Thirteen Ballots

Praise for Thirteen Ballots

"Politics is a full contact sport, played without pads or protective equipment. If you can't stand the sight of your own blood, don't get in the game." That's the advice I've shared with countless people who are considering stepping in the arena, based on my own experience of how rough it can be. When I shared that counsel with Mark and Beth Harris when we met in New York for an extended dinner, I had no idea they would shed more blood than most folks ever have in simply seeking to serve God and the country in the public square. I liked them from the moment I first met them, and through the years, I've come to love them and cherish them as dear friends. Beth details the excruciating ordeal they have endured through various campaigns. It's a story of hope and seeming success and then the tragedy of betrayal, corruption, and self-dealing from not only the opposition party, but from those they had trusted on their own team. The beauty is that they emerged from the brutal process still faithful to God, dedicated to country, and without the cynicism most people would have been left with. Beth takes you the riveting journey with her and Mark as they experience the nastiest political trickery imaginable. I am genuinely sorry that Mark is not in Congress right now. He's one of the smartest, most disciplined, and articulate political figures I've met in the past thirty years. It's not just that North Carolina could use him--the country needs him! If you are trying to persuade someone to run for office and want to tell them how easy it will be, you probably don't want them to read this book. But if you are a friend who wants the best people to run for office, you DO want to read it and share it with all." Governor Mike Huckabee

On November 27, 2018 a friend sent an urgent text to Beth Harris, who was in Washington attending Freshman Congressional Orientation with her husband Mark: "They're going to try to steal the election."

Mark had won a hard-fought race against a well-funded Democrat by 905 votes in North Carolina's Ninth Congressional District. Every county in the district had officially declared Mark Harris the winner of the election. Now a Democrat member of the State Elections Board wanted Mark's name pulled from the official list of certified winners. A brutal struggle for the Ninth District seat ensued. This is the story you didn't hear in the mainstream media, told by the people who lived it.