Three candidates are on the ballot for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3, a race that covers a large portion of Cabarrus County.
Election results are pending. This article will be updated as election officials release vote totals.
Republican incumbent Mark Harris faces Democratic challenger Colby Watson and Green Party candidate Bo Whitehead, according to WFAE's candidate guide for the district.
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Election Day. Any voter in line at 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections. Voters must go to their assigned precinct.
Once polls close, unofficial results will appear on the State Board's Election Results Dashboard. Cabarrus County results will also be posted on the county Board of Elections results page.
Who is on the ballot
Mark Harris (Republican, incumbent): Harris, 60, represents the 8th District and serves on the House Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and Judiciary committees, according to his official congressional biography. He won the seat in 2024. Before joining Congress, he was senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte for more than a decade.
Harris told Axios Charlotte that reducing federal spending is the most pressing issue for Congress. He said the national debt has surpassed $40 trillion.
Colby Watson (Democrat): Watson, approximately 37, is a small business owner and Union County native with no prior elected office experience, according to WFAE. His key issues include regulating corporate ownership of homes, preventing medical debt from bankrupting people and supporting farmers. On his campaign website, Watson pledges to accept no money from lobbyists, corporate political action committees (PACs) or billionaire donors.
Bo Whitehead (Green Party): Whitehead, 33, works as a warehouse supervisor, according to WFAE. He says he wants to represent the working class and supports raising the minimum wage and passing universal health care.
Polling and forecast context
VoteHub’s NC-8 Complete forecast, checked Nov. 2, estimated 56.0% vote share for Harris and 44.0% for Watson. It assigned Harris a 96.3% probability of winning and Watson a 3.7% probability. VoteHub says this version combines polls and fundamentals with Kalshi prediction-market odds and expert ratings. These are model estimates, not the findings of a single voter poll or official election results.
The district
The 8th Congressional District covers parts of Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties, along with Union, Stanly, Montgomery, Richmond, Scotland and Anson counties, according to WFAE. Cabarrus County is split between the 6th and 8th congressional districts, according to the Cabarrus County Republican Party's candidate page. Voters can confirm their district through the State Board of Elections' voter search tool.
Voter ID and logistics
North Carolina voters must show a photo ID when voting in person, according to Cabarrus County's elections office. Voters without an acceptable ID can fill out an ID Exception Form. Cabarrus residents can get a free voter photo ID at the Board of Elections office at 369 Church St. N in Concord.
What happens after polls close
Results reported on election night are unofficial, the State Board of Elections said in its reporter's primer. County boards of elections are required to hold canvass meetings at 11 a.m. Nov. 13. The State Board is scheduled to certify results at the state canvass on Nov. 24.
What's at stake
The winner will serve a two-year term in the U.S. House beginning in January 2027. The outcome will contribute to the balance of power in the House, where the majority shapes legislation and federal spending.
