Watch Live: Mark Harris, Dan McCready Face Off in Hotly Contested House Seat

Candidates for North Carolina’s ninth congressional district seat, conservative Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready, will debate for the first time Wednesday night.

Harris, the former pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, defeated incumbent Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) during the state’s Republican primary in May. Harris previously told Breitbart News Saturday host Matthew Boyle that should he win the congressional seat in November he plans to join the conservative House Freedom Caucus to continue fighting for President Donald Trump’s America First agenda.

The former pastor hopes to defeat Democrat McCready, a U.S. Marine veteran and solar panel entrepreneur from Charlotte.

The debate will air at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Live video of the event is provided courtesy of WBTV Charlotte and will appear above once the event begins. Please refresh your page.

“I think it’s critically important [to build the border wall], and I want to go fight for it,” Harris told Boyle.

North Carolina’s ninth district stretches from southeast Charlotte to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Republicans have held the district for more than five decades, but some political analysts have rated it as a toss-up race, and many view the race as vital for Republicans maintaining their House majority.

Democrats need to flip 24 congressional seats to gain a one-seat majority in the House.

Republicans have heavily invested into the race. President Donald Trump traveled to Charlotte in August to raise money for Harris, as well as Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC). President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., traveled to the district on Tuesday for another Harris fundraiser. Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, also campaigned for Harris on Monday.

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