Madison Cawthorn speaks before a rally for Donald Trump on April 9, 2022 in Selma, North Carolina. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
Former North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn announced on Wednesday his bid to return to Congress – this time, representing the state of Florida.
Cawthorn said he had been pondering a return to politics for some time, but the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk helped him make the decision.
“There is only one course of action for those of us who want to live in a free, prosperous, and safe land to do: Be extremely shrewd, fearless in the face of backlash and resistance, and to stand up and fight for our country,” Cawthorn wrote Wednesday on social media. “The left here and abroad knew they could never beat Charlie in a debate so they shot him. Well in his place 10,000 more will rise. This is what I am capable of doing, I hope you have the courage to do what you’re capable of doing.”
Cawthorn, now 30, was the youngest member of Congress when he was elected to North Carolina’s 11th congressional district in 2020.
He lost his Republican primary in 2022 to current Rep. Chuck Edwards, who went on to win the general election.
Cawthorn hopes voters in Florida’s 19th congressional district, represented by Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, will return him to the U.S. House of Representatives. Donalds opted to run for governor in 2026 rather than run for reelection.
A one-time rising star in North Carolina Republican politics, Cawthorn notably appeared at the Jan. 6th rally ahead of the Capitol riot, questioning the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. He used his extensive social media following to falsely claim the election was stolen from Donald Trump.
But he drew Republican backlash with claims that his colleagues on the Hill used cocaine and invited him to an orgy.
After those comments, photos leaked of Cawthorn wearing women’s lingerie.
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis called on the House Ethics Committee to investigate Cawthorn in April 2022 for possible insider trading.
Leading up to his North Carolina primary, a political opposition group leaked a sexually suggestive video of Cawthorn, who described it as “crass” and said it was made years before with a friend.
“Blackmail won’t win. We will,” said Cawthorn at the time.
Other run-ins with the law include citations for speeding and driving with a revoked license. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to carrying a loaded handgun through a checkpoint at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
In a video released Wednesday announcing his Florida campaign, Cawthorn said that he is running for Congress to stand with President Trump and “defeat the radical left every single time.”
Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper tells NC Newsline it’s going to be tough for Cawthorn to find electoral success in Florida’s 19th congressional district.
“His past behavior and dalliances with the law are certain to be brought up in what was already a crowded primary field. He can’t even argue that these indiscretions are all dated — he was charged with failure to appear in court just three weeks ago,” Cooper said. “If he can make it out of the primary, of course, his odds will increase considerably as Donald Trump won the district by more than 20 percentage points in 2024.”
Cawthorn’s campaign ad features him speaking at a Turning Point USA event, along with a 2020 tweet with an endorsement by Kirk.
Cooper said he expects to see a spate of candidates in 2026 cite Kirk’s death as a factor in their decision to run for Congress. With Cawthorn, though, Cooper said it is worth noting that he was rumored to be planning his return to Congress a week before Kirk’s assassination.
Cawthorn has said he will focus his Florida campaign on fighting insurance costs, crime, and illegal immigration.
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