GOP holds two US House seats in special elections

State Sen. Dan Bishop and state Rep. Greg Murphy will be moving from Jones Street to Capitol Hill after winning open seats in the 9th and 3rd congressional districts, respectively.

September 2019 Election Results

Murphy, R-Pitt, had the easier road Tuesday, downing Democrat Allen Thomas, a former Greenville mayor, by a 62 to 38 percent margin, according to unofficial results. Libertarian Tim Harris and Constitutional Party candidate Greg Holt had less than 1 percent combined in the race.

The 3rd District covers the coast from the Virginia border to Jacksonville and cuts inland to Greenville.

Bishop, R-Mecklenburg, overcame an early lead by Democrat Dan McCready and eventually won the 9th District by a 51 to 49 percent margin, according to unofficial results. Libertarian Jeff Scott and Green Party candidate Allen Smith had less than 1 percent of the vote combined.

The 9th District runs along the South Carolina border from Charlotte to Lumberton before turning north to include southern Cumberland County.

Bishop's 12,000 vote lead in Union County basically swung the election, overwhelming McCready's 8,000 vote margin in neighboring Mecklenburg County. Cumberland County was pretty much an even split between the two.

"Tonight is a victory shared by all those who believe in the promise of America," Bishop told his cheering supporters.

Bishop touted Trump's record on the economy, immigration and the military and said the president could count on his support in all areas.

"Voters said no to the radical, liberal policies being pushed by today's Democratic Party," he said. "The fate of our country is dependent on leaders who will stand strong to protect our values. I promise you tonight that I will never stop fighting for our values."

Later, Bishop called Trump and held his phone up to the microphone at his campaign party so supporters could hear from the president.

McCready, a Marine who served in the Middle East, campaigned on "country over party" and often used military references in his speeches. That was true as he conceded defeat on Tuesday.

"When our country succeeds, we all succeed," McCready told supporters. "For me, that means helping Dan Bishop."

"We weren't successful tonight, but I want you to know that victory postponed is not defeat," he added.

McCready fell more than 900 votes short in the 9th District race last fall, but the State Board of Elections didn't certify the results because of questions over absentee voting in Bladen and Robeson counties.

A four-day hearing ended in February with Republican Mark Harris, who won last fall, acknowledging mounting evidence of ballot fraud by one of his campaign operatives and calling for a new contest.

Republicans have held the 9th Congressional District seat for more than 50 years, but the close election last fall and the fallout from the fraud investigation led some to speculate that Democrats could finally win the seat.

Results in the 9th District race were delayed by 25 minutes after the State Board of Elections allowed one Mecklenburg County precinct that reported a gas leak Tuesday afternoon to remain open past the normal 7:30 p.m. closing time. Officials said most voters went to nearby polling sites to cast ballots during the period the precinct was closed, but they weren't sure if anyone was denied a chance to vote because of the gas leak.

Bishop's campaign also lobbied for extended voting hours at a Union County precinct where they said the polling site had changed, creating confusion for voters. The state board took no action on that request.

Trump's call for voters to elect Bishop at the Monday rally apparently confused many in Cumberland County, which is split between the 9th District and the 8th Congressional District.

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

County Elections Director Teri Robertson apologized for the misunderstanding but said the mistake shows voters are taking the special election very seriously.

About 5,000 Cumberland County voters cast ballots during the early voting period.

Robertson said new procedures put in place should ensure this 9th District election goes off without a hitch.

"There's a lot of new procedures in place, some new safeguards built in, and people are just more aware of what they allowed to do and not allowed to do," she said. "I think there was a problem before [where people] didn't think they were breaking the law when they did things."