NORTH CAROLINA -- The new race in North Carolina's 9th congressional district is officially underway, with candidates starting to throw their names into the ring.

• The new election in the 9th district comes after the state's election board declined to certify the 2018 match-up between Democrat Dan McCready and Republican Mark Harris, amid an election fraud investigation.
• On paper, experts said, the 9th district would ordinarily be expected to lean Republican, but there are many unique factors at play.
• The new primary is set for May 14, with a general election slated for September 10.

The race is a "toss-up," according to Sabato's Crystal Ball, which monitors elections across the country.

"I think it's going to be a very expensive, nationally-watched race," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball.

The new election in the 9th district comes after the state's election board declined to certify the 2018 match-up between Democrat Dan McCready and Republican Mark Harris, amid an election fraud investigation.

On paper, Kondik said, the 9th district would ordinarily be expected to lean Republican, but there are many unique factors at play.

"The Democrats have a pretty clear nominee in Dan McCready. Republicans seem sort of unclear who the nominee is going to be," Kondik said.

McCready already announced he is running again. He comes equipped with name recognition.

He is also not shying away from talking about what happened in the 2018 race, saying at his campaign relaunch that, "This is bigger than one race, this is bigger than one election, this is about what does it mean to live in a Democracy."

On the GOP side, it is wide open. Harris, whose campaign employed the man at the center of the ballot harvesting scheme, passed on running again. Former Gov. Pat McCrory, another big name, also declined to run.

Republicans remain hopeful the fraud investigation will not hurt their chances.

"It really falls under one condition, and that is putting together the right candidate, someone who has a history of integrity, someone the people in the area trust. If so, I believe it alleviates or maybe even completely negates the former issue with the ballot harvesting," said Rep. Mark Walker, R-6th District.

Kondik says expect the race to get plenty of national attention. Presidential hopefuls could even drop by, in hopes of getting press coverage in both in North Carolina and its southern neighbor. South Carolina is an early primary state.

Money will also likely pour into this race, as outside groups attempt to equalize the financial playing field.

"You’re going to see a lot spending here," Kondik said. "I would expect to see a lot of voters engaged in this race on both sides."

The new primary is set for May 14, with a general election slated for September 10.

If there needs to be a runoff in the primary, it will be held on September 10 and the general election will be pushed back to November 5.