CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With high early voter turnout in the books, candidates across the Carolinas are making their last-minute push for votes ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections.
Big crowds are expected in North and South Carolina for several highly contested races, like the 9th Congressional District between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready, as well as the race for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District seat.
Palmetto State voters will head to the polls and choose between Democrat Archie Parnell and Republican Ralph Norman. Both candidates have been under fire in recent months; Parnell faced allegations that he abused his ex-wife in the 1970s. Norman was criticized for comments he made regarding the sex assault allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Parnell opted to stay in the race after admitting to the abuse allegations, posting a video to Facebook saying he's a changed man and dedicated to the people of South Carolina.
“If I withdraw, I would be telling anyone who makes a terrible mistake that that one terrible mistake will define them for the rest of their lives,” Parnell said. “It is the voters of the fifth district who should decide the outcome of this election, and not me, or certain Democratic Party officers.”
Norman defended himself and blamed the media for "selective outrage" after saying, 'did y'all hear the latest, late-breaking news from the Kavanaugh hearings? Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out and said she was groped by Abraham Lincoln."
In an exclusive interview with NBC Charlotte, Norman said he was "bringing levity" to a serious debate on issues facing Palmetto voters.
"People can argue all day long. It wasn't funny. I took it wrong, but when the press, and I blame the media for making a front page article that basically said, 'Norman makes joke about spousal abuse,' or whatever the actual word was, is unfair and misleading when the domestic abuse actually happened to my opponent," Rep. Norman said.
South Carolina voters will also cast their vote for Governor Tuesday, as Republican Henry McMaster seeks his first full-term election since taking office last January. He will face Democratic challenger James Harris.
The closest race of all in the Charlotte area could be for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District seat. Mark Harris upset incumbent Robert Pittenger in May's primary. He's received major support from President Trump and his administration in recent weeks culminating in a presidential rally at Bojangles' Coliseum in late October.
Dan McCready, a marine veteran, is looking to turn the historically red seat blue in a race that's garnered national attention.
"It's a very close race," said McCready. "This has emerged as one of the closest and toughest battles in North Carolina and it's one of the closest and toughest battles in the entire country."
Harris declared the seat as one of the most important when it comes to the House of Representatives' leadership.
"This was one of the 24 seats that was needed to be flipped to put Nancy Pelosi back in the Speaker's chair," he said.
The seat, which has been held by conservatives for more than five decades could be a toss-up on election day, experts say.
