Mark Harris
Republican | North Carolina
Candidate Profile
Verified Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Mark Harris
Party
Republican
Election Year
2018
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist 9
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Appalachian State University, Boone, BA, Poli Sci, 1987
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, Doctor of Ministry, Master of Dvinity, 2009
WORK & MILITARY
First Baptist Church Charlotte, Senior Pastor, 12.5
AFFILIATIONS
NC Values Coalition, Former Board Member, Charlotte Pregnancy Resource Center
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Former Chairman
With Open Eyes Foundation, Southern Baptist Convention
International Mission, Baptist State Convention, Former President
Brookstone School, NC Baptist Children's Homes
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
US Senate, 2014
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (10)
Club for Growth
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee
FRC Action PAC
Freedom Works for America
Government is Not God PAC
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
President Donald Trump
Former Congresswoman Sue Myrick
Whip Steve Scalise
NRA
Gov. Mike Huckabee
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (8)
Buck Newton
Club for Growth
Mark Brody
North Carolina Leadership Fund
Pat McCrory
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (27)
ActRight
Associated Builders and Contractors
AX PAC
Club for Growth
CMR
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Strongly Agree
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Agree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Strongly Agree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
More restrictive gun control is needed to protect public safety.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Additional regulations are needed to prevent climate change.
Strongly Disagree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
The United States should help defend Israel from attack by its enemies.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
Strongly Disagree
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Strongly Agree
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
Strongly Disagree
I support sanctuary cities.
Strongly Disagree
It is OK for Congress to exempt itself from compliance with laws applicable to all citizens.
Strongly Disagree
I support the death penalty.
Strongly Agree
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
The United States should protect its sovereignty from the United Nations.
Strongly Agree
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2010 General Election, 2010 Republican Primary, 2012 General Election, 2012 Republican Primary, 2014 General Election, 2014 Republican Primary, 2016 General Election, 2016 Republican Primary
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Under no circumstances should it be allowed. It takes the life of an innocent unborn child.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
We must recognize the problem and identify the enemy. We have to call it what it is, Islamic Terrorism. Our intelligence agencies need to improve communications among each other and aggressively pursue all credible leads to seek out terrorist. The US needs to work collaboratively with our allies in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt who want to partner to end the threat of ISIS. As President Trump has previously stated, “We should aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, international cooperation to cutoff their funding, expanded intelligence sharing, and cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting.”
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
The founders limited power through checks and balances to prevent tyranny. They were well-versed in history and they feared the effect of mob democracy and oligarchy, and they wanted a government where power was restrained. They believed that absolute power corrupts even the best of intentioned people.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a follower of Christ. I have devoted 30 years of my life to the ministry as a Pastor. I believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible Word of God. I believe in a biblical worldview and the freewill of man.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
As a pastor, I have been a leader on issues facing our state and nation. I worked with groups like FRC, NC Values Coalition, and others to encourage evangelicals to elect conservatives in the 2016 election. We have worked together to fight against the transgender bathroom agenda. As the President of the Baptist State Convention, I lead the efforts in 2012 to define marriage between a man and a woman in the NC Constitution. Many of my positions are on my web site and throughout social media. I have been a target from the liberal left for years and will continue to fight to defend our traditional conservative values.
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
We need to look at reform that is market-based and patient driven. A market-based approach would foster competition and empower individuals to make personal healthcare decisions between them and their doctor. Opening the market up to buy insurance across state lines and encouraging HSA’s should be at the heart of any major healthcare reform.
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
The government has the responsibility to create an environment conducive to promoting economic growth. This means that they should have as little involvement as possible, only intervening when necessary. They should have a low tax burden on both businesses and consumers, little regulation that stifles small businesses from foreign and growing and stay faithful to their responsibility to ensure that competition is allowed to drive economic growth, stimulating innovation in products that inevitably keeps prices for consumers low, perpetuating investment and encouraging the accumulation of wealth.
What changes should be made to the tax code?
The recent tax reform is a step in the right direction.. The reduction in corporate taxes and possibly even more significant, the change from a worldwide tax system to a territorial one is extremely important. We must continue to lower corporate tax rates to stay competitive among industrial nations and entice companies to bring jobs to America while simultaneously reducing the complexity of the system for individuals, shorten tax brackets, and continue to lower tax rates, putting more money back into the hands of citizens who lose a large percentage on the repatriation of their dollars by the government compared to being back under the stewardship of the individual.
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
The best way to reduce unemployment is to encourage job creators and job creating small businesses. Many small businesses are discouraged from growing and expanding by various reasons from over regulation to an unqualified workforce. We need to reduce unnecessary regulations that are strangling our entrepreneurs and invest in workforce development to give workers the skills they need to participate in the job market. Simplifying the tax code and increasing access to start up capital are also ways to stimulate hiring.
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
As it stands now, Social Security is in a death spiral. The rate of returns are far from what they should be, and the burden is kicked down generation to generation. The current system is going to fail and needs to be completely over-hauled. However, we must honor our promises to existing retirees and those nearing retirement age keeping the current system in place for those folks. In order to sustain a system that resembles social security, the system will need to operate in a balanced manner meaning that individuals only receive what they pay in, supplemented if desired by a government budget that should be based not on the whims of political gain but economic sensibility.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
As a pastor, I feel I am uniquely qualified for this position. I have been privileged to walk through all stages of life with people for the last thirty years. I've sat at the table with a family where the primary breadwinner just lost their job and they didn't know how they were going to make ends meet. I've seen the parents of the child who had just overdosed on opioids and had died. I've seen the devastating effect of Obamacare on small businesses and individuals. Having pastored folks from all races, social standings, ages, and income, I feel I have a perspective that is lacking in Congress.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
info@markharrisforcongress.com 704-619-1156
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
As a father of 3 and grandfather of 5, I am running for Congress because I believe we are at a crossroads for our nation’s future. I believe if we continue down the paths of increasing debt and decaying values, our country will look vastly different for my grandkids. The people of the 9th district need and deserve a Congressman who will listen to them, take their concerns to Washington, and work hard for them every day.
