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Mark Harris, a pastor from North Carolina, has recently won the Republican nomination for the state’s 8th Congressional District. This comes five years after his apparent victory in an earlier House election was overturned due to ballot fraud allegations. The North Carolina State Board of Elections confirmed Harris’s victory, surpassing the 30% threshold needed to avoid a runoff in the primary election. He will now face Democrat Justin Dues in the fall general election in a heavily red district that President Donald Trump won by 18 points in 2020.

Having previously run for Congress multiple times, including a failed Senate bid in 2014 and a failed House bid in 2016, Mark Harris was making his fourth attempt at political office. In the 2018 House campaign that made national headlines, Harris was the initial winner by 905 votes. However, allegations of absentee ballot tampering, involving a consultant from his campaign, led to the results being thrown out. Despite calling for a new election, Harris did not run in the 2019 do-over, which was ultimately won by Republican Dan Bishop, the incumbent now stepping down to run for North Carolina attorney general.

Throughout his election campaign, Harris faced scrutiny and attacks from rivals related to the ballot fraud scandal. Despite this, he adopted a Trump-like narrative, claiming that in 2020, Democrats stole the election from President Trump, just like they had allegedly done to him in the previous year. Harris expressed gratitude to his supporters for sticking by him over the years, acknowledging their support not only in this election but in previous campaigns as well. The upcoming general election will feature Harris against Dues, providing voters with a choice between a Republican and a Democrat for the congressional seat.

The scandal surrounding the 2018 House election, in which Harris was initially declared the winner, has been a contentious issue in subsequent campaigns. The absentee ballot tampering allegations tied to a consultant on his campaign led to the results being voided and a new election being called. Harris, while not running in the 2019 do-over vote, continued to face questions and criticism from opponents during his latest bid for Congress. Despite the past controversy, Harris remains a strong contender in the heavily Republican district and will face off against Dues in the general election.

Mark Harris’s victory in the Republican primary for North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District represents a significant moment in his political career, given the challenges he has faced in previous campaigns. By winning the nomination and avoiding a runoff, Harris has positioned himself as the likely next member of Congress from this red district. His acceptance speech, thanking supporters for standing by him throughout the years, reflects his appreciation for their loyalty. As he prepares for the fall general election against Democrat Justin Dues, Harris will continue to promote his conservative platform and appeal to voters in the district.

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