State Sen. Dan Bishop, who helped author the infamous “bathroom bill,” won Tuesday’s Republican primary in North Carolina’s 9th District easily, clinching 48 percent of the vote and launching himself into the general election against Democrat Dan McCready in September.
He crushed his next closest rival, Stony Rushing, a county commissioner who old Republican candidate Mark Harris endorsed.
According to the Richardson County Daily Journal, turnout was extremely low, with less than 10 percent of eligible voters punching ballots.
Tuesday’s primary is part of the Board of Election-mandated redo election after a political operative for Harris, McCrae Dowless, helmed an illegal absentee ballot scheme to help the campaign. Dowless and a handful of his employees have been arrested for their participation in the plot.
Harris abruptly removed himself from hearings on the topic, citing his ill health as rationale for why he would not run again. The day before, his son had provided damning testimony showing that his father knew about Dowless’ tactics when he hired him.
