Madison Cawthorn
Beleaguered U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn lost his bid for re-election in Tuesday’s primary elections, losing to State Sen. Chuck Edwards.
Edwards will go up against Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Libertarian David Coatney in the November general election on Nov. 8.
With all but five precincts reporting in the sprawling district, which includes 14 counties and part of a 15th, Edwards had 29,228 votes (33.49 percent) to Cawthorn’s 27,689 votes (31.72 percent).
Cawthorn won in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, and Yancey counties, but lost in the largest counties — Buncombe and Henderson (his home county), as well as Transylvania County.
Edwards was elected to the N.C. Senate for District 48, taking office in 2016. He has been working in corporate management for McDonald’s Corporation as well as owning multiple McDonald’s franchises.
Cawthorn, who won all of the smaller counties in the congressional district, but struggled with more populated counties, served one term in Congress but was targeted by both Democrats and traditional Republicans who found his take on Republican politics to be too extreme.
In Graham County Republican Party primaries, Ted Budd was the top vote getter for U.S. Senate with 1,038 votes (69.62 percent); Cawthorn was the top vote getter for U.S. House District 11 with 645 votes (41.94 percent); Trey Allen for N.C., Supreme Court associate justice seat 05 with 608 votes (50.37 percent); Donna Stroud was the top vote getter for N.C. Court of Appeals judge seat 09 with 810 votes (69.41 percent); and Michael Stading was the top vote getter for N.C. Court of Appeals judge seat 11 with 782 votes (68.54 percent).
In Graham County Democratic Party primaries, Cheri Beasley was the top vote getter for U.S. Senate with 118 votes (58.71 percent); and Jasmine Beach-Ferrara was top vote getter for U.S. House District 11 with 62 votes (31.79 percent). Voter turnout in Graham County was 34.47 percent (2,065 out of 5,991 registered voters).