "It's become clear to me the public's confidence in the 9th District seat general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted." Harris's attorney David Freedman also said "we agree that the actions that occurred in Bladen County likely affected the election."<ref name=NewsObserver/>


On February 21, the Board of Elections unanimously voted to order a new election in the congressional race. The Board also ordered new elections in two other contests for local offices.<ref name="NBC News"/> The North Carolina Republican Party, which up until that point had been supporting Harris's prior demand to be certified as the winner of the election, also endorsed the call for the new election.<ref name=CharlotteObserver/> On February 26, 2019, citing ill health, Harris declared that he would not compete in the new election.<ref name="Capitol Broadcasting Company"/>
On February 21, the Board of Elections unanimously voted to order that a new election be held in the congressional race. The Board also ordered new elections in two other contests for local offices.<ref name="NBC News"/> On February 26, 2019, citing ill health, Harris declared that he would not compete in the new election.<ref name="Capitol Broadcasting Company"/>


====Resolution====
====Aftermath====
On February 27, 2019, Dowless was arrested after being indicted by a [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]] grand jury. He was charged with multiple counts related to illegal ballot handling and obstructing justice in the 2016 and 2018 elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/431827-nc-political-operative-indicted-in-connection-with-alleged-ballot-tampering|title=NC political operative indicted in connection with alleged ballot-tampering scheme|last=Greenwood|first=Max|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/criminal-charges-in-undecided-n-carolina-congressional-race-2019-2|title=Republican political operative at the center of the North Carolina ballot fraud scandal indicted on criminal charges|last=Dalesio|first=Emery P.|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> An additional four people who worked for him were also charged.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-north-carolina-mcrae-dowless-charged-20190227-story.html|title=Political operative in North Carolina election upended by fraud allegations is arrested, charged|last1=Drew|first1=Jonathan|last2=Dalesio|first2=Emery P.|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|language=en-US|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> In July, additional charges of perjury and solicitation to commit perjury were added in a superseding indictment.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/30/746800630/north-carolina-gop-operative-faces-new-felony-charges-that-allege-ballot-fraud|title=North Carolina GOP Operative Faces New Felony Charges That Allege Ballot Fraud|author=[[Richard Gonzales]]|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>
On February 27, 2019, Dowless was arrested after being indicted by a [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]] grand jury. He was charged with multiple counts related to illegal ballot handling and obstructing justice in the 2016 and 2018 elections.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/431827-nc-political-operative-indicted-in-connection-with-alleged-ballot-tampering|title=NC political operative indicted in connection with alleged ballot-tampering scheme|last=Greenwood|first=Max|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/criminal-charges-in-undecided-n-carolina-congressional-race-2019-2|title=Republican political operative at the center of the North Carolina ballot fraud scandal indicted on criminal charges|last=Dalesio|first=Emery P.|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> An additional four people who worked for him were also charged.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-north-carolina-mcrae-dowless-charged-20190227-story.html|title=Political operative in North Carolina election upended by fraud allegations is arrested, charged|last1=Drew|first1=Jonathan|last2=Dalesio|first2=Emery P.|date=February 27, 2019|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|language=en-US|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> In July, additional charges of perjury and solicitation to commit perjury were added in a superseding indictment.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/30/746800630/north-carolina-gop-operative-faces-new-felony-charges-that-allege-ballot-fraud|title=North Carolina GOP Operative Faces New Felony Charges That Allege Ballot Fraud|author=[[Richard Gonzales]]|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>


