N.C. board declares a new election in contested House race

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Thursday ordered a new election in the 9th Congressional District, ending a dramatic, months-long investigation into allegations of widespread ballot tampering.

"It appears to me the irregularities and improprioties occurred to such an extent that they tainted the results of the entire election and cast doubt on its fairness," said the board chairman, Bob Cordle, shortly before the five-member panel voted unanimously to throw out the November results between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready. "I believe the people of North Carolina deserve a fair election and deserve to have their votes counted properly."

The board's vote came moments after Harris admitted that he had misspoken under oath earlier in the day. Harris said he is recovering from a serious infection that led to sepsis and two strokes, which in turn affected his memory. The episode made him realize, he testified, that he was not prepared for the "rigors" of the evidentiary hearing. He called for a new election, then promptedly excused himself from the proceeding. "I believe a new election should be called," Harris said, eliciting gasps from the hearing room in Raleigh. "It's become clear to me that public confidence in the 9th District has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted."

Harris's testimony came the day after his son, John Harris, a federal prosecutor, testified that he warned his father in phone calls and emails that he believed a political operative named Leslie McCrae Dowless had broken the law in a previous election and should not be hired for the 2018 campaign. Mark Harris hired Dowless anyway.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/candidate-says-new-congressional-election-warranted-in-north-carolina/2019/02/21/acae4482-35e0-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html

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They declared a new election - waiting for update.

Full new headline: N.C. board declares a new election in contested House race after the GOP candidate admitted misspeaking under oath

WaPo's banner on their website - "N.C. board declares a new election in contested House race after the GOP candidate admitted misspeaking under oath"

UPDATE coming in. Original story -

Candidate says new congressional election warranted in North Carolina

By Amy Gardner
February 21 at 4:00 PM

BREAKING NEWS: Mark Harris, during testimony this afternoon to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said a new election was warranted in the hotly contested race, which Harris led by 905 votes. Earlier Thursday, Harris said he knew nothing of an alleged ballot-tampering scheme led by an operative he hired to work in his 2018 campaign.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/candidate-says-new-congressional-election-warranted-in-north-carolina/2019/02/21/acae4482-35e0-11e9-854a-7a14d7fec96a_story.html

[George II]

1. Finally. That guy was "in on it all along", I'm sure. I guess he couldn't hold out any longer....

...it was getting hot in the kitchen!

[NurseJackie]

2. Cheaters should NOT be given a second-chance to cheat again! He should LOSE by default!

Cheaters should NOT be given a second-chance to cheat again! He should LOSE by default!

[OnlinePoker]

12. Tell that to Tom Brady. n/t

[Hulk]

3. Now, tag that SOB with corruption, and we may have a chance.

But again, many repuKKKes see corruption as a badge of honor. Hopefully enough North Carolinians will be turned off with that piece of shit’s tactics.

[cstanleytech]

4. There needs to be a federal investigation if they have the authority because if he was involved he

does not belong in Congress instead he belongs behind bars.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Sadly

the wrong administration is in place to actually have any effective investigation so I wonder if it would ever happen or if it did, whether it would get stonewalled.

IMHO, perhaps the House can hold hearings to add this to any legislation being crafted to fix the broken Voting Rights Act.

[cab67]

5. confused about something.

I thought I read after the election that, if it was re-done in this district, it would have to be between Harris and the Democratic candidate who ran in November.

Some of what I'm reading now suggests Harris may decide not to run. What happens then?

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Apparently in this case, he seems to be begging off due to illnesses

So I expect the state GOP might field a candidate...

[cab67]

8. I suppose it's analogous to what happens when a candidate withdraws before the election?

For regular elections, there's a particular point in time when a candidate's name cannot be removed from the ballot. So perhaps they would follow whatever procedures are in place to replace a candidate before that deadline?

His departure from the race would probably come to the great relief of the Republican Party. IIRC, after the prospect of a new election became real, some Republicans were calling for a re-do of the primary so they could get rid of Harris. But the primary had already been certified - no re-do.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. I believe that each state usually has some type of process

and it seems to me they could consider this a "special election" and sortof save face.

And yup - this takes the issue of "primarying" the guy out of the equation although am not sure how they would handle new candidates unless the party itself maybe appoints someone... And in this case, that procedure might be what is used too if a candidate resigns or dies in office...

[neohippie]

9. Still ongoing criminal investigations related to all of this

Let's not forget that there were crimes committed and there will be penalties to pay

[BumRushDaShow]

11. And I think per the OP article

the guy's own son threw him under the bus after trying to advise him...

[DSV]

13. To be honest,

although I don't like him and think he should probably be investigated further, I do feel a bit sorry for him. Sepsis plus two strokes in the same month is terrible. I hope he makes a full recovery and is then soundly voted down by the people of the 9th in the new election.

[thucythucy]

14. I wish we could have a similar do-over for the 2016 presidential.

More than enough evidence to call for one.

[TomSlick]

15. I'm pleased there will be a new election but

there needs to be a criminal investigation of the people involved in the "vote harvesting" - from the people who conducted it to the people who paid for it.

[Firestorm49]

16. Common sense says this is bullshit. But who relies on common sense anymore.

The election should then go to the challenger who lost. If lowly bottom feeding rePuglicans think they can only win an election by acting like assholes, they should pay the price in real terms.

The challenger should be given the post if only to slap those mother f.....ers where it hurts. Give them a dose of reality.

My mother in law, God bless her soul, died at the age of 92 many years ago, and always made the point that Republicans are “slippery”. They try to get away with anything with no conscience. Well, Helen, things haven’t changed.