Democrat pulls his concession in congressional race
Democrat Dan McCready withdrew his concession Thursday in a North Carolina congressional race that has been roiled by accusations of fraud.
In an interview with Charlotte-area TV stationWSOC, McCready also called on Republican rivalMark Harris “to tell the American people exactly what he knew and when he knew it.”
“Over the last week, we have seen the criminal activity come to light, and we have seen that my opponent, Mark Harris, has bankrolled this criminal activity,” McCready said. “And so, as of today, I am withdrawing my concession to Mark Harris.”
McCready followed up with a tweet announcing the news and calling on Harris “to end his silence and tell us exactly what he knew, and when.”
North Carolina election officials are investigating whether an operative working on behalf of Harris illegally collected incomplete ballots from voters in the state’s 9th District.
The state probe has delayed the certification of Harris’ race, and state officials could decide to call for a new election. Harris andMcCready are separated by 905 votes, according to unofficial returns.
McCready had conceded defeat Nov. 7, about 24 hours after the polls had closed and long after Harris had declared victory
The allegations are largely concentrated in two North Carolina counties where Republican operative Leslie McCrae Dowless allegedly oversaw a crew of workers who collected absentee ballots from voters. Some of those ballots, according to affidavits filed with state authorities, were incomplete when they were gathered.
Dowless ran a get- out-the-vote effort for the Harris campaign during the primary and general elections.
The North Carolina Board of Elections has indicated that it will hold a hearing on the latest allegations by Dec. 21 and could decide afterward whether to certify the election, call a new election or take some other course of action.