Dowless died in 2022. The legal charges against him were formally dropped by prosecutors upon his death.<ref>{{cite news | last1 = Graff| first1 = Michael| last2 = Ochsner| first2 = Nick| title = McCrae Dowless' Last Spin| newspaper = The Assembly| date = May 3, 2022| url = https://www.theassemblync.com/short-form/mccrae-dowless-last-spin/| access-date = May 6, 2022}}</ref>
On April 7, 2020, Dowless was indicted on federal charges of Social Security fraud. In the indictment, [[under seal|unsealed]] on April 21, prosecutors alleged that Dowless claimed Supplemental Security Income (known as SSI), a benefit the government provides through the Social Security Administration to disabled people with little to no income, but failed to tell the Social Security Administration about over $132,000 in payments he received through his campaign work for multiple candidates in the 2018 cycle.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wect.com/2020/04/21/key-figure-nc-election-fraud-case-indicted-social-security-fraud-charges/|title=Emily Featherston|publisher=[[WECT]]|date=April 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/former-election-campaign-consultant-indicted-social-security-fraud-and-related-charges|title = Former Election Campaign Consultant Indicted on Social Security Fraud and Related Charges|date = April 21, 2020}}</ref> Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman cleared Harris on July 15 and closed her office's investigation into Harris and Dowless after her office and multiple state and federal agencies found insufficient evidence to prosecute him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dillon |first=A.P. |date=July 15, 2020 |title=Mark Harris cleared in NC-09 probe |url=https://nsjonline.com/article/2020/07/harris-cleared-in-nc-09-probe/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |website=NSJOnline |publisher=North State Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Gary |date=July 15, 2020 |title=NC Prosecutor ends probe of ex-congressional candidate |url=https://www.wral.com/n-c-prosecutor-ends-probe-of-ex-congressional-candidate/19190005/ |access-date=July 15, 2020 |website=WRAL-TV |publisher=Capitol Broadcasting Company}}</ref> Dowless however, was found to have committed unrelated government fraud and sentenced to six months in prison and fined.<ref>{{cite news | publisher = justice.gov
| date = September 2, 2021 | title = Bladen County Political Consultant Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for Theft of Government Property and Social Security Fraud
| author = Eastern District of North Carolina, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice | url = https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/bladen-county-political-consultant-sentenced-6-months-prison-theft-government-property#:~:text=September%202%2C%202021-,Bladen%20County%20Political%20Consultant%20Sentenced%20to%206%20Months%20in%20Prison,Property%20and%20Social%20Security%20Fraud&text=According%20to%20court%20documents%2C%20Leslie,while%20receiving%20monthly%20benefits%20payments}}</ref>


===2024 congressional campaign===
===2024 congressional campaign===
{{Main|2024 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 8}}
In September 2023, Harris announced that he would run for the House of Representataives in North Carolina's 8th district, as incumbent [[Dan Bishop]] chose to run for [[North Carolina Attorney General|attorney general of North Carolina]].<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/12/mark-harris-congress-run-north-carolina-00115218</ref> Harris won the nomination.<ref name="charlotteobserverharriswinsgopprimary2024"/>
In September 2023, Harris announced that he would run for the House of Representatatives in [[North Carolina's 8th congressional district|North Carolina's 8th district]], as incumbent [[Dan Bishop]] chose to run for [[North Carolina Attorney General|attorney general of North Carolina]].<ref>https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/12/mark-harris-congress-run-north-carolina-00115218 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> Harris won the nomination on March 5 against five other opponents, garnering just over 30% of the vote and thus avoiding a runoff against runner-up Allan Baucom.<ref name="charlotteobserverharriswinsgopprimary2024"/> Harris won the November election, defeating Democratic nominee Justin Dues by around 19 points.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-07 |title=North Carolina House District 8 Election 2024 Live Results |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/north-carolina-us-house-district-8-results#house-results |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=www.nbcnews.com |language=en}}</ref>


=== Political positions ===
=== Political positions ===
Line 83: Line 88:


