Madison Cawthorn behind in early primary vote counting; state Sen. Chuck Edwards has lead
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
HENDERSONVILLE - Early vote tallies show Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Donald Trump endorsed candidate, trailing in the race for North Carolina's far western 11th District.
With 12% of the votes counted, Cawthorn had 31% of the tally to 34% by state Sen. Chuck Edwards, who like Cawthorn is from Henderson County.
To avoid a runoff, one of the candidates in the eight-way primary must get more than 30% of the vote.
Cawthorn, a Trump ally, garnered the official endorsement of the former president the day before the primary with Trump saying the 26-year-old first-term congressman deserved another two years despite "foolish mistakes."
Live updates: Primary day voting updates for Asheville area, May 2022
Cawthorn was beset with scandals and problems that began as a candidate before his first election.
Recently those have included a criminal misdemeanor charge for bringing a loaded gun through an airport checkpoint in Charlotte.
Prior to that, a video was released that appeared to show Cawthorn naked in bed with another man, thrusting his pelvis. He described his actions as "crass" and trying to be funny with a friend.
He is also facing another misdemeanor charge after a member of the North Carolina Highway Patrol said he was driving March 3 with a revoked license in Cleveland County.
Primary 2022 Results: See live vote totals as they're reported Election Night
Primary Tuesday: Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania, Madison Cawthorn in NC, plus Idaho and more
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Madison Cawthorn behind in early vote counting; Chuck Edwards has lead
