ROCKINGHAM ― The race for the 9th Congressional District apparently isn’t quite over.
Despite Democrat Dan McCready’s concession to Republican Mark Harris, the N.C. State Board of Elections has failed to certify the contest for the second time this week due to “claims of numerous irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities related to absentee mail ballots” in Bladen County, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Instead, the board has called for a hearing to discuss the issue by Dec. 21, according to the Observer.
Bladen was only one of two counties in the district that voted overwhelmingly for Harris; the other was Union. The district also includes Richmond, Anson, Scotland, Robeson and parts of Mecklenburg and Cumberland.
The first denial was on Tuesday and the second was Friday afternoon, following a closed session, according to the Observer.
Harris released a statement Friday afternoon, castigating the state board for refusing to provide details of the investigation to the public.
“Make no mistake, I support any efforts to investigate allegations of irregularities and/or voter fraud, as long as it is fair and focuses on all political parties,” Harris said Friday. “But to date, there is absolutely no public evidence that there are enough ballots in question to affect the outcome of this race.
“Accordingly, the Board should act immediately to certify the race while continuing to conduct their investigation,” Harris continued. “Anything else is a disservice to the people of the Ninth District.”
Current records show Harris has 905 more votes than McCready.
“We applaud the board’s bipartisan decision to delay certification and fully investigate the concerning allegations in the Ninth Congressional District,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin, a Richmond County native and former state representative. “North Carolina voters deserve to know the truth and their voices deserve to be heard.”
The 116th Congress is scheduled to open session at noon Jan. 3, 2019, and the Observer reports Harris has already attended orientation for new members.
Harris defeated incumbent Robert Pittenger in the Republican primary.
