In the Zeitgeist

Since early February, there have been several major developments in the 9th Congressional District of North Carolina’s case, where Republican Mark Harris has come under fire for accusations of possible election fraud. After the bipartisan North Carolina State Board of Elections unanimously voted not to certify the district’s original voting results, which would have placed Harris as the winner, evidence has been gathered about the events that transpired during the election, resulting in the Board releasing an important decision this past week.

On February 21st, just hours after Mark Harris himself made a public call for a new election, the North Carolina Board of Elections decided to announce that a new election would indeed be taking place. The date for the new election is not yet set, but it is expected to take place sometime over the next few weeks.

Straightforward as this news may seem, it comes after weeks of dramatic testimony and intense emotions on both sides of the aisle. Throughout the investigation, Mark Harris maintained that he did not know about any fraud committed by his team, but toward the end of the investigation, he admitted that some of the testimony he had previously provided was inaccurate. Harris cited recent health problems, including two strokes, as the reason why he had spoken incorrectly about some of the information he gave. However, the investigation hit a huge turning point after Harris’ own son took the stand and testified against his father, claiming that he warned his father against hiring Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man at the center of the investigation.

Just a week after the Board announced the new election, Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man accused of illegally harvesting absentee ballots in order to benefit Mark Harris, was officially indicted on three charges of illegal ballot possession and obstruction of justice. Dowless has been transported to a holding facility in the state capital of Raleigh, and his bail is currently set at $30,000.

Almost directly after Dowless’ sentence was announced, Mark Harris put out a statement saying that he will not be running in the new election due to ongoing health issues and a desire to spend time with his family. He has formally endorsed Republican Stony Rushing, a county commissioner, who will go up against Democrat Dan McCready in the special election.

This might feel like the long-awaited conclusion to an investigation that went on for months. But, the truth is, even though this development is a clear step in the right direction for District 9’s constituents, the fight is not over because they still do not have an elected congressperson representing them. Though it is time to move forward, in moving forward we cannot forget about what transpired in this district at the risk of it happening again. This scandal has put a stain on the reputation of the North Carolina Republican Party, but with almost two years until the 2020 elections, there is plenty of time for people to shift their focus to other issues. However, if anything, this investigation has proven that when election results seem suspicious, it is always good to follow through with a thorough examination of the facts.

Since early February, there have been several major developments in the 9th Congressional District of North Carolina’s case, where Republican Mark Harris has come under fire for accusations of possible election fraud. After the bipartisan North Carolina State Board of Elections unanimously voted not to certify the district’s original voting results, which would have placed Harris as the winner, evidence has been gathered about the events that transpired during the election, resulting in the Board releasing an important decision this past week.

On February 21st, just hours after Mark Harris himself made a public call for a new election, the North Carolina Board of Elections decided to announce that a new election would indeed be taking place. The date for the new election is not yet set, but it is expected to take place sometime over the next few weeks. Straightforward as this news may seem, it comes after weeks of dramatic testimony and intense emotions on both sides of the aisle. Throughout the investigation, Mark Harris maintained that he did not know about any fraud committed by his team, but toward the end of the investigation, he admitted that some of the testimony he had previously provided was inaccurate. Harris cited recent health problems, including two strokes, as the reason why he had spoken incorrectly about some of the information he gave. However, the investigation hit a huge turning point after Harris’ own son took the stand and testified against his father, claiming that he warned his father against hiring Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man at the center of the investigation.  

Just a week after the Board announced the new election, Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man accused of illegally harvesting absentee ballots in order to benefit Mark Harris, was officially indicted on three charges of illegal ballot possession and obstruction of justice. Dowless has been transported to a holding facility in the state capital of Raleigh, and his bail is currently set at $30,000.

Almost directly after Dowless’ sentence was announced, Mark Harris put out a statement saying that he will not be running in the new election due to ongoing health issues and a desire to spend time with his family. He has formally endorsed Republican Stony Rushing, a county commissioner, who will go up against Democrat Dan McCready in the special election.

This might feel like the long-awaited conclusion to an investigation that went on for months. But, the truth is, even though this development is a clear step in the right direction for District 9’s constituents, the fight is not over because they still do not have an elected congressperson representing them. Though it is time to move forward, in moving forward we cannot forget about what transpired in this district at the risk of it happening again. This scandal has put a stain on the reputation of the North Carolina Republican Party, but with almost two years until the 2020 elections, there is plenty of time for people to shift their focus to other issues. However, if anything, this investigation has proven that when election results seem suspicious, it is always good to follow through with a thorough examination of the facts.

Lila Olson

Lila, a staff writer at “In the Zeitgeist,” is a junior at NYU who is triple majoring in English Literary Studies, Politics, and Spanish. She is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, and has experience writing professionally in both English and Spanish-speaking settings, as well as several years of experience working closely with children. In the future, Lila hopes to establish a career based in clinical social work or rehabilitation counseling. When she’s not busy working on homework, Lila enjoys painting, spending time with her family and dogs, and discussing time travel.