CHARLOTTE — Republican Robert Pittenger went to bed Tuesday night still the U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District after challengers Mark Harris and Todd Johnson were unable to unseat him.

Pittenger used an overwhelming majority vote in the southeast portion of Mecklenburg County — an area he was familiar with — to win the district, which includes Anson, Richmond, Scotland, Robeson and Union counties, southern Cumberland and western Bladen counties.

“Being out there to talk to good folks that are new, they’ll get to know me over the next few years,” Pittenger said Tuesday night. “That’s why we had such a strong backing in Mecklenburg County. Those people know me. I represented them in Congress. They know me well, and they know what I’m about and the service I provide to them.”

Pittenger had been running on a platform of strengthening the economy and bringing back jobs to the counties he now represents.

“I want to build those relationships with the good folks in the new counties in the district,” he said. “I’ll work hard, but with my time off (from Congress), I’ll be getting to know them and their needs.”

The congressman said the biggest need for people in the 9th District is job creation, and he intends to create an environment to let businesses grow.

Pittenger added that there are a lot of reasons for a lack of jobs, but with businesses “obligated to Obamacare, this Obama administration has done so much harm. We can do a lot better.”

New district maps released Feb. 17 moved Anson, Richmond, Scotland and Robeson counties from the 8th to the 9th congressional district, which led to Pittenger taking over those counties from Rep. Richard Hudson, R-Concord.

Johnson won Anson County with 327 votes over Harris’ 118 and Pittenger’s 93, but Todd Johnson for Congress Campaign Manager Zachary Almond said they were proud of their grassroots campaign that won six of the eight counties.

“We were outspent by Pittenger five to one. We were outspent by Harris. In the past seven weeks, we have knocked on 25,000 doors and made 25,000 phone calls. When our campaign finance report comes out, we will have spent $200,000. We didn’t go on TV until this week,” said Almond. “I’m upset we lost, but the bottom line is we ran the greatest grassroots campaign that anybody in North Carolina ran.

“We’re bummed out. We lost by a 1,000 votes, but look at how much we were outspent. I think it says a lot that Pittenger spent that much money and only won by that much. The grassroots of our campaign is one of the best in the country, congressional race wise.”

The Harris campaign could not be reached for comment.

Reach reporter Matt Harrelson at 910-817-2674 and follow him on Twitter @mattyharrelson.

William R. Toler | Daily Journal file photo Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-Charlotte, narrowly kept his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday’s primary election against Charlotte pastor Mark Harris and Union County businessman Todd Johnson.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_gop_pittenger.jpgWilliam R. Toler | Daily Journal file photo Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-Charlotte, narrowly kept his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday’s primary election against Charlotte pastor Mark Harris and Union County businessman Todd Johnson.

Johnson
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_8th-Todd-Johnson.jpgJohnson

Harris
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_MarkHarris.jpgHarris
Incumbent defeats two challengers

By Matt Harrelson

mharrelson@civitasmedia.com