ROCKINGHAM — Voters in the 9th Congressional District could learn as soon as next Monday who will be officially vying for a seat left vacant for the past three months in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced Monday that filing for a special election will run March 11-15.
The board also set the schedule for the 9th District special election, with a primary set for May 14. The general election will be Sept. 10, unless a second primary is needed, in which case the general election will be Nov. 5.
To advance to the general election, a candidate has to secure at least 50 percent of the vote. So the possibility of a second primary depends on how many Republicans run and how the votes turn out.
The special election was called for after the state board launched an investigation into election fraud in Bladen County by McCrae Dowless, who was hired by the Mark Harris campaign for get-out-the-vote efforts.
Dowless was arrested and charged with three counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of illegal possession of an absentee ballot.
This is the first Congressional re-do since 1974.
So far, only one Republican has made a declaration to run.
WBTV reports that state Sen. Dan Bishop, R-Mecklenburg, announced Monday that he will throw his proverbial hat in the ring. Bishop previously served in the N.C. House of Representatives.
Several others in the district, including former governor Pat McCrory and Union County GOP Chairman Dan Barry, have said they will not run.
Harris, citing health issues, announced that he would not be running again.
Clarence Goins Jr., who was the only candidate in the original race not from Mecklenburg County, said that he hadn’t ruled out running again.
State Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin told the RO last week that he did not know of anyone planning to challenge Dan McCready, who unofficially lost to Harris by 905 votes before the investigation.
Libertarian Jeff Scott also told the RO that he would be running again.
The special election is also open to the Green and Constitution parties, which were recognized by the state last year.
The 9th Congressional District includes Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Robeson and Union counties, as well as parts of Mecklenburg, Bladen and Cumberland counties.
The seat has been vacant for three months. Congress was sworn in Jan. 3.
Former Rep. Robert Pittenger was defeated by Harris in the 2018 Republican primary.
