Mark Harris, center, Republican candidate for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District seat, and his attorney David Freedman, right, leave after speaking with the media outside the state elections board building, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in Raleigh, N.C. Harris and his lawyers met for about two hours with board investigators examining absentee ballot irregularities in the 9th District. No candidate has been certified the 9th District winner while the investigation continues. (Ethan Hyman/The News & Observer via AP)