Mark Harris yearns to be in Washington instead of focus of elections investigation

The apparent winner of the 9th Congressional District race said he's frustrated and disappointed that he's not in Washington and is instead at the center of a ballot fraud investigation.

In an interview, Mark Harris called the situation “crushing.”

Last week, he was in Raleigh to ask the Wake County Superior Court to certify the race despite an investigation lead by state elections officials.

In the meantime, people who live in the 9th district, which stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville, are without a representative in Congress.

Harris' opponent, Dan McCready, initially conceded, but he now has a high-profile attorney and has vowed to fight until every vote is counted.

When asked if he still wanted to win, even with everything that has happened, Harris said yes, more than ever.

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“It was a little hurtful to see members up their with their grandkids,” Harris said. “So, the idea of having my grandchildren with me at that swearing-in event is being lost on me, was a bit disappointing, I will definitely say.”

Election results in November indicated Harris won by 905 votes.

State elections officials are looking into absentee ballot results in the 9th District race, particularly in Bladen and Robeson counties, where a Harris campaign operative allegedly sent people door to door to collect mail-in ballots.

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Harris hopes the investigation will be complete by the time his case goes before a judge next week.