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Republican Mark Harris
Mark HarrisDem in a controversial race in North Carolina announced that he would run for a special election A reporter from North Carolina said that there could be a "new generation" of GOP candidates when the 9th congressional district race PLUS said on Tuesday that he would not participate in the new elections for North Carolina's disputed 9th district, citing health reasons.
"Given my health situation, the need to regain strength and the timing of this operation in the last week of March, I decided not to participate in the new elections for District 9 of Congress," he said. he said in a statement.
Harris instead approved Union County Commissioner, Stony Rushing.
Harris had initially led Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in the House last year. The state's electoral authorities, however, refused to certify him as the winner of the race after allegations of falsification of ballots in the rural counties of Bladen and Robeson emerged.
These allegations follow a month-long investigation that culminated last week in a hearing of the North Carolina Elections Council, during which state officials and witnesses outlined the picture. An extensive ballot manipulation operation conducted by Leslie McCrae agent working for the Harris campaign.
On Thursday, the last day of the hearing, Harris astonished political observers by calling for a new vote in the 9th district, drastically reversing his calls to election officials to quickly certify him as the winner of the race.
"I believe that a new election should be called," Harris said. "It has become clear to me that public trust in the 9th district has been undermined to such an extent that a new election is warranted."
A few minutes later, Harris's remarks were followed by a unanimous vote by the state election council to hold new elections. It is not yet known when the vote will take place. The election committee is set to determine a date at a subsequent meeting.
Under a state law passed last year, a new series of primaries must also be organized.
But the accusations of ballot alteration, coupled with the recognition of a recent illness by Harris, do not indicate whether he will ask again for the nomination of his party.
In a statement released Tuesday, Robin Hayes, chairman of the Republican Party of North Carolina, said the GOP government had backed Harris' decision to withdraw from the race.
"There are many quality candidates who are discussing a race and although the party is not involved in a primary, we do not doubt that a competitive candidate will emerge," Hayes said.
Former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory, who was planning to run for the GOP nomination in the 9th district, said Monday he would not seek congressional seat. But he noted that he was always ready to run for the position of governor or senator in the future.
"I dreamed of being part of the US Congress, but my dreams have changed," McCrory said on his radio show.
Updated at 15:00
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