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2019 North Carolina's 9th congressional district special election

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A special election was held on September 10, 2019, to fill the vacancy in North Carolina's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for the remainder of the 116th United States Congress. The seat had been vacant since the opening of the 116th Congress, following the refusal of the North Carolina State Board of Elections to certify the results of the November 2018 election in the district due to allegations of electoral fraud.[1] Because of the allegations, the race received substantial national attention.

Quick facts North Carolina's 9th congressional district, Nominee ...
2019 North Carolina's 9th congressional district special election
← 2018
September 10, 2019
2020 →
North Carolina's 9th congressional district
 
Nominee Dan Bishop Dan McCready
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 96,573 92,785
Percentage 50.69% 48.70%
County results
Bishop:      40–50%      50–60%
McCready:      50–60%
U.S. Representative before election

Vacant
Republican

 Elected U.S. Representative

Dan Bishop
Republican

Close

In the original election, Mark Harris, a Republican, led Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in the unofficial returns for the 2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election. However, allegations of fraud in the election prevented its certification.[2] After hearing evidence, including testimony from Harris himself and his own son, the board unanimously voted on February 21 to call a new election.[3][4]

The primary was held on May 14, 2019, and the general election was held on September 10. A total of 10 Republican candidates qualified for the primary.[5] Dan McCready, the Democratic Party nominee in the 2018 election, ran again and faced no primary opposition.[6] Among Republicans, neither Harris nor Robert Pittenger, the incumbent whom Harris defeated in the 2018 primary election, filed to run.[7][8][9]

After winning the Republican primary by a large margin,[10] Dan Bishop narrowly won the general election, garnering 50.7% of the vote to McCready's 48.7%.[11][12]

Background

Main article: 2018 North Carolina's 9th congressional district election
A House of Representatives office remained vacant, awaiting the winner of the disputed election.

The 2018 congressional district election ended with Republican Mark Harris leading Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes, the closest race in the district in over sixty years. While McCready had conceded defeat, the North Carolina Democratic Party alleged that electoral fraud had taken place, and filed affidavits with the North Carolina State Board of Elections alleging that independent contractors working on behalf of Harris had illegally collected absentee ballots (ballot harvesting).[13][14] The North Carolina Board of Elections voted unanimously not to certify the election and later ordered an evidentiary hearing to be held. The board also opened an investigation around the activities of Leslie McCrae Dowless, a campaign operative with felony fraud and perjury convictions, who was hired by the Harris campaign.[15] Incoming Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that the United States House of Representatives would not seat Harris until the fraud investigation had been completed.[16]

After a delay caused by restructuring of the Board of Elections and delayed appointment of members by Republican allies of Harris, the board set hearings to begin on February 18, 2019. On that day the regulator reported that it had found evidence of "a coordinated, unlawful and substantially resourced absentee ballot scheme" that may have involved more than 1,000 ballots or ballot request forms.[17] On February 20, Harris's son, John Harris, a federal prosecutor in North Carolina, testified to the election board that he had repeatedly warned his father not to hire Dowless because Dowless appeared to have previously engaged in illegal tactics to win votes.[18]

On February 21, Harris announced that "the public's confidence in the ninth district seat general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted." The Board of Elections voted unanimously to call a special election, with a primary if necessary on May 14, to fill the vacancy.[4] This was the first House of Representatives election to require a do-over since 1974.[19][9]

Dowless was indicted and arrested on February 27, 2019. He faced felony charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two possession of absentee ballots charges.[20] In July 2019, the Wake County district attorney also announced charges against Lisa Britt, Ginger S. Eason, Woody D. Hester, James Singletary, Jessica Dowless and Kelly Hendrix, and additional charges against Leslie McCrae Dowless.[21]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Defeated in primary

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

Dan Bishop

Politicians[47]

  • Paul Bailey, Matthews mayor
  • Karen Bentley, Mecklenburg County commissioner
  • Rob Bryan, state representative
  • Mike Cochrane, Mint Hill commissioner
  • Ted Cruz, U.S. senator from Texas[48]
  • Dale Dalton, Mint Hill commissioner
  • Barbara Dement, Matthews councilwoman
  • Craig Horn, state representative
  • Bill James, Mecklenburg County commissioner
  • Tom McInnis, state senator
  • Wesley Meredith, state senator
  • Sue Myrick, former U.S. representative
  • Richard Newton, Mint Hill commissioner
  • Jim Puckett, Mecklenburg County commissioner
  • Bob Rucho, state senator
  • John Szoka, state representative
  • Richard Vinroot, former Charlotte mayor

Organizations

  • Club for Growth, national network for limited government and economic freedom[49]
  • North Carolina Values Coalition, non-partisan, statewide grassroots network of North Carolinians who support and advocate for pro-family positions[50]
Matthew Ridenhour

Politicians

Polling

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Chris
Anglin		 Dan
Bishop		 Leigh
Brown		 Kathie
Day		 Gary
Dunn		 Matthew
Ridenhour		 Stevie
Rivenbark		 Stony
Rushing		 Fern
Shubert		 Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[55] April 29–30, 2019 592 ± 5.1% 3% 31% 6% 5% 1% 9% 2% 17% 4% – 21%
WPA Intelligence (R)[56][A] April 29–30, 2019 409 ± 4.9% – 30% 5% – – 6% 1% 19% 2% 5% 32%
Meeting Street Research (R)[57][B] April 22–23, 2019 400 – – 36% 3% – – 13% – 18% – – –
WPA Intelligence (R)[56][A] ~April 9, 2019 – – – 22% 1% – – 6% 2% 18% 2% 3% 46%
Close

