U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger has lost a Republican primary for his seat in North Carolina to the Rev. Mark Harris, a Baptist pastor he only narrowly beat two years ago.
Both Pittinger and Harris campaigned as evangelical Christians who would outdo the other to support President Donald Trump, who did not endorse either candidate.
Harris won Tuesday among GOP voters and now must take on Democrat Dan McCready, a Marine veteran who has raised almost $2 million to compete in the 9th district, where Trump's victory was narrower than elsewhere in North Carolina.
The district stretches from Charlotte through poorer areas close to Fort Bragg.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.