Harris campaigned for the [[Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act]] (commonly known as the "[[bathroom bill]]") in North Carolina in 2016, which stated that in government buildings, individuals (such as students at state-operated schools) may only use restrooms and changing facilities that correspond to the sex identified on their birth certificate. The bill sparked a widespread backlash and boycott, including by major U.S. firms. Amid the backlash, Harris adamantly argued against repealing the bill.<ref name=ABCNews/> The bill was eventually repealed and replaced with [[House Bill 142 (Session 2017 of the North Carolina General Assembly)|House Bill 142]] on March 30, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fausset |first=Richard |date=March 30, 2017 |title=Bathroom Law Repeal Leaves Few Pleased in North Carolina |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/us/north-carolina-senate-acts-to-repeal-restrictive-bathroom-law.html |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>
Harris campaigned for the [[Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act]] (commonly known as the "[[bathroom bill]]") in North Carolina in 2016, which stated that in government buildings, individuals (such as students at state-operated schools) may only use restrooms and changing facilities that correspond to the sex identified on their birth certificate. The bill sparked a widespread backlash and boycott, including by major U.S. firms. Amid the backlash, Harris adamantly argued against repealing the bill.<ref name=ABCNews/> The bill was eventually repealed and replaced with [[House Bill 142 (Session 2017 of the North Carolina General Assembly)|House Bill 142]] on March 30, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fausset |first=Richard |date=March 30, 2017 |title=Bathroom Law Repeal Leaves Few Pleased in North Carolina |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/us/north-carolina-senate-acts-to-repeal-restrictive-bathroom-law.html |access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref>

=== Electoral history ===

{{Election box begin no change
| title=2014 United States Senate election (primary)<ref name="primaryresults"/>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Thom Tillis
| votes = 223,174
| percentage = 45.68%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Greg Brannon
| votes = 132,630
| percentage = 27.15%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Mark Harris
| votes = 85,727
| percentage = 17.55%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Heather Grant
| votes = 22,971
| percentage = 4.70%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Jim Snyder
| votes = 9,414
| percentage = 1.93%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Ted Alexander
| votes = 9,258
| percentage = 1.89%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Alex Lee Bradshaw
| votes = 3,528
| percentage = 0.72%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| candidate = Edward Kryn
| votes = 1,853
| percentage = 0.38%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 488,555
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2016 United States House of Representatives election, District 9 (primary)<ref name="primaryresults" />}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = [[Robert Pittenger]] (incumbent)
|votes = 9,299
|percentage = 35.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Mark Harris
|votes = 9,165
|percentage = 34.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = [[Todd Johnson (politician)|Todd Johnson]]
|votes = 8,142
|percentage = 30.6
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 26,606
|percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2018 United States House of Representatives election, District 9 (primary)<ref name="rprimary">{{cite web |url=https://er.ncsbe.gov/contest_details.html?election_dt=05/08/2018&county_id=0&contest_id=1547|title=US House of Representatives District 09 Rep (Vote for 1) |work=NC State Board of Elections |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Mark Harris
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 17,302
| percentage = 48.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = [[Robert Pittenger]] (incumbent)
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 16,474
| percentage = 46.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Clarence Goins
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 1,867
| percentage = 5.2
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 35,643
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change
| title = 2018 United States House of Representatives election, District 9 (general)<ref>{{cite web |title=District 9, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement |url=https://er.ncsbe.gov/index.html?election_dt=11/06/2018&county_id=0&office=FED&contest=1183 |website=North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement |access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = '''Mark Harris'''
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = '''139,246'''
| percentage = '''49.25'''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = [[Dan McCready]]
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 138,341
| percentage = 48.93
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jeff Scott
| party = Libertarian Party (United States)
| votes = 5,130
| percentage = 1.81
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 282,717
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 8 (primary)<ref name=primaryresults/>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=North Carolina Republican Party|candidate=[[Mark Harris (North Carolina politician)|Mark Harris]]|votes=24,764|percentage=30.4}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=North Carolina Republican Party|candidate=Allan Baucom|votes=21,964|percentage=27.0}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=North Carolina Republican Party|candidate=[[John R. Bradford III|John Bradford]]|votes=14,458|percentage=17.8}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=North Carolina Republican Party|candidate=[[Don Brown (author)|Don Brown]]|votes=8,519|percentage=10.5}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=North Carolina Republican Party|candidate=Leigh Brown|votes=7,845|percentage=9.6}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=North Carolina Republican Party|candidate=Chris Maples|votes=3,787|percentage=4.6}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=81,337|percentage=100.0}}{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change |title=2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 8 (general)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = '''Mark Harris'''
|votes = '''238,625'''
|percentage = '''59.6%'''
}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Justin Dues
|votes = 161,704
|percentage = 40.4%
}}{{Election box total no change
|votes = 400,329
|percentage = 100.0%
}}{{Election box end}}


