A 24-year-old motivational speaker has defeated the Republican candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in a GOP runoff for Meadows’ old congressional seat, according to unofficial results.
Madison Cawthorn defeated Lynda Bennett in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in far-western North Carolina. He was leading with 65% of the vote with nearly all of precincts reporting. The Associated Press called the race in Cawthorn’s favor at 8:47 p.m.
Cawthorn will face Democrat Moe Davis in November’s general election. If elected, Cawthorn, who turns 25 before the election, would be the youngest member in the House of Representatives.
New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is 30, is currently the youngest member of the House.
Cawthorn was endorsed by Rep. Mark Walker, who attended Cawthorn’s election-night party in Hendersonville.
Cawthorn became paralyzed from the waist down when he was a passenger in a 2014 car accident. He injured his spine, ankle, pelvis, kidney and lungs, according to a story in The Washington Examiner.
Meadows’ nominated Cawthorn to the U.S. Naval Academy before the car accident.
In the Washington Examiner article, Cawthorn said he was left with $3 million in medical bills as a result. He received that much in a settlement for the accident, but lost a suit for $30 million against the insurance company.
Cawthorn loaned his campaign $361,000, according to campaign finance reports. He raised another $201,000.
Bennett loaned her campaign $80,000 and raised another $366,500.
“Mr. Cawthorn ran a fantastic campaign during the primary and the runoff, and we are completely confident that next January, he will be sworn in to represent the 11th District in the House of Representatives,” NCGOP chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement Tuesday night. “He will be a great fighter for Smoky Mountain families and always put America first.”
Madison Cawthorn defeated Lynda Bennett in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in far-western North Carolina. He was leading with 65% of the vote with nearly all of precincts reporting. The Associated Press called the race in Cawthorn’s favor at 8:47 p.m.
Cawthorn will face Democrat Moe Davis in November’s general election. If elected, Cawthorn, who turns 25 before the election, would be the youngest member in the House of Representatives.
New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is 30, is currently the youngest member of the House.
Cawthorn was endorsed by Rep. Mark Walker, who attended Cawthorn’s election-night party in Hendersonville.
Cawthorn became paralyzed from the waist down when he was a passenger in a 2014 car accident. He injured his spine, ankle, pelvis, kidney and lungs, according to a story in The Washington Examiner.
Meadows’ nominated Cawthorn to the U.S. Naval Academy before the car accident.
In the Washington Examiner article, Cawthorn said he was left with $3 million in medical bills as a result. He received that much in a settlement for the accident, but lost a suit for $30 million against the insurance company.
Cawthorn loaned his campaign $361,000, according to campaign finance reports. He raised another $201,000.
Bennett loaned her campaign $80,000 and raised another $366,500.
“Mr. Cawthorn ran a fantastic campaign during the primary and the runoff, and we are completely confident that next January, he will be sworn in to represent the 11th District in the House of Representatives,” NCGOP chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement Tuesday night. “He will be a great fighter for Smoky Mountain families and always put America first.”
