CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the race for North Carolina's 9th District seat continues, it's become a target of national attention as Democratic candidate Dan McCready seeks to take the previously Republican seat.
Both McCready and Republican candidate Mark Harris have had a series of political ads, and we’ve had our VERIFY team looking into some of the most shared ads in this race.
For this segment, VERIFY analyzed two ads, one that attacked Harris and one that attacked McCready. Neither of the ads analyzed below was paid for or published by the campaigns. Both came from external groups with political leanings.
Mark Harris: "Women"
There a few similar ads to this one. They make some claims about Harris based on a 2013 sermon he gave while serving as the pastor at First Baptist Church in Charlotte.
"Harris questioned why young women are taught to be independent,” the ad said with a July 5 ABC News article listed as the source.
The spot added Harris questioned “whether it was the healthiest pursuit for women to have a career,” and later has direct voice quotes from the candidate.
All the quotes and claims in this piece reference a 2013 sermon Harris gave on the “modern family.” The sermon was dug up and re-published by the Democratic-leaning Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century.
In it, Harris said: "In our culture today, girls are taught from grade school that we tell them that what is most honorable in life is a career, and their ultimate goal in life is simply to be able to grow up and be independent of anyone or anything.”
He later added, “Nobody has seemed to ask the question that I think is critically important to ask: Is that a healthy pursuit for society?”
Harris did preach about his views on the differing roles between men and women and said he believes at their “core,” women were created to be “a supporter, a nurturer, a caregiver.”
While we can VERIFY that Harris did make distinct claims about his views on the role of women in relationships, we cannot VERIFY his intent.
It’s also worth noting Harris acknowledged his views were not “politically correct,” would likely be unpopular, and could be taken out of context.
This ad was funded and published by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). They self-describe themselves as the “official campaign arm of the Democrats in the House of Representatives.”
Dan McCready: “Everything”
This ad was shared by the conservative-leaning Super PAC Congressional Leadership Fund.
It starts by quoting the Charlotte Observer and then makes its first claim: “McCready did admit he opposes middle-class tax cuts.”
Is that true?
It sources “McClatchy Newspapers, 6/5/18". That’s this article titled “A Democrat who talks like a Republican could steal a major NC race from the GOP.”
That article does talk about McCready’s position on tax cuts for the middle class, but it reads that he opposed the recent GOP tax bill, not tax cuts for the middle class.
It then reads his reason for opposition was that the tax plan “did not cut taxes enough for the middle class.”
We’re VERIFYING that claim as false.
The ad then claims Nancy Pelosi’s allies have spent more than $300,000 on McCready and that he’s “with Pelosi.”
While we cannot VERIFY McCready’s future plans, he has said numerous times that he will not vote for Pelosi if he’s elected.
As for the money, according to tallies kept, the House Majority PAC has spent $290,450 in opposition of Mark Harris.
While that is a PAC and not Speaker Pelosi herself, it does support campaigns that she aligns with. Additionally, while the money didn’t go to McCready’s campaign, it did help his efforts by being used to oppose Harris.
