Tuesday was the night North Carolina’s ninth congressional district would finally decide who would represent them in the House. A consultant for the 2018 GOP candidate marked incomplete absentee ballots for his candidate, causing the results to be thrown out. Despite a new GOPer running, the CBS Evening News took that bad actor and used him to smear all Republicans and suggested the true question the election would answer was whether the GOP could win without cheating.
After failing news anchor Norah O’Donnell pitched the race as a “possible preview for 2020,” correspondent Dean Reynolds began the report by declaring: “The big question in the special election here today is whether the Republicans can hold onto this traditionally Republican seat without cheating.”
Reynolds spent much of the report focusing on the Democratic candidate, Dan McCready:
REYNOLDS: Democrat Dan McCready is facing off against Republican Dan Bishop because the race last year was won by a Republican who was found to have benefited from absentee ballots intercepted and completed to swing the election to him.
MCCREADY: Appreciate it.
REYNOLDS: McCready lost that race by 900 votes, conceded, and then rescinded his concession when the obvious voter fraud was uncovered.
“Do you think it could happen again,” he asked McCready. To which, McCready responded, “You would think it would never happen again, but we can't take anything for granted.”
As for Reynold’s interaction with Republican candidate and North Carolina state Senator Dan Bishop:
REYNOLDS: The race is seen by some as the first of the 2020 election cycle. And Bishop says voter sentiments have definitely changed from a year ago.
BISHOP: The most common reaction I got was people who were stunned, and some of them expressed fear about how far-left the Democrat Party has become.
“A Democrat has not won this district since John Kennedy was President. But, Norah, late polling shows this race is close,” Reynolds touted as he wrapped up the report. O’Donnell bookended it by suggesting the race could be a “bellwether” for 2020.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
September 10, 2019
6:42:15 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: A new update on the House race tonight in North Carolina. It's getting a lot of national attention as a possible preview for 2020. Polls say it is neck and neck in a district that President Trump won by 12 points in 2016. Dean Reynolds reports from North Carolina's Ninth CD.
[Cuts to video]
DEAN REYNOLDS: The big question in the special election here today is whether the Republicans can hold onto this traditionally Republican seat without cheating.
DAN MCCREADY: Good to see you.
REYNOLDS: Democrat Dan McCready is facing off against Republican Dan Bishop because the race last year was won by a Republican who was found to have benefited from absentee ballots intercepted and completed to swing the election to him.
MCCREADY: Appreciate it.
REYNOLDS: McCready lost that race by 900 votes, conceded, and then rescinded his concession when the obvious voter fraud was uncovered.
Do you think it could happen again?
MCCREADY: You would think it would never happen again, but we can't take anything for granted.
REYNOLDS: The race is seen by some as the first of the 2020 election cycle. And Bishop says voter sentiments have definitely changed from a year ago.
DAN BISHOP: The most common reaction I got was people who were stunned, and some of them expressed fear about how far-left the Democrat Party has become.
REYNOLDS: Both the President and Vice President were here yesterday to stump for Bishop.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Get your family, get your neighbors, and get out and vote.
[Cuts back to live]
REYNOLDS: A Democrat has not won this district since John Kennedy was president. But, Norah, late polling shows this race is close.
O’DONNELL: And could be a bellwether. Dean, thank you.
