REPORT: Ex-Conservative Rep. Eyes New Run For Office

A former conservative congressman who was ousted in a shocking primary election result in 2022 is now eyeing a return to Congress in 2026, according to a report from Axios.

Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who spent a single term representing North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District from January 2021 to 2023, is reportedly considering a bid in Florida’s 19th Congressional District, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.

The seat is soon to be open, as current officeholder Byron Donalds has already announced his campaign for governor of the Sunshine State in next year’s midterm elections.

Cawthorn drew the ire of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) by saying the House Republican Caucus is “full of degenerates.” He also once claimed that some of his House colleagues invited him to orgies and used cocaine.

Both McCarthy and then-House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-PA), to which Cawthorn was a member, sat him down and asked for clarification on the comments. The House leaders asked him to identify the members who allegedly did this by name, though he never did so.

“I think it is important, if you’re going to say something like that, to name some names,” Perry told Politico at the time.

Cawthorn speaks at the Turning Point Action Summit in 2020
Photo: Gage Skidmore

In 2022, Cawthorn narrowly lost his primary election contest to then-State Senator Chuck Edwards, who currently represents the seat. Some prominent Republicans had backed Edwards over Cawthorn due to the latter’s comments, leading to a razor close content that saw Edwards secure 33 percent of the vote to Cawhtorn’s 32 percent.

Florida’s 19th District is expected to draw a fierce Republican primary field, as five Republican candidates have already filed their respective bids. Republicans are not worried about losing the seat next November, which currently sits at R+14.

Donalds confirmed to Axios that Cawthorn had approached him for his thoughts on a potential bid, though he did not provide his thoughts on the possibility. “He was 25 years old when he came to Congress. Everybody has an opportunity to grow and mature.” Donalds said.

In addition to clashing with GOP leadership, Cawthorn also faced sexual misconduct allegations from his time in time in college and once brought a gun through a TSA checkpoint. “I forgot to disarm before I went through a TSA checkpoint and that’s my bad, and I have to own that one,” he said.