The State Board of Elections has declined to certify Republican Mark Harris as the winner of November’s race in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, but Harris continues to persist.
A Baptist pastor from Charlotte, North Carolina, Harris appeared to have narrowly won the race over Democrat Dan McCready on election night, and McCready conceded the following day.
Allegations of voter fraud, however, have since tainted the race, and McCready has withdrawn his concession. Harris has welcomed an investigation but adamantly denied any wrongdoing. On Friday, Harris filed an emergency petition so he can be seated when the 116th Congress begins next week. (RELATED: North Carolina’s 9th District Still Hasn’t Certified Results Under Accusations Of Voter Fraud. Here’s What’s Going On)
Today the Court reinforced our position that the 9th District deserves to be represented in Congress on January 3rd. The State Board of Elections has yet to offer any justification as to why our race hasn’t been certified. pic.twitter.com/jiskVUnEjy
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNC9) December 28, 2018
“I am hopeful the State Board of Elections will act swiftly in certifying this election and ensure the citizens in the 9th District will have a voice in the 116th Congress,” Harris said on his official Twitter account.
House Democrats, however, seem unlikely to seat him when they take power on January 3.
“Given the now well-documented election fraud that took place in [North Carolina’s 9th District], Democrats would object to any attempt by Mr. Harris to be seated on January,” Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer told WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina. “In this instance, the integrity of our democratic process outweighs concerns about the seat being vacant at the start of the new Congress.”