24-year-old defeats candidate backed by Trump, Meadows in GOP Congressional primary

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 won 65.8% of the vote in the race with Bennett at 34.2% with all precincts reporting. Cawthorn won more than 30,000 votes with Bennett receiving fewer than 16,000.

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. Tamara Zwinak (Green Party) and Tracey DeBruhl (Libertarian Party) will also be on the November ballot in the district, which includes all or parts of 17 counties.

New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is 30, is currently the youngest member of the House.

“I want to make something clear; I support our great president. I do not believe this election has been a referendum on the president’s influence. The people of western North Carolina are wise and discerning. You observed both candidates and simply made the choice you believed is best for our district. I look forward to fighting alongside our president after I’m elected in November,” Cawthorn said in a statement.

Meadows announced his decision not to run for re-election in the district just days before the filing deadline. The late decision left some potential candidates — who already had declared they would run for state legislative seats — without the opportunity to run for the suddenly vacant congressional seat.

Bennett quickly entered the race and received Meadows’ endorsement. Meadows’ late exit and the endorsement of Bennett led to some ill will among some in the GOP, said Chris Cooper, head of political science at Western Carolina University.

“There definitely were hard feelings among the local Republican Party. Sort of a sense that Bennett had tried to bypass the system and the party and Meadows had as well,” Cooper said. “There was a sense he tried to cook the books for her.”

Bennett declined most interview requests and turned down an opportunity to debate Cawthorn, Cooper said.

Bennett, who owns a real estate company, won the first primary in March in a 12-way Republican race. She edged out Cawthorn with 22% of the vote, but failed to reach the 30% threshold to avoid a runoff. Bennett received fewer votes in the second primary, while Cawthorn’s total jumped by nearly 12,000.

“The voters of the 11th district of North Carolina said they’re ready for a new generation of leadership in Washington. You turned our message of hope, opportunity and freedom into a movement. While the far left is lighting our cities on fire, we are lifting the light of liberty. Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden may not be able to control where the Democrats are going but, together, we can,” Cawthorn said in his statement.

Trump tweets endorsement

Trump tweeted two endorsements for Bennett this month.

Bennett “has my Complete & Total Endorsement. She is a great fighter & ally in North Carolina. Lynda is Strong on Crime, Borders, Military, our Great Vets & 2A. She will be a great help to me in DC. We need Lynda to help DRAIN THE SWAMP! VOTE EARLY!” Trump tweeted on June 16.

He tweeted a similar message on June 4.

Bennett touted Trump’s endorsement on her campaign website, which includes a photo of the president on her homepage. Bennett also received endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio — two high-profile Republicans in Congress — as well as the House Freedom Fund and the American Conservative Union.

“Cawthorn tried to use that against her, saying, ‘We want somebody of this district,’” Cooper said. “Ironically, the sort of rhetoric that got Trump into office. Campaign against the swamp. Campaign against endorsements.”

Cawthorn was endorsed by Rep. Mark Walker, who attended Cawthorn’s election-night party in Hendersonville.

“Ours is not just a ‘grass roots’ campaign,” Cawthorn said in his statement.. “Together, we are creating the deep roots of a solid oak tree which Abraham Lincoln compared to pillars of freedom. We can build new pillars all across this nation.”

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.”

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