Mark Harris

Mark Harris
Birthplace	North Carolina, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Known for	U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 8th congressional district

Mark Harris is an American politician and former Baptist pastor who serves as the U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 8th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Harris first gained national attention during the controversial 2018 congressional race in North Carolina's 9th district, which was invalidated due to an absentee ballot fraud scheme carried out by an operative associated with his campaign. Harris subsequently ran for and won election to represent the 8th congressional district, taking office in January 2025. Since entering Congress, he has focused on issues including immigration enforcement, public safety, and support for the policies of President Donald Trump. His political career has been shaped by his background in evangelical Christian ministry and conservative activism in North Carolina.

Career

Early Political Career and 2018 Election Controversy

Mark Harris entered the political arena through his involvement in conservative and evangelical Christian causes in North Carolina. He ran for the U.S. Senate in the 2014 Republican primary but was unsuccessful. He subsequently turned his attention to the U.S. House of Representatives, running in North Carolina's 9th congressional district.

In 2018, Harris won the Republican primary and appeared to have narrowly won the general election against Democrat Dan McCready. However, the results were not certified after evidence emerged of a systematic absentee ballot fraud operation orchestrated by Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative who had been hired by the Harris campaign. The North Carolina State Board of Elections conducted an evidentiary hearing in February 2019, during which testimony revealed that Dowless and his associates had collected, tampered with, and in some cases destroyed absentee ballots in Bladen and Robeson counties. Harris himself testified at the hearing and ultimately called for a new election, stating that he believed the corruption of the process warranted a fresh vote. A new election was ordered, and Harris chose not to run in the subsequent special election, citing health concerns following surgery.

Election to Congress (2024)

Harris returned to electoral politics for the 2024 election cycle, this time seeking to represent North Carolina's 8th congressional district, which had been reconfigured following redistricting. He won the Republican primary and the general election, taking his seat in the 119th United States Congress in January 2025.

Congressional Tenure

Since taking office, Harris has aligned himself closely with the legislative agenda of President Donald Trump and the Republican congressional leadership. His policy priorities have centered on immigration enforcement, crime reduction, and border security.

Immigration and Border Security

Harris has been an outspoken advocate for stricter immigration enforcement within his district and across the country. In November 2025, he publicly addressed the presence of U.S. Border Patrol agents operating in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to reporting by WBTV, Harris stated that Border Patrol agents in Charlotte were "targeting criminal element," framing their presence as a public safety measure rather than a broad immigration sweep. Harris sought to reassure constituents that enforcement actions were focused on individuals with criminal records rather than the broader immigrant population in the Charlotte metropolitan area.

Also in November 2025, Harris joined fellow North Carolina Republican congressmen Pat Harrigan and Chuck Edwards in signing a letter to Governor Josh Stein requesting the deployment of the North Carolina National Guard to Charlotte. The letter, reported on by The Assembly NC, reflected the lawmakers' concerns about public safety in the state's largest city and their desire for a more visible law enforcement presence. The request was part of a broader pattern among Republican members of Congress from North Carolina advocating for federal and state intervention in urban crime and immigration enforcement.

Crime Policy

Harris has positioned himself as a supporter of aggressive crime-reduction policies at the federal level. In early 2025, he authored an op-ed advocating for President Trump's crime policies. According to reporting by Quiver Quantitative, the piece praised the administration's approach and highlighted what Harris characterized as significant reductions in crime attributable to the president's enforcement-first stance.

Harris's advocacy on crime policy has been consistent with his broader messaging on public safety, which has linked immigration enforcement to crime reduction. His congressional communications have frequently emphasized the connection between border security and domestic law enforcement, reflecting a policy framework common among Republican members of the 119th Congress.

Personal Life

Mark Harris is a former senior pastor who led First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a number of years before entering politics. His background in evangelical ministry has informed his political positions, particularly on social and cultural issues. Harris and his family reside in North Carolina.

Harris underwent a medical procedure between the 2018 election controversy and his eventual successful run for Congress in 2024, which he cited as one of the reasons for not participating in the 2019 special election for the 9th district seat.

Recognition

As a freshman member of Congress, Harris has received attention primarily for his legislative advocacy and public statements on immigration and crime policy. His 2018 election controversy remains a notable episode in the history of American electoral fraud investigations and is frequently referenced in discussions of election integrity in North Carolina.