Harris's endorsement is a bit puzzling given that Carson, who as recently as six months ago was in second place in some national polls and led in Iowa, has possibly never been at a lower point in the race. He finished eighth out of nine in New Hampshire's primary, in front of only little-known former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore. Carson did better in more socially conservative Iowa, finishing fourth. But before voting began there, three out of his top four staff members resigned. How much longer Carson can stay in the race is a legitimate question.

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The soft-spoken retired doctor is hoping to beat fellow evangelical opponents such as Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) in Saturday's South Carolina primary to reboot his chances for the Republican nomination. But his chances appear bleak, at best.

Enter Harris. The third-term congressman is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and knows the presidential hopeful from Carson's days as a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. (Harris received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins and also worked at the hospital.)

As an update, The Fix learned Harris is facing a primary challenger from the right, former Maryland state delegate Michael Smigiel. Smigiel noted on Twitter on Wednesday that earlier in the race, Harris said this about Carson:

The Fix spoke to Harris by phone from South Carolina, where the congressman was campaigning for Carson ahead of the Republican primary there Saturday.

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THE FIX: You're the first member of Congress to endorse Ben Carson. Why now?

HARRIS: I think after the last two debates, I think it's pretty clear that this race is going to be wide open, with the need for a thoughtful person to be one of the candidates for the Republicans to retake the White House.

THE FIX: Saturday's South Carolina Republican debate was especially negative and contentious. What about that night made Carson appealing to you?

HARRIS: I think they weren't thoughtful, and as a member of the House Freedom Caucus, [I think] we need someone who will restore greatness to America, not as a talking point or a punch line, but someone who wants to restore constitutional values. I've known Dr. Carson for over 30 years, and I know him personally. He's just the person that America is going to be able to trust to do what he says he's going to do and what America so desperately needs.

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THE FIX: What have you heard from your fellow members of Congress about this endorsement?

HARRIS: I talked about it with some of my colleagues. A lot of members like Dr. Carson and the issues he speaks about, and I think as this race goes on, I may be the first to endorse him, but I doubt I'll be the last.

THE FIX: For a brief moment this race, Carson appeared to be a rising star, giving front-runner Donald Trump a run for his money. Since then, he's dropped in the polls, his campaign has struggled to stay intact, and he hasn't held the spotlight in debates, except in moments when he's struggled. What do you say to criticism your endorsement comes too little, too late?

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HARRIS: First of all, I'm just going to disagree. A lack of aggression in the debates is not a sign of struggling. Thoughtful answers don't come as shouts. And so I will tell you that I think people are going to look at those debates as they go on and they're going to discount the entertainment value, and now that we're getting close to Super Tuesday and a large number of primaries, they're going to start looking for the responsible candidate that's going to be able to deliver. Political campaigns go up and down, political fortunes go up and own, the pendulum swings back and forth, and I think this pendulum is going to swing forward.

THE FIX: I heard you say that people like Carson; they just haven't had a chance to go to the polls and voice that.