Results

Results by county:
  Bishop—70–80%
  Bishop—60–70%
  Bishop—50–60%
  Bishop—40–50%
More information Party, Candidate ...
Republican primary results[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dan Bishop 14,405 47.68
Republican Stony Rushing 5,882 19.47
Republican Matthew Ridenhour 5,166 17.10
Republican Leigh Brown 2,672 8.84
Republican Stevie Rivenbark Hull 906 3.00
Republican Fern Shubert 438 1.45
Republican Chris Anglin 382 1.26
Republican Kathie Day 193 0.64
Republican Gary Dunn 105 0.35
Republican Albert Lee Wiley Jr. 62 0.21
Total votes 30,211 100
Close

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Endorsements

Dan McCready

Federal politicians

Statewide and local politicians

Organizations

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Declared

Green primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Allen Smith, perennial candidate[66]

General election

Dan McCready, the Democratic candidate, ran on a platform of cutting taxes on the middle class, ending gerrymandering, renegotiating trade deals, and reducing military interventions overseas. His platform also supports protecting Social Security and Medicare, overturning Citizens United, and granting full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe.[67] Republican candidate Dan Bishop is best known for his opposition to LGBT rights, particularly the drafting of North Carolina's "Bathroom Bill".[68][69]

During the early voting period for this election, Hurricane Dorian battered the eastern coast of the United States, necessitating early voting to be halted in several counties on the Outer Banks and elsewhere on the coast until the storm had passed.

Predictions

More information Source, Ranking ...
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[70] Tossup September 6, 2019
Inside Elections[71] Tossup September 4, 2019
Sabato's Crystal Ball[72] Tossup September 5, 2019
Close

Endorsements

Dan Bishop (R)

Federal politicians[47]

Statewide and local politicians

Individuals

Organizations

Dan McCready (D)

Federal politicians

Statewide and local politicians

Organizations

Individuals

Newspapers & news websites

Polling

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Dan
Bishop (R)		 Dan
McCready (D)		 Other Undecided
co/efficient[138] September 5–6, 2019 1,175 LV ± 3.9% 45% 48% – 7%
44% 44% 5%[a] 7%
GAJ Solutions (R)[139][C] August 26–28, 2019 500 ± 4.0% 46% 45% 3%[b] 5%
Harper Polling/Clarity Campaign Labs[140][D] August 26–28, 2019 551 LV ± 4.2% 42% 46% 3%[b] 8%
ALG Research (D)[141][E] July 15–18, 2019 450 LV ± 4.6% 46% 46% – 8%
Atlantic Media & Research (R)[142][F] May 20–30, 2019 358 LV ± 5.2% 39% 41% 3%[c] 16.8%
JMC Analytics[143] May 21–24, 2019 350 LV ± 5.2% 46% 42% 2%[d] 10%
Close
More information Hypothetical polling, Poll source ...
Close

Fundraising

More information Campaign finance reports as of August 21, 2019, Candidate (party) ...
Campaign finance reports as of August 21, 2019
Candidate (party) Total receipts Total disbursements Cash on hand
Dan McCready (D) $4,950,881.11 $4,470,374.25 $818,345.51
Dan Bishop (R) $1,954,334.64 $1,761,558.40 $192,776.24
Source: Federal Election Commission[146]
Close

Results

More information Party, Candidate ...
North Carolina's 9th congressional district special election, 2019[147]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dan Bishop 96,573 50.69 +1.44
Democratic Dan McCready 92,785 48.70 −0.23
Libertarian Jeff Scott 773 0.41 −1.40
Green Allen Smith 375 0.20 N/A
Total votes 190,506 100.00 N/A
Republican hold
Close

County results

More information Dan Bishop Republican, Dan McCready Democrat ...
Vote breakdown by county
Dan Bishop
Republican		 Dan McCready
Democrat		 Jeff Scott
Libertarian		 Allen Smith
Green		 Total
County Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes
Anson2,38142.67%3,17356.86%150.27%110.20%5,580
Bladen3,49659.32%2,37140.23%150.25%110.19%5,893
Cumberland7,49849.85%7,47149.67%420.28%310.21%15,042
Mecklenburg28,86243.42%37,19355.96%2720.41%1400.21%66,467
Richmond4,72751.96%4,30947.37%390.43%220.24%9,097
Robeson10,37849.08%10,66950.45%580.27%410.19%21,146
Scotland2,81643.29%3,65556.19%210.32%130.20%6,505
Union36,41559.92%23,94439.40%3110.51%1060.17%60,776
Close

Notes

Partisan clients

  1. [A]
    Poll sponsored by Club for Growth Action
  2. [B]
    Poll sponsored by the Dan Bishop campaign
  3. [C]
    Poll conducted for RedRacingHorses
  4. [D]
    Poll conducted for Inside Elections
  5. [E]
    McCready internal
  6. [F]
    Poll sponsored by an unknown Republican client
  7. [G]
    Poll sponsored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Additional candidates

  1. [a]
    Scott (L) with 3% and Smith (G) with 2%
  2. [b]
    Scott (L) with 2% and Smith (G) with 1%
  3. [c]
    Scott (L) with 2% and Smith (G) with 0.8%
  4. [d]
    Scott (L) and Smith (G) each with 1%

References

External links

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Timelines

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