CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Republican Dan Bishop has won the special election for North Carolina Congressional District 9 against democrat Dan McCready. Bishop has claimed 51% of the vote against McCready's 49% of the vote.
The 55-year-old Bishop is a state senator best known for sponsoring a 2016 state law that blocked local anti-discrimination rules protecting LGBT residents. The law was repealed after it prompted a national outcry and boycotts that The Associated Press estimated cost North Carolina $3.7 billion.
Bishop didn't run in last year's election, which was scrapped after allegations of ballot tampering by a Republican political consultant.
Millions of campaign dollars have been spent in the south-central 9th district race between Republican Dan Bishop and Democrat Dan McCready. The election do-over was ordered after evidence of ballot fraud last fall that appeared to benefit McCready's then-GOP opponent.
Republicans hope an eleventh-hour pep talk from President Donald Trump helped them win Tuesday's special congressional election in North Carolina. The race could shed light on Republicans' chances of retaking the U.S. House and Trump's reelection prospects in 2020.
At a rally in Fayetteville on Monday night, Trump campaigned for conservative state Sen. Dan Bishop. Opposing Bishop is moderate Democrat Dan McCready, a former Marine who narrowly trailed in an election for the seat last year that was invalidated after evidence of election fraud surfaced.
Trump carried the district by 11 points in 2016.
Trump called Bishop Tuesday night to congratulate him. Bishop put Donald Trump's call on speaker phone for his supporters to hear.
More than half the district's votes likely came from Charlotte's suburbs. When Democrats retook the House in 2018, many of their pickups were in suburbs.
Earlier in the day, democratic presidential contenders expressed support for McCready.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg tweeted support Tuesday for Democrat Dan McCready.
Biden tweeted that McCready will "fight to protect North Carolinian's health care & take on prescription drug companies." Buttigieg tweeted to voters that McReady "needs your help."
The viewpoints:
One voter says he's fed up with the Republican Party and frightened by President Donald Trump. Another voter says she doesn't want to see the country become a socialist nation.
Those are just two of the diverging viewpoints at the polls in North Carolina on Tuesday for a special congressional election.
Retiree Susie Sisk of Mint Hill told The Associated Press that she's voting for Republican state Sen. Dan Bishop. Sisk said Bishop is for the Second Amendment, against illegal immigration and won't raise taxes.
Another Mint Hill retiree, Bob Southern, said he voted for McCready because he's fed up with the Republican Party's agenda and President Trump.
Requested extensions:
North Carolina election officials are not acting on a request by the state Republican Party to extend hours at a single precinct in the special election for the country's last undecided congressional seat.
The Republican Party on Tuesday asked that the voting site stay open an extra hour and 45 minutes because they said some 9th Congressional District voters were showing up at the old voting location in Union County, a Republican-heavy area east of Charlotte.
The State Board of Elections met and discussed the GOP request, but took no action.
Union County is seen as critical in the election prospects of Republican Dan Bishop, who is seeking to extend the GOP's 56-year hold on North Carolina's 9th Congressional District. He's running against Democrat Dan McCready and two other candidates.
A request to extend voting in one Mint Hill precinct in Mecklenburg County was approved. The location was closed for approximately 25 minutes Tuesday evening because of a gas leak.