CHARLOTTE – Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) consultant Paul Shumaker released a statement Thursday evening to The Richmond Observer’s story relating to WBT Radio’s “fact-check” on a recent Pittenger television ad that the Harris campaign essentially deemed as erroneous and misleading.
“The Mark Harris campaign recently sent out a release disputing Congressman Pittenger’s ad exposing Harris’ opposition to President Donald Trump leading into the GOP National Convention,” said Pittenger. “Mark Harris even attacked me personally stating, ‘there is no evidence he ever opposed Donald Trump’; however, his comments were revealed as false by the Charlotte Observer quoting Mark Harris’ own interview with WBT Radio host Bo Thompson on March 10th, 2016.”
In that interview, Harris said, “Coalescing behind [Senator] Ted Cruz is a way to stop Donald Trump and go into the convention, get our nominee and come out and beat Hillary Clinton in the fall.”
Harris did go to the Republican convention as a delegate supporting Senator Cruz, but when Trump became the nominee for the Republican party, Harris ultimately spent the fall campaigning on behalf of the Trump campaign.
Congressman Pittenger’s recent ad also noted that Mark Harris’s opposed President Trump’s plan to strengthen the United States military. This claim was made as a result of Harris’ opposition to the Bipartisan Budget Act, a recent spending bill that included increased military spending and continued funding for Hurricane Matthew relief. Harris opposed the act because he believed adding to the national debt would not be beneficial for the future of North Carolinians and all citizens of the United States, where Pittenger deemed Harris and others who opposed the act as working to block President Trump’s agenda.
Congressman Pittenger’s campaign has reported that Pittenger has a 97% voting record with President Trump, and that Pittenger is “the only candidate with a clear commitment of support for the President and his agenda for America.”
Robert Pittenger (R) who has held his present seat in Washington since 2013, is the incumbent Congressman for the 9th District of North Carolina. He is being challenged in the May 8 primary by Mark Harris (R) of Charlotte. Harris is former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charlotte and a past president of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. Also on the primary ticket is Clarence Goins (R) of Eastover.
The Richmond Observer will continue to bring you coverage on the upcoming elections in 2018, including the Richmond County Republican Party Convention coming up tomorrow, Saturday, March 3 from 10:00am-1:00pm at the Jurors Quarters of the Richmond County Judicial Center. Both Pittenger and Harris are expected to attend.
