Harris, Mark

Mark Harris represents North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party, having won election in 2024. Harris is the lead pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville, North Carolina, and has held senior pastoral positions at churches in Charlotte and Augusta, Georgia. He previously served as president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, bringing religious leadership experience to his legislative role.

In Congress, Harris serves on three major committees: Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and the Judiciary. Within these committees, he focuses on farm policy, risk management, education at all levels, and constitutional matters. His legislative agenda reflects both his rural district interests and his values-based background, as evidenced by bills he has sponsored addressing education recognition, child protection, bail reform, and abortion-related policies.

Harris's path to Congress included earlier unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and the House in 2016. His 2018 campaign for the 9th district faced significant controversy when election officials declined to certify results following allegations of ballot fraud by a political operative employed by his campaign. Harris was not charged in connection with the fraud allegations. Rather than run in the subsequent special election, he successfully pursued the 8th district seat in 2024 after the previous representative retired, marking a political comeback.