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2026 candidates we're tracking in NC-8
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Mark Harris
Republican
Incumbent
Harris previously served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte for more than a decade and as president of the North Carolina Baptist Convention, per the official House biography. He holds a political science degree from Appalachian State University and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, per the official House biography.
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Colby Watson
Democratic
Watson is a small-business owner with more than a decade of entrepreneurial experience who previously worked in masonry, construction and farming, per the campaign site. He was born and raised in Union County and was homeschooled, per the campaign site.
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Bo Whitehead
Green
Whitehead currently works as a warehouse supervisor and has held a range of jobs including custodian, gas-station attendant and dump-truck driver, per the campaign site. He relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, after growing up on a small farm in Georgia, per the campaign site.
About this race
North Carolina's 8th Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The North Carolina primary is Tuesday, March 3, 2026 (runoff Tuesday, May 12, 2026 if needed), and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
North Carolina primary details → · North Carolina voter guide →