9th Congressional District Coverage

All assets associated with the tag: 9th Congressional District

A saga of absentee ballots, money and influence played out in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District after the 2018 mid-terms, shining a light on the shady tactics of a particular campaign operative, leading to felony charges and resulting in the call for a new election.

Republican Mark Harris led Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes after the November election, but the elections board didn't certify the results because of questions over absentee voting in Bladen and Robeson counties.

Those inquiries culminated in a four-day hearing of the State Board of Elections that ended abruptly when Harris himself acknowledged the mounting evidence of ballot fraud in his race and said a new contest was needed.

A new election will play out without Harris, but many questions remain about his familial and political relationships and about the security of North Carolina elections.

DA: Plea deal in 9th District election scandal on table until Nov. 30

The central figure in a scandal that forced a redo of a 2018 North Carolina congressional election has rejected a plea deal in the case.

McCrae Dowless rejects plea deal in 9th District election scandal

The central figure in a scandal that forced a redo of a 2018 North Carolina congressional election has rejected a plea deal in the case.

Amanda Lamb, WRAL reporter

McCrae Dowless rejects plea deal in 9th District election scandal

Central figure in 9th District election scandal gets six months in prison for fraud

The central figure in an election scandal that forced a redo of a 2018 North Carolina congressional election was sentenced Thursday to six months in federal prison for unrelated fraud charges.

Key figure in 9th District election scandal hospitalized

McCrae Dowless was scheduled for sentencing Wednesday afternoon in federal court.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

Key figure in 9th District election scandal hospitalized

Central figure in 9th District election scandal pleads guilty to fraud

The man accused of illegally collecting absentee ballots in the 9th Congressional District election in 2018, forcing North Carolina officials to throw out the results of the election and order a new one, pleaded guilty Monday to fraud, authorities said.

Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

Central figure in 9th District election scandal pleads guilty to fraud

No criminal charges for candidate in 9th District absentee ballot mess

Mark Harris, the congressional candidate whose Bladen County operative sparked multiple criminal investigations and a do-over election last year in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, won't face criminal charges over the debacle, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced Wednesday.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

No criminal charges for candidate in 9th District absentee ballot mess

Key figure in 9th District absentee ballot scheme charged with Social Security fraud

Leslie McCrae Dowless, the central figure in the election fraud investigation that led to a redo of the 2018 race in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, was indicted this month on charges he lied in an application for Social Security benefits.

Did Trump lift pair of NC congressmen to victory?

After his impeachment acquittal last week, President Donald Trump reminded Republicans of his importance to their success. He said: "We just won two seats in North Carolina ... that were not supposed to be won."

Did Democratic congressional candidate support open borders, sanctuary cities?

President Donald Trump said Dan McCready, the Democratic candidate for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District seat, backed open borders and sanctuary cities because of McCready's support for the DREAM Act and sheriffs choosing not to cooperate with federal immigration agents.

Did Democrats 'force' a special election in 9th District?

The North Carolina Republican Party sent out a fundraising email in March claiming that Democrats "forced" a special election in the 9th Congressional District. But the bipartisan State Board of Elections voted unanimously for a new election after finding evidence of absentee ballot tampering in the 2018 election by a contractor working for Republican Mark Harris' campaign.

NC elections board OKs late change to voting machines, ID rules for absentee ballots

Months after approving three voting machine systems for next year's elections, the State Board of Elections on Friday agreed to allow one of the three vendors to swap out its approved system for a different model.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

NC elections board OKs late change to voting machines, ID rules for absentee ballots

Lawmakers restore last Saturday of early voting, delay ban on touchscreen voting

The measure also includes new absentee ballot fraud protections.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter, & Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Lawmakers restore last Saturday of early voting, delay ban on touchscreen voting

Central figure in 9th District scandal gets court-appointed lawyer

McCrae Dowless, the political operative accused of tampering with absentee ballots in the 2018 9th Congressional District election, said during a Monday court hearing that he is indigent and can no longer afford his attorney. So, Drew Sprague was appointed to represent him.

On the Record, 9/14: Anger over budget veto, progress with redistricting

It was an interesting week in state politics with a special election in the 9th Congressional District with national implications, to state lawmakers turning to the lottery for help redrawing maps.

In wake of fraud scandal, voting by mail dropped by two-thirds in 9th District

The use of mail-in absentee ballots - the voting method at the heart of an election fraud scandal that triggered the do-over election in the 9th Congressional District - fell by more than two-thirds across the district, according to the latest data from the State Board of Elections.

Tyler Dukes, WRAL investigative reporter

In wake of fraud scandal, voting by mail dropped by two-thirds in 9th District

Dan McCready concedes 9th District race

Democrat Dan McCready speaks to supporters after conceding the 9th Congressional District special election.

Dan Bishop declares victory in 9th District race

Republican state Sen. Dan Bishop speaks with supporters after winning a special election in the 9th Congressional District.

Special 9th District election confuses some Cumberland voters

Numerous Cumberland County voters were reviewing maps and getting assistance from election workers Tuesday to determine if they live in the 9th Congressional District. Some said they were confused because candidates and election workers had campaigned in their neighborhoods.