Mark Harris
Mark Harris is the Republican incumbent for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, a former Baptist pastor with a Ph.D. in Christian leadership who sits on the House Agriculture, Judiciary, and Education and Workforce Committees.[2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Key votes in Congress
- NoWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
- NoResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
- YesConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
- NoBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
- NoWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
- YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
- YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
- YesContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
- YesCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
- YesGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
- YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
- YesRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
- YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
- YesSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
- YesFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
- YesLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.
On the record — official actions
- actionAssigned to the House Committee on Agriculture (Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture; Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit), the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce for the 2025-2026 Congress.[2]
Positions on the issues
- OpposesProtect legal access to abortion
Describes himself as committed to protecting the sanctity of life.[3]
“As a pastor, Congressman Harris is deeply committed to protecting the sanctity of life and promoting the importance of traditional family values.”
- OpposesStricter gun laws
Opposes new restrictions on gun rights, describing the right to bear arms as non-negotiable.[3]
“The right to bear arms is not negotiable... Congressman Harris remains steadfast in defending Americans' constitutional right to self-defense, resisting any efforts to undermine this fundamental freedom.”
- SupportsPublic funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)
Wants education control returned to states and local communities rather than the federal government, reflecting broader support for local/parental control over public funding decisions.[3]
“It's time to return control of education to the states and local communities, as our Founders intended.”
- SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes
Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[7][8][9][10]
- OpposesExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes
Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted no on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[8][9][10][11]
- OpposesFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes
Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[8][9][10]
- OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes
Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[8][9][10]
- SupportsBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes
Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[12]
In their words — priorities
- Wants to reduce regulatory burdens on farmers and champion agricultural policy as a member of the House Agriculture Committee.[3]
- Supports cutting taxes and regulation for small businesses and opposes new government programs to grow the economy.[3]
- Wants to return control of education to states and local communities rather than the federal government.[3]
Background
- Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School.[2]
- Earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Appalachian State University (1987), and a master's degree in divinity and a Ph.D. in Christian leadership from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.[2]
- Career experience includes working as a pastor; served as a trustee of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and on the board of directors of the Biblical Recorder.[2]
- Serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on the Judiciary (Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee; Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee), and the Committee on Education and the Workforce for the 2025-2026 Congress.[2]
Campaign money
Raised $1.0M · spent $609K · $518K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