Democratic congressional candidate Dan McCready averaged $22.17 per donation, according to his campaign, after his Dec. 6 speech retracting his concession to Republican Mark Harris. | Chuck Burton/AP Photo Elections Dem in disputed North Carolina race raised $500K at end of 2018

Democratic House candidate Dan McCready raised $500,000 in the final weeks of 2018 after withdrawing his concession in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, where the state election board is investigating allegations of fraud in last year's midterm elections.

McCready averaged $22.17 per donation, according to his campaign, after his Dec. 6 speech retracting his concession to Republican Mark Harris. McCready trailed Harris by 905 votes as the state counted ballots last year, but the election board refused to certify the results, citing ballot irregularities. A contractor for Harris' campaign consultants has been accused of improperly collecting and filling out voters' absentee ballots.


“People are standing up to defend our democracy against corrupt politicians who would steal votes and silence the people’s voices, just to gain power for themselves,” McCready said in a statement. "That’s not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, it’s an American issue. We’re not going to stop fighting for our democracy."

The money could power McCready's campaign in a new election later this year; the state board of elections has the power to call for a redo after its investigation is finished. A judge denied Harris' petition to certify him as the winner of the election on Wednesday, saying the investigation into the alleged absentee ballot collection and other irregularities must be completed. The state election board was dissolved at the end of 2018, but it is set to be reestablished on Jan. 31 and will subsequently hold an evidentiary hearing on the situation in the 9th District.

House Democrats also are keeping a close eye on the state investigation process, and they have warned that they would likely refuse to seat Harris if the Republican was certified as the winner. The chairs of several House committees and subcommittees are also preparing their own probes into the disputed election.

Democrats made a net gain of 40 House seats in the midterm elections and currently have 235 seats to Republicans' 198, with the 9th District and Pennsylvania's 12th District, where former GOP Rep. Tom Marino just resigned to take a private-sector job, sitting vacant.