Mark Harris is a 58-year-old pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville and a former president of the North Carolina Baptist Convention. A graduate of Appalachian State University, he unsuccessfully ran to represent District 9 in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 and 2018. He lives with his wife in Stanly County.
Our Q&A with Mark Harris
Harris did not respond to multiple requests for answers to the questions below. To provide information to readers, we have, where applicable, included comments he made in a 2018 candidate survey conducted by NC Health News, along with statements posted on his campaign website.
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What would be your plan for ensuring the future security/strength of Medicare?
Harris did not respond to this question, however he pledged not to support cuts to Medicare in a 2018 candidate survey conducted by NC Health News.
“The first thing we’ve got to state upfront is that we cannot and will not cut benefits for our seniors for Social Security and Medicare,” Harris said at the time. “[For] anyone that is receiving it [or] nearing retirement, we’ve got to make sure that the plan is solid.”
What would you support in Congress as a plan to help control health care/pharmaceutical costs?
Harris did not respond to this question, but he did answer a similar question about prescription drug costs in the 2018 NC Health News survey.
“I think that we [need to] break up the pharmaceutical industry that’s had somewhat of a monopoly on the pricing of so many of these drugs,” he said at the time. “There’s a backlog of medications that, if I understand it, get out there, but it takes forever to get approval for them. The more that we have out there that can be prescribed […and] the more competition, the more the price comes down.”
Where do you stand on work requirements and targeted time limits for Medicaid?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.
What can the federal government do to support rural hospitals?
Harris did not respond to this question, although he was asked in the 2018 NC Health News survey what he thought needed “to happen to ensure people living in rural areas have access to adequate health care, physicians and hospital services.” He did not give a direct response, instead expressing support for a proposal “that would require individuals that are physically able to either be getting a job, in school, or in job training in order to continue to receive food stamps.”
Where do you stand on restoring funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.
PFAS contamination is a nationwide issue; How do you address it while balancing public safety and business interests?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.
Is the federal government ready for the next pandemic?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.
Do you think the federal government should enforce stricter requirements for nonprofit hospitals to justify their tax exemptions? Why or why not?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.
Where do you stand on federal abortion limits? What gestational limits, if any, would you set?
Harris did not respond to this question, however his campaign website states that he “fervently believes in the sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural end.”
How can Congress improve access to child care? What states are leading the way that you think could be a good federal model?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.
What steps would you take to improve access to mental health services and to address the opioid overdose crisis?
Harris did not respond to this question, and NC Health News was unable to find anything in the public record detailing his position.