Pittenger Again Draws Harris in 9th District GOP Rematch | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post was created by the staff for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

    The Rev. Mark Harris, a Baptist minister and former Republican candidate for Congress and U.S. Senate, announced Monday he again would seek the GOP nomination for the state's 9th Congressional District, held by Republican Robert Pittenger.

    In a press release, Harris noted that he came within 134 votes of defeating three-term incumbent Pittenger in the 2016 Republican primary.



    Pittenger was under federal investigation in 2015 allegedly for using money from his family's real estate business to help finance his 2012 campaign. He also faced a potential probe by the House ethics committee. The FBI and IRS dropped the investigation of Pittenger last year.

    Harris also released a four-minute video making the case for his candidacy, referring several times to his faith. He also called for congressional term limits, and traditional conservative themes including a strong military, an end to Obamacare, tax reform, and lower regulations.