Rev. Mark Harris, the pastor involved in the 2018 absentee ballot scandal, has won the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina. Harris narrowly defeated political newcomer Allan Baucom in the six-candidate race in the state’s 8th District. He will face Democrat Justin Dues in November in a district that heavily favors Republicans. The scandal in 2018 led to charges against several people, but Harris was not charged, cooperated with investigators, and called for a new election. The State Board of Elections agreed, and Harris did not run again, leading to Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop winning the seat. However, Bishop decided not to run for reelection, opening the door for Harris to run again.
Harris has called the issue a “manufactured scandal” and criticized Democrats for their tactics. The primary elections in North Carolina have initiated significant changes in the congressional delegation, with three districts expected to flip from Democrats to Republicans in the November election. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore has also won the Republican nomination for the 14th District and will run against Democrat Pam Genant. The delegation is expected to shift to 10 Republicans and three Democrats after the election. The 1st District, currently Democratic, is considered a toss-up. The congressional elections in North Carolina are shaping up to be closely watched as the political landscape continues to shift.
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