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Line 93: Line 261:


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.markharrisforcongress.com/ Mark Harris for Congress]
* [https://www.markharrisforcongress.org/ Mark Harris for Congress]
* {{C-SPAN|116130}}
* {{C-SPAN|116130}}


{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dan Bishop]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[List of United States representatives from North Carolina|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[North Carolina's 8th congressional district]]|years=Taking office 2025<!-- –present -->}}
{{s-non|reason=Elect}}<!-- {{s-inc}} -->
{{s-end}}

<!-- {{NC-FedRep}}
{{Members of the U.S. House of Representatives}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=119th–present [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[North Carolina]]}}
{{USCongRep/NC/119}}
{{USCongRep-end}} -->
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Mark}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Mark}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:American anti-same-sex-marriage activists]]
[[Category:American anti-same-sex-marriage activists]]
[[Category:Appalachian State University alumni]]
[[Category:Appalachian State University alumni]]
[[Category:Baptist ministers from the United States]]
[[Category:Baptist ministers from the United States]]
[[Category:Baptists from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Baptists from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:North Carolina Republicans]]
[[Category:North Carolina Republicans]]
[[Category:Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States elections]]
[[Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina]]

Latest revision as of 02:07, 14 December 2024

This article is about the American pastor and politician. For other people with the same name, see Mark Harris.

Mark Harris
Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 8th district
Assuming office
January 3, 2025
SucceedingDan Bishop
Personal details
Born
Mark Everette Harris

(1966-04-24) April 24, 1966 (age 58)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBeth Harris
Children3
EducationAppalachian State University (BA)
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv, DMin)

Mark Everette Harris[1] (born April 24, 1966) is an American pastor and political candidate from North Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, he is the member-elect for North Carolina's 8th congressional district.[2]

Harris first ran for the United States Senate in 2014, placing third in the Republican primary. He then ran to represent North Carolina's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the 2016 election, but he was defeated in the Republican primary by incumbent Robert Pittenger.

Harris ran for the 9th district again in 2018, narrowly defeating Pittenger in the Republican primary. In the general election against Democratic opponent Dan McCready, initial tallies appeared to show Harris winning the election, but an election panel declined to certify these results following allegations of ballot fraud involving McCrae Dowless, a Republican political operative employed by the Harris campaign. Dowless was later criminally charged in connection with the alleged fraud, but Harris was not charged. In February 2019, the bipartisan North Carolina Board of Elections dismissed the results of the election and called for a new election to be held. Harris was not a candidate in the new election, which was won by fellow Republican Dan Bishop.

Harris then announced his bid for the 8th district in 2024, following Bishop's decision to retire and instead run for Attorney General. After defeating five opponents to win the Republican nomination, Harris went on to win the general election in what was described by multiple outlets as a comeback bid.[3][4]

Early life and career

[edit]

Harris was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on April 24, 1966.[5] He attended local schools there before earning his bachelor's degree in political science from Appalachian State University. He earned both a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.[6]

Harris is the lead pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville, North Carolina.[7] He has served as the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina,[8] and as president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.[9] He served as senior of Augusta, Georgia's Curtis Baptist Church from January 1, 2000 to July 2005.[10] He began preaching at Mooresville, North Carolina's Trinity Baptist Church in February 2020.[11]

Political career

[edit]

