RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA -- One of the most watched congressional races in the country is right here in North Carolina’s congressional district 9. Republican Mark Harris is facing off against Democrat Dan McCready.

In advance of voters heading out to the polls, we are introducing you to the candidates, so you know a little more about the person you are voting for.

Dan McCready:

Dan McCready says he is a local boy trying to do some good for his neighbors and family in the nation's capital.

He says he wants to set a good example for his children: “When they look at me and ask dad, 'What did you do? What did you do when things went so haywire?' I’m going to tell them that I fought back.”

McCready is a lifelong North Carolinian. He is a graduate of Myers Park High School in Mecklenburg County and Duke University. He was a freshman in Durham on 9/11. He says that is when he knew what his next step in life needed to be.

“I did feel very blessed growing up with the opportunities that I had and I wanted to give something back,” McCready says. “So I started working out with the folks who were smart enough to do ROTC and get college paid for, and I joined the Marine Corps after I graduated.”

McCreedy ended up commanding a platoon and he says lessons he learned then can be carried with him to congress.

“My 65 Marines came from all over this country,” McCready explains. “We never cared about where you came from. We never cared about who your parents were. We never cared about the color of your skin. The last thing we cared about was whether you were a Republican or Democrat. We were all really on the same team. That is something that the military teaches you and I think that is something that our country is all about -- we are all Americans first -- and that's what I think is really missing in Washington.”

Back home in Charlotte, McCready has become a successful small business owner with dozens of large scale solar farms that employee 700 people.

“I read about Marines that were using flexible solar panels in Afghanistan,” McCready says. “They were interested in how you can stay out in the field longer and avoid re-supplies. It cut down on the cost of transporting diesel fuel out in the hinterlands of Afghanistan. I figured if the Marines had figured out how to use solar power, there must be an opportunity for it here in North Carolina.”  

McCready says when he mapped out his future, he never saw a run for office as part of his plan. But, he and his wife believe he is being called to serve again, right now.

“One thing I think about right now, is that our country really is in a very difficult spot. Let's be totally honest, Washington is completely broken. It seems that no matter who goes up there, democrats or republicans, they can't work together and get anything done. The people in North Carolina deserve a lot better.

To learn more about Dan McCready, you can log on to his website: danmccready.com

Mark Harris:

Mark Harris knows North Carolina. He was born here, raised here, and lived here for much of his life.

“I'm the youngest of five children,” Harris tells us. “I tell people all the time if you ask who my hero is, it’s my dad.”

Harris says lessons he learned from his parents and are ones he still carries with him today. None more than those from his father, who was orphaned as a young child and later in life taken as a prisoner of war.

“He came out of World War II the same way he came out of the orphanage, better not bitter,” reminisces Harris.

Harris says he had a clear career path set out for himself when he went to Appalachian State, he would graduate then go on to law school but plans changed.

“It became very clear to me that God was saying, 'Mark, I want to take all that you are and all that you have and I want it to be used in my glory.' When I wrestled with that, I thought well I can be a Christian attorney. I could do work with families but it became clear to me that I needed to use my gifts and abilities for his glory.”

Harris was just a few weeks out from his wedding to his college sweetheart, Beth, when the call to ministry became clear to him. He says the life it has led him and his now wife on, is a journey that has shaped him into the man he is today.

“It has allowed me the privilege of walking through life with people. It has allowed me to serve people of all socio-economic backgrounds, all educational backgrounds, all races, all perspectives, even all world views. Being able to work with people from great diversity and to know that they can unite and come together for a cause bigger than themselves, that is an incredible blessing.”

In this congressional bid, Harris says he believes he is ready to head to Washington and offer the leadership the 9th district needs.

“A good member of congress has to know the heartbeat of the people of the district,” he says. “There is no question, we have a diverse district. Charlotte, Mecklenburg County is diverse in and of itself. Union County has great diversity when you look at one end to the other. All of the counties have a certain diversity. But I think you've got to know the people, and you’ve got to know their challenges.

To learn more about Mark Harris you can log on to his website: markharrisforcongress.com

 

 

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