Cawthorn loses re-election bid to Edwards
Sam Jokich/Staff Correspondent U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) is shown speaking at Cherokee Guns in Murphy on May 6. He lost his re-election bid in the May 17 primary.
Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd will face off against former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in November for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.
U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) lost his bid for re-election in the 11th Congressional District in the GOP primary on May 17 after a scandal-plagued first term in Congress. He will continue to represent Cherokee and surrounding counties in Congress though the end of the year.
“I will never waiver when it comes to fighting for the forgotten men and women of this country,” Budd said in his victory speech.
With more than 98 percent of the votes counted, Budd leads former Gov. Pat McCrory with 58.6 percent of the vote among more than a dozen in the Republican primary, while Beasley collected more than 81 percent of the vote among 11 Democratic contenders.
In the 11th Congressional District, minister Jasmine Beach-Ferrara beat Katie Dean 59.6 percent to 25.7 percent in the Democratic primary, while Cawthorn conceded after trailing Sen. Chuck Edwards 32 percent to 34 percent.
Cawthorn, at age 26 the youngest member of Congress, published this post Thursday on Instagram after losing the primary.
“I am on a mission now to expose those who say and promise one thing yet legislate and work towards another, self-profiteering, globalist goal. The time for genteel politics as usual has come to an end,” he wrote.
“It’s time for the rise of the new right, it’s time for Dark MAGA to truly take command. We have an enemy to defeat, but we will never be able to defeat them until we defeat the cowardly and weak members of our own party. Their days are numbered. We are coming.”
The Republican U.S. Senate primary was a relatively close race between Budd and McCrory until an April rally featuring former President Donald Trump and increased ad spending from the Club for Growth fueled a surge in recent weeks.
McCrory advisor Jordan Shaw said he believes millions in spending from the Club for Growth’s PAC on misleading ads labeling the former governor a “RINO” – Republican in name only – was ultimately what swayed the results in Budd’s favor.
“When you have a group who has unlimited resources and is unencumbered by the bonds of truth, that can have a pretty powerful impact on a race,” he said. “They spend more than everybody else combined. And they have no problem lying to Republican voters to achieve their ends.”
Democrats largely coalesced around Beasley, the state Supreme Court’s first black woman chief justice who garnered the majority of her party’s key endorsements and enjoyed a huge fundraising lead over her competition. Beasley’s top opponent, state Sen. Jeff Jackson, suspended his campaign last year to endorse Beasley.
“I’m proud to be your nominee for the U.S. Senate,” Beasley said in a statement. “Because while Washington is divided, the people here are not. While Washington focuses on special interests and corporate cronies, the people of North Carolina focus on working for our families and nurturing our communities.
“While Washington focuses on pointing fingers and passing blame, the people of North Carolina focus on working hard and getting things done.”
Beasley and Budd will face off in the general election Tuesday, Nov. 8, in a race that could sway control of an upper chamber that’s split between Republicans and Democrats, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving the latter a slim advantage.
The Center Square contributed to this report.