Republicans oust scandal-plagued congressman Madison Cawthorn in North Carolina primary
- First-term congressman defeated in North Carolina primary after a string of controversies
- Madison Cawthorn was vaulted to national prominence after winning seat in 2020 at age 25
North Carolina Republicans on Tuesday voted to end controversial first-year congressman Madison Cawthorn’s time in office, after a string of self-inflicted controversies turned major figures in their party against him.
A nude video, claims he was invited to a cocaine-fuelled Washington orgy by leaders he respected, two attempts to carry a gun onto an aeroplane and calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a thug in the midst of a Russian invasion turned colleagues against the 26-year-old, who is Congress’s youngest member.
A last-minute plea by former president Donald Trump to give the first-term congressman “a second chance” was not enough to hold off a challenge by state Senator Chuck Edwards, 61.
Edwards won 33.4 per cent of the vote to Cawthorn’s 31.9 per cent, according to Edison Research. Cawthorn congratulated Edwards on Twitter and urged the party to unite behind him. His spokesman Luke Ball said Cawthorn had called Edwards to concede defeat.
“The establishment Republicans in North Carolina are embarrassed by Madison Cawthorn,” said Chris Cooper, a political-science professor at Western Carolina University situated in the 11th congressional district that Cawthorn represents.
His antics motivated a Republican super PAC in the state to rally around Edwards, who eked out a win on Tuesday with enough of the vote to avoid a run-off.