Harris ran for the United States Senate in the 2014 election, finishing in third place in the Republican primary behind Thom Tillis and Greg Brannon.[6] He later ran against incumbent congressman Robert Pittenger for North Carolina's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the 2016 election. The election went to a recount, with Pittenger certified the winner by 134 votes.[12]

2018 congressional campaign

[edit]

Harris resigned from the First Baptist Church in 2017[13] and ran again for the U.S. House in 2018.[14] This time, Harris defeated Pittenger in the Republican primary (which featured a higher turnout than the 2016 primary).[15]

After the November 6, 2018 general election, Harris was 905 votes ahead of his Democratic competitor, Dan McCready, after county election boards certified the election; however, the North Carolina Board of Elections voted 9–0 on November 27 to delay the election to investigate fraud allegations.[16][17][18][19] Following an investigation, the Board ordered that a new election be held.[20] Harris was not a candidate in the new election.[21]

Election fraud allegations

[edit]
Main article: 2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election

Following the November 6, 2018, midterm elections in North Carolina's 9th congressional district, initial tallies put Harris 905 votes ahead of his Democratic competitor, Dan McCready. McCready conceded on the day after the election; however, the state Democratic Party filed affidavits claiming that the Harris campaign had engaged in ballot fraud.[16][17][18] The North Carolina Board of Elections voted 9–0 on November 27 not to certify the election.[19]

The Board of Elections later opened an investigation into the activities of Leslie McCrae Dowless, a Harris campaign operative who had prior felony convictions for perjury and fraud.[22] According to The Washington Post, Harris directed the hiring of Dowless for his campaign even though Harris received personal warnings in 2016 that Dowless had almost certainly used questionable tactics when working for a previous campaign.[23]

In January 2019, Harris filed a petition to have a court certify him as the winner of the election; Harris's petition was rejected that same month.[24][25] That same month, Harris said "no evidence has been supplied that suggests the outcome of the race is in question"; The News & Observer disputed Harris's assertion, stating that it was "extremely unlikely" that Harris knew "the extent of evidence that has been submitted to the NC elections board".[26] On February 9, 2019, Harris said that "Democrats and liberal media have spared no expense disparaging" his good name and blamed "a liberal activist" on the Board of Elections for controversy surrounding the election. He described the alleged ballot-harvesting scheme as "unsubstantiated slandering".[27] During the investigation, the North Carolina Republican Party declared, "Mark Harris won the election",[28] calling on the state elections board to certify Harris as the winner.[26] The party also defended Harris, describing him as an "innocent victim".[29]

The North Carolina State Board of Elections held hearings from February 18 to February 21, 2019 to further investigate the disputed election results.[30] During those hearings, election officials accused the Harris campaign of withholding incriminating documents.[27][31] Lisa Britt, the daughter of Dowless's ex-wife, testified that under Dowless's direction, absentee ballots had been unlawfully collected from voters. Britt added that in some cases, Dowless's associates had filled in blank ballot votes to favor Republican candidates and had falsified witness signatures.[32] Bladen County, where Dowless had operated, was the only county in which Harris had prevailed over McCready in the absentee ballot results.[33] Harris's son, who is a federal prosecutor, told the board that he had repeatedly warned his father about Dowless and that Dowless might be involved in illegal activities.[27][33] Harris told the board that Dowless had assured him that his operation was legal.[27]

The New York Times wrote that Harris "appeared to mislead" the board with some of his testimony. Harris later acknowledged that some of his testimony had been inaccurate, blaming his health problems as an explanation for his erroneous testimony.[31][33] He then said that "It's become clear to me the public's confidence in the 9th District seat general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted." Harris's attorney David Freedman also said "we agree that the actions that occurred in Bladen County likely affected the election."[27]

On February 21, the Board of Elections unanimously voted to order that a new election be held in the congressional race. The Board also ordered new elections in two other contests for local offices.[20] On February 26, 2019, citing ill health, Harris declared that he would not compete in the new election.[21]

