Baptist Preacher Mark Harris Elected Congressman In North Carolina

A Baptist preacher is the winner of a tight race to represent North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, after his opponent conceded late Wednesday.

Mark Harris had pastored First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2005, until stepping down to run for office. His district extends over eight counties, and includes part of Charlotte.

After defeating incumbent Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger in the primary, Harris faced off against Democrat Dan McCready, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. The race was considered a “toss-up” and the results were very close, with Harris receiving 49.4 percent of the vote, and McCready receiving 48.8 percent.

At $4,881,775.46, McCready raised much more money than Harris, who apparently made due with $1,845,135.91. McCready also outspent Harris, spending $4,579,623.17 compared to Harris’ $1,678,953.02, according to the Federal Election Commission.

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