First-term US congressman Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, an ally of former President Donald Trump who has drawn the ire of fellow Republicans over controversial remarks and a nude video, conceded to party primary challenger Chuck Edwards in his House of Representatives race, local news outlet WRAL and CNN reported on Tuesday.
Edwards, a North Carolina state senator, will now face a Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 general election in North Carolina's 11th congressional district. Cawthorn, endorsed by Trump despite a series of controversies, is at age 26 the youngest member of Congress.
Cawthorn has been caught up in a wide variety of scandals recently, despite claiming to believe strongly in fundamental Christian principles and hypermasculinity. He accused senior Republican lawmakers of inviting him to cocaine orgies and condemned such licentiousness. Yet, recently, a photo of him wearing lingerie on a cruise surfaced to which he responded on Twitter, "I guess the left thinks goofy vacation photos during a game on a cruise (taken waaay before I ran for Congress) is going to somehow hurt me?"
Another video surfaced in early May, allegedly depicting a younger Cawthorn in bed with another man. He was also seen allegedly giving a close relative over $141,000 in taxpayer funds.
Cawthorn tweeted his concession upon losing the nomination: "Congratulations to @ChuckEdwards4NC on securing the nomination tonight. It's time for the NC-11 GOP to rally behind the Republican ticket to defeat the Democrats' nominee this November."
Congratulations to @ChuckEdwards4NC on securing the nomination tonight.It’s time for the NC-11 GOP to rally behind the Republican ticket to defeat the Democrats’ nominee this November.
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) May 18, 2022