Aftermath

[edit]

On February 27, 2019, Dowless was arrested after being indicted by a Wake County grand jury. He was charged with multiple counts related to illegal ballot handling and obstructing justice in the 2016 and 2018 elections.[34][35] An additional four people who worked for him were also charged.[36] In July, additional charges of perjury and solicitation to commit perjury were added in a superseding indictment.[37]

Dowless died in 2022. The legal charges against him were formally dropped by prosecutors upon his death.[38]

2024 congressional campaign

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Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina § District 8

In September 2023, Harris announced that he would run for the House of Representatatives in North Carolina's 8th district, as incumbent Dan Bishop chose to run for attorney general of North Carolina.[39] Harris won the nomination on March 5 against five other opponents, garnering just over 30% of the vote and thus avoiding a runoff against runner-up Allan Baucom.[2] Harris won the November election, defeating Democratic nominee Justin Dues by around 19 points.[40]

Political positions

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Education

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In 2014, Harris called for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education.[41]

Federal budget

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Harris has stated that he would support a Balanced Budget Amendment and cited concern over what was at the time $19 trillion in debt and $120 trillion in unfunded liabilities.[42]

In 2014, Harris supported reforming Social Security, including reducing the future Social Security payments for those who were currently less than 50 years old.[43]

Religion

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Harris has described Islam as "dangerous" and the work of Satan. In 2014, he claimed that Islam was taking over the world, including the United States.[44]

In 2011, Harris said in a sermon at First Baptist Charlotte that there would never be peace between Jews and Muslims unless they convert to Christianity.[44]

During the 2018 campaign, American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC that conducts opposition research, brought attention to a 2013 sermon that Harris had given where he questioned whether it was the "healthiest pursuit" for women to prioritize their careers and independence over their biblical "core calling".[45]

Social issues

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Harris opposed the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade which prohibited bans on abortion.[45] He has stated that the Affordable Care Act has made healthcare more costly for businesses.[42]

Harris led supporters of North Carolina Amendment 1, which banned same-sex marriage in North Carolina in 2012.[46][47] The amendment was found to be unconstitutional by a federal court in 2014, and prohibitions on same-sex marriage were found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015. After the Supreme Court ruling, Harris said, "one of the most devastating blows to the American way of life has been the breakdown of the family unit. A marriage consists of one man and one woman. The Supreme Court, in a 5–4 decision, decided otherwise."[45]

Harris campaigned for the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (commonly known as the "bathroom bill") in North Carolina in 2016, which stated that in government buildings, individuals (such as students at state-operated schools) may only use restrooms and changing facilities that correspond to the sex identified on their birth certificate. The bill sparked a widespread backlash and boycott, including by major U.S. firms. Amid the backlash, Harris adamantly argued against repealing the bill.[45] The bill was eventually repealed and replaced with House Bill 142 on March 30, 2017.[48]

Electoral history

[edit]
2014 United States Senate election (primary)[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Thom Tillis 223,174 45.68%
Republican Greg Brannon 132,630 27.15%
Republican Mark Harris 85,727 17.55%
Republican Heather Grant 22,971 4.70%
Republican Jim Snyder 9,414 1.93%
Republican Ted Alexander 9,258 1.89%
Republican Alex Lee Bradshaw 3,528 0.72%
Republican Edward Kryn 1,853 0.38%
Total votes 488,555 100.00%
2016 United States House of Representatives election, District 9 (primary)[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert Pittenger (incumbent) 9,299 35.0
Republican Mark Harris 9,165 34.4
Republican Todd Johnson 8,142 30.6
Total votes 26,606 100.0
2018 United States House of Representatives election, District 9 (primary)[50]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Harris 17,302 48.5
Republican Robert Pittenger (incumbent) 16,474 46.2
Republican Clarence Goins 1,867 5.2
Total votes 35,643 100.0
2018 United States House of Representatives election, District 9 (general)[51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Harris 139,246 49.25
Democratic Dan McCready 138,341 48.93
Libertarian Jeff Scott 5,130 1.81
Total votes 282,717 100.0
2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 8 (primary)[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Harris 24,764 30.4
Republican Allan Baucom 21,964 27.0
Republican John Bradford 14,458 17.8
Republican Don Brown 8,519 10.5
Republican Leigh Brown 7,845 9.6
Republican Chris Maples 3,787 4.6
Total votes 81,337 100.0
2024 United States House of Representatives election, District 8 (general)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Harris 238,625 59.6%
Democratic Justin Dues 161,704 40.4%
Total votes 400,329 100.0%

