The GOP Has Rigged North Carolina's Electoral System Against Democracy-- So A District Will Have No Representation In DC For Almost A Year

Hogg likely to face Blue Dog

On Friday, the Charlotte Observer reported that the vacant congressional seat for the 9th district, which starts in Charlotte's suburbs and works its way south and east, had just passed its filing deadline for the May 14th primary. As expected, just one Democrat is in the race, Blue Dog Dan McCready. The Republicans, on the other hand, has a huge field of candidates-- 10, all looking for the magic 30% that will preclude having to fight in a primary runoff. They list the occupants of the GOP clown car:

• Chris Anglin, a Raleigh attorney, who switched from D to R last year to run, unsuccessfully for the state Supreme Court. The GOP establishment hates his guts.
• Dan Bishop, the right-wing crackpot sate senator who's only issue is that he wrote the state's most hateful legislation of the cycle-- the bathroom bill.
• Leigh Brown, a realtor who bills herself as a "sassy southern woman."
• Kathy Day, an unknown person.
• Gary Dunn, a perennial candidate who runs unsuccessfully for whatever on whichever party he can.
• Stevie Rivenbark Hull, a 32 year old single mother of two from Fayetteville making her first run for office.
• Matthew Ridenhour, a former Mecklenburg County commissioner who lost his seat to a Democrat last year but who's still running against socialism.
• Stony Rushing (see: Boss Hogg)-- the hand=picked candidate of Mark Harris, the guy caught trying to steal the election which is why the district still has no representation in DC.
• Fern Shubert, a former state legislator, who ran for governor and has big name-ID.
• Albert Lee Wiley Jr., another perennial candidate.

That's some roster of candidates! Monday, Politico speculated that "North Carolina Republicans are suffering from a lack of credibility, a crowded field and a cash deficit as they head into the primary for the 9th Congressional District redo election." Why a lack of credibility? Well, let's ask our friends at PolitiFact. It all stems from Harris' attempt to steal the election. The state GOP insists that "the irregularities" didn’t affect enough votes to make a difference in the outcome of the race and that he should have been allowed to take the seat anyway. The bipartisan state Board of Elections ruled otherwise-- unanimously-- and the GOP now claims Democrats forced the special election. The state Republican Party "is misleading donors about the history of the race" and is now fundraising off their lies. PolitiFact:

The GOP says Democrats "forced" a special election-- which gives the impression that support for a new election was purely partisan.

It wasn’t.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The NC elections board has jurisdiction over races for federal office across the state.

In November, the board was made up of nine members-- four Republicans, four Democrats and a left-leaning unaffiliated member-- when it voted 7-2 against certifying the 9th district race results.

In January, a court decision reconstituted the board with five members: three Democrats and two Republicans.

In February, after a four-day hearing on the findings of the fraud investigation, the reconstituted board voted unanimously (5-0) to nullify November’s results and launch a new election. The board acted shortly after Harris, in a surprise move, expressed his support for a new election.

"It’s become clear to me that the public’s confidence in the Ninth District’s general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted," Harris said, and the New York Times reported.

A GOP-BACKED DECISION

Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the NC GOP, pointed out that Democrats controlled the elections board.

"Republicans could not force a special election, and could not certify alone," Woodhouse said.

It’s true that the Democrats could’ve called for a new election without Republican votes-- but they didn’t. The two Republican members of the board voted for a new election shortly after Harris (the Republican candidate) said he also supported it.

Furthermore, on the day Harris called for a new election, Woodhouse said he supported Harris’ decision.

"Today I ask for everyone’s prayers for @MarkHarrisNC9 Today is a tremendously difficult day for his family, supporters and the entire @NCGOP We support our candidates decision in this matter. We will do everything we can to help the process and system improve in the future," Woodhouse tweeted on Feb. 21.

In a statement released the same day, the NC GOP said "we respect Dr. Harris’ decision" and thanked the elections board. And on Feb. 26, after Harris dropped out of contention for the seat, the GOP put out another statement saying, "This has been a grueling process for all involved, and we unequivocally support his call for a new election."

OUR RULING

An NC GOP fundraising email said "Democrats have forced a special election" in the 9th Congressional District. Democrats held a majority on the NC elections board, but the vote to order a new election was supported by the board’s two Republican members and the Republican candidate. We rate this claim False.