U.S. House, North Carolina 8th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District?
Mark Harris has the strongest record in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. Mark Harris scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Mark Harris's highest marks are showing up and courage. Colby Watson (6 of 15 criteria) and Bo Whitehead (3 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Mark Harris
59 / 100
Public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 63
- Performance
- 75
Democratic
Colby Watson
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Green
Bo Whitehead
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Mark Harris
- Mark against2019-03-13
The State Board of Elections found the 2018 9th District election corrupted by absentee ballot fraud funded principally by his committee through an operative he hired, and ordered a new election.
Sources: NC State Board of Elections, Order, March 13, 2019, NBC News, Feb. 21, 2019
- Mark against2019-03-13
The same order found that his son warned him before he hired McCrae Dowless that Dowless may have collected ballots unlawfully in 2016.
Sources: NC State Board of Elections, Order, March 13, 2019, BBC News, Feb. 21, 2019
- Mark against2019-02-21
At the Board hearing he acknowledged his earlier testimony was incorrect, apologized to the Board, and called for a new election.
- Mark against2019-03-13
The Board found his campaign committee failed to comply fully with its subpoenas issued in December 2018 and February 2019.
- On the record2026-07-23
WRAL's July 2026 review of annual disclosures listed him among four North Carolina House members who own and actively trade individual stocks; his 2025 report lists stock sales in March 2025.
Sources: WRAL, July 23, 2026, House Clerk, 2025 annual financial disclosure (filed May 14, 2026)
- On the record2024-03-05
He was never charged criminally in the 2018 case; Dowless died before trial. In his 2024 campaign he said calling for a new election was a mistake and the 2018 election was stolen from him.
- On the record2019-02-26
Citing ill health, he said he would not run in the new 9th District election.
Source: WRAL, Feb. 26, 2019
- On the record2018
PolitiFact rated three of his 2018 campaign statements about opponents Robert Pittenger and Dan McCready False and one Mostly False.
Sources: PolitiFact, Mark Harris scorecard, PolitiFact, March 15, 2018, PolitiFact, Oct. 31, 2018
- Credit2026
Voted against his party leadership on passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, a failed April 2026 rule for a FISA extension bill and the February 2026 ROTOR Act.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 124, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 72, 2026
Colby Watson
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Bo Whitehead
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Mark Harris. A 2019 State Board of Elections order found the 2018 9th District election he led was corrupted by absentee ballot fraud funded principally by his committee, through an operative he hired after a warning. He admitted incorrect testimony.
Sources: NC State Board of Elections, Order in the Matter of the 2018 Ninth Congressional District, March 13, 2019, NBC News, Feb. 21, 2019, House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076282
Colby Watson. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Jan. 9, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10073174, FEC administrative fines search
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mark Harris. Voted against the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip on the January 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, on an April 2026 rule for a FISA extension bill that failed, and for the ROTOR Act in 2026.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 124, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 72, 2026
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mark Harris. Has held virtual town halls through platforms such as Zoom, per NC Newsline. No 2026 debate record found.
Source: NC Newsline, Oct. 20, 2025 (reprinted on ross.house.gov)
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mark Harris. Decades as a senior pastor and president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, then in Congress since 2025, with no censure, reprimand or House Ethics conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mark Harris, House Committee on Ethics site search for Mark Harris
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Mark Harris. Has held sworn federal office since January 2025, after the January 2021 electoral count, with no misuse-of-office finding. In 2019 he petitioned a state court to compel certification of his own 2018 race.
Sources: GovTrack, Mark Harris, NC State Board of Elections, Order, March 13, 2019
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mark Harris. In his first term in the U.S. House; previously senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Charlotte and president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina from 2011 to 2013.
Colby Watson. Has owned a small business for more than a decade after work in masonry, construction and farming. Has not held public office.
Bo Whitehead. Works as a warehouse supervisor after jobs in hazardous chemical transport, loss prevention and logistics. Has not held public office.
Source: Campaign site
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mark Harris. Serves on the Agriculture and Education and Workforce Committees and their subcommittees; holds no chair or ranking post. Published 2026 priorities on the economy, border and education.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Ballotpedia, Mark Harris
Colby Watson. Publishes issue pages on housing, health care, corruption, the economy, education and other topics, mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Bo Whitehead. Publishes a numbered list of priorities, including human trafficking, ending wars and the minimum wage, in general terms.
Source: Campaign site
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mark Harris. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026, offers an e-newsletter and issue pages, and has held virtual town halls.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mark Harris, Harris office site, home page
Colby Watson. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025 and publishes issue pages and written campaign commitments.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Colby Watson, Campaign site, home page
Bo Whitehead. Publishes plain-language priorities on his campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Bo Whitehead
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mark Harris. No public record found.
Colby Watson. Born in Indian Trail and raised in Union County, both in the district. FEC by-state totals show all of his $3,350 in itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Colby Watson, Campaign site, About, U.S. Census Bureau, 119th Congress district relationship file (county), FEC contribution totals by state
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mark Harris. The 2019 State Board order found his 2018 campaign committee failed to comply fully with the Board's subpoenas. Current campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC fine.
Sources: NC State Board of Elections, Order, March 13, 2019, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Colby Watson. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Mark Harris. No public record found.
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mark Harris. Missed 0 of 676 roll call votes, 0.0 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mark Harris. Runs district offices in Laurinburg and Monroe and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Harris office site, office locations, Harris office site, home page
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mark Harris. No public record found.
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mark Harris. No public record found.
Colby Watson. No public record found.
Bo Whitehead. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District?
Mark Harris has the strongest record in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. Mark Harris scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Mark Harris's highest marks are showing up and courage. Colby Watson (6 of 15 criteria) and Bo Whitehead (3 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District in 2026?
Mark Harris (Republican, incumbent), Colby Watson (Democratic), Bo Whitehead (Green). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mark Harris a good candidate for Congress?
Mark Harris scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 63 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Colby Watson a good candidate for Congress?
Colby Watson has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Bo Whitehead a good candidate for Congress?
Bo Whitehead has public evidence on 3 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every North Carolina race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the North Carolina 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.