Personal life

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Harris and his wife Beth have three children and six grandchildren.[6]

In January 2019, Harris was reported to have falsely set off a fire alarm, allegedly to avoid news media. Harris explained his actions by stating that he was rushing to catch a sports game.[52][53][54]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mark Harris". FEC. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Noel, Rebecca (March 5, 2024). "Mark Harris is GOP's 8th District nominee six years after election fraud prompted do-over". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  3. ^ Harrison, Steve (March 5, 2024). "Mark Harris wins Republican primary, completing his political comeback in the 8th District". WUNC (FM). Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  4. ^ "Charlotte-area Republicans win Congressional races, including Mark Harris comeback". WFAE. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  5. ^ "A quick look at Mark Harris, a Republican candidate for US Senate in North Carolina". Fox News. Associated Press. March 20, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Funk, Tim (May 20, 2016). "Pastor Mark Harris feels called to new kind of leadership". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  7. ^ Robertson, Gary (July 15, 2020). "NC Prosecutor Ends Probe of Ex-Congressional Candidate". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Shiles, Bob (July 28, 2017). "Harris stumps on 'faith, family'". The Robesonian. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  9. ^ Trygstad, Kyle (September 12, 2013). "Conservative Preacher Joins North Carolina Senate Primary". Roll Call. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  10. ^ "Mark Harris".
  11. ^ "Staff".
  12. ^ Morrill, Jim (June 20, 2016). "Recount confirms Robert Pittenger's win in the 9th District". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  13. ^ Westerand, Jane (June 11, 2017). "First Baptist's Mark Harris to step aside as he considers another bid for Congress". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  14. ^ Murphy, Brian (July 31, 2017). "Pittenger challenger | Mark Harris running again Robert Pittenger again". The News & Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  15. ^ Morrill, Jim (April 5, 2018). "Mark Harris leading Robert Pittenger in NC 9th District". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Wise, Justin (December 3, 2018). "Second woman says she was paid to collect absentee ballots in North Carolina House race". The Hill. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Levy, Adam (December 3, 2018). "North Carolina elections board delays certification of congressional election results again". CNN. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Dalesio, Emery P. (February 18, 2019). "N Carolina elections head says ballots handled illegally". Yahoo News. Associated Press. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Morrill, Jim (November 27, 2018). "NC elections board refuses to certify 9th District race, leaving it in limbo". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Caldwell, Lee Ann; Clark, Dartunorro (February 21, 2019). "New election ordered in North Carolina House district after possible illegal activities". NBC News. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  21. ^ a b Burns, Matthew; Leslie, Laura (February 26, 2019). "Mark Harris not running in new 9th District election". WRAL-TV. Capitol Broadcasting Company. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  22. ^ Bruno, Joe (December 5, 2018). "Who is McCrae Dowless, man who appears to be center of 9th District investigation?". WSOC-TV. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  23. ^ Gardner, Amy; Ross, Kirk (December 13, 2018). "N.C. congressional candidate sought out aide, despite warnings over tactics". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  24. ^ Cohen, Ethan; Devine, Curt (January 3, 2019). "GOP candidate will ask NC court to certify results of disputed election". CNN. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  25. ^ "North Carolina judge refuses to certify Republican as winner of..." Reuters. January 22, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  26. ^ a b Levine, Sam (December 18, 2018). "North Carolina GOP Criticizes State Election Board, Supports Candidate In Election Fraud Probe". HuffPost. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  27. ^ a b c d e Murphy, Brian; Morrill, Jim; Portillo, Ely (February 21, 2019). "NC state board votes for new election in 9th district after Harris calls for new race". The News & Observer. