GOP candidate to request election be certified amid fraud scandal

Republican candidate Mark Harris plans to ask a North Carolina court on Thursday to certify him as the winner of the state’s disputed 9th congressional district race, WSOC-TV's Joe Bruno reports.

The backdrop: Harris' decision to take legal action comes hours after election staffers said they would postpone a scheduled Jan. 11 hearing on the ongoing fraud investigation. The official State Board of Elections was forced to dissolve last week in response to an unrelated state court decision, leaving the investigation and House seat in limbo.

• The election board had refused to certify unofficial results that show Harris holding an unofficial 905-vote lead over his Democratic opponent Dan McCready. At the center of the probe is a contractor for Harris’ campaign accused of collecting absentee ballots in violation of state law.
• As the seat remains vacant, incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has vowed that Democrats will object to any attempt by Harris to be seated on Thursday when the new Congress convenes.

Go deeper:

• North Carolina House race in doubt over claims of electoral fraud
• North Carolina flagged illegal voting activity to the feds last year