A North Carolina Republican running to replace a GOP lawmaker he defeated in a May primary has reportedly preached extensively on the need for married women to submit to their husbands.

Roll Call reports that Mark Harris, the Republican nominee in North Carolina's 9th District, often told worshipers at his Baptist services that women should "submit" unto their husbands as they would to God.

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In an interview with Roll Call, Harris, who is running to replace Rep. Robert Pittenger Robert Miller PittengerBottom Line North Carolina reporter says there could be 'new crop' of GOP candidates in 9th Congressional District race North Carolina board calls for new election in contested House race MORE, said his remarks were not about projecting inferiority onto women.

“I say [to the husband], ‘Here’s how this works. You’ve got to love your wife with an incredible love that can only come through Christ,’ ” he said. “It’s really submitting one to another in a relationship."

“[Jesus] didn’t consider it wrong to submit himself to the Father,” Harris added.

During his sermons, Harris claims that failures in wives' submission to their husbands or husbands' love for their wives are the source of most marriage issues.

“Many marriages could save beaucoups of marriage counseling money if they would just understand; husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the church. Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord,” he said in 2013.

Harris's Democratic opponent, Dan McCready, seized on the remarks and others from Harris questioning whether women seeking their own careers was a "healthy pursuit" for a society.

"In our culture today, girls are taught from grade school that we tell them that what is most honorable in life is a career, and their ultimate goal in life is simply to be able to grow up and be independent of anyone or anything," said Harris.

"But nobody has seemed to ask the question that I think is critically important to ask: Is that a healthy pursuit for society? Is that the healthiest pursuit for our homes? Is that the healthiest pursuit for our children? Is that the healthiest pursuit for the sexes in our generation?" he added.

McCready responded on Twitter: "As a Christian, I believe that we are all created in God’s image. That means men and women are equally valuable and equally capable. My opponent, Mark Harris, is out of step with this district and this century."