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  28. ^ "Don't let politicians mislead you about the NC9 election fraud investigation". The News & Observer. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  29. ^ "'An innocent victim': Amid election fraud claims, NC GOP defends Mark Harris". The News & Observer. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  30. ^ Portillo, Ely Portillo; Morrill, Jim (February 21, 2019). "'I had a comfort level' with tainted Bladen Co. operative, Mark Harris says". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  31. ^ a b Blinder, Alan (February 21, 2019). "New Election Ordered in North Carolina Race at Center of Fraud Inquiry". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  32. ^ "Key witness testifies to tampering with absentee ballots in N.C, House race". NBC News. February 18, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  33. ^ a b c "Election re-run in North Carolina after voter fraud inquiry". BBC. February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  34. ^ Greenwood, Max (February 27, 2019). "NC political operative indicted in connection with alleged ballot-tampering scheme". The Hill. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  35. ^ Dalesio, Emery P. (February 27, 2019). "Republican political operative at the center of the North Carolina ballot fraud scandal indicted on criminal charges". Business Insider. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  36. ^ Drew, Jonathan; Dalesio, Emery P. (February 27, 2019). "Political operative in North Carolina election upended by fraud allegations is arrested, charged". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  37. ^ Richard Gonzales (July 30, 2019). "North Carolina GOP Operative Faces New Felony Charges That Allege Ballot Fraud". NPR.
  38. ^ Graff, Michael; Ochsner, Nick (May 3, 2022). "McCrae Dowless' Last Spin". The Assembly. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  39. ^ https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/12/mark-harris-congress-run-north-carolina-00115218 [bare URL]
  40. ^ "North Carolina House District 8 Election 2024 Live Results". www.nbcnews.com. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  41. ^ "Fact-checking the race between Dan McCready and Mark Harris". PolitiFact North Carolina. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  42. ^ a b Friedman, Corey (April 13, 2016). "U.S. House candidate Mark Harris shares vision, seeks support". The Robesonian. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  43. ^ "Did Mark Harris really say he'd cut Social Security and Medicare?". The News & Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  44. ^ a b Andrew Kaczynski; Christopher Massie; Nathan McDermott. "GOP congressional candidate called Islam 'dangerous' and the work of Satan". CNN. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  45. ^ a b c d "Congressional candidate once asked if careers were 'healthiest pursuit' for women". ABC News. July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  46. ^ Morrill, Jim (April 16, 2014). "US Senate candidate Mark Harris became leader in church, North Carolina marriage fight". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  47. ^ Christian group wants marriage ban preserved. The Associated Press/Winston-Salem Journal. September 30, 2014.
  48. ^ Fausset, Richard (March 30, 2017). "Bathroom Law Repeal Leaves Few Pleased in North Carolina". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  49. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference primaryresults was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  50. ^ "US House of Representatives District 09 Rep (Vote for 1)". NC State Board of Elections. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  51. ^ "District 9, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  52. ^ "Emergency Exit: Mark Harris Trips Alarm Trying to Evade Reporters in Charlotte". WWAY. January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  53. ^ Price, Mark; Portillo, Ely (January 9, 2019). "Mark Harris says urge to see Clemson game made it seem he was running from reporters". The State. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  54. ^ Bruno, Joe (January 8, 2019). "Emergency Exit: Mark Harris trips alarm trying to evade Channel 9 in uptown". WSOC TV. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 8th congressional district
Taking office 2025 		Elect
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Mark_Harris_(North_Carolina_politician)&oldid=1262993539"