Madison Cawthorn, North Carolina congressman, buys $1M home in Cape Coral

Southwest Florida may be getting a new resident with some national exposure.

Outgoing U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who currently represents the 11th Congressional district in western North Carolina, has bought a $1.1 million home in Cape Coral, according to the Lee County Property Appraiser's records.

Records show that the 27-year-old congressman purchased the home, located at 2213 SW 52nd St., in August. The Citizen-Times in Asheville reached out to Cawthorn's spokesperson, but didn't get a comment about his plans once he leaves office on Jan. 3 or whether a potential upcoming move would be permanent.

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Cawthorn catapulted to the spotlight during the 2020 election, becoming the youngest member of the U.S. House at the time of the election. Known for his conservative ideologies, he received the backing of several notable GOP figures, including former President Donald Trump.

After becoming the face of many scandals during his single term, he conceded his reelection bid to challenger Sen. Chuck Edwards in the primaries back in May.

It is not clear if Cawthorn has any specific connect to Cape Coral. He did post a video to social media on Oct. 7 flying over the then-destroyed Sanibel Causeway and proclaiming his support for the hurricane-battered community.

"With congress out of session this month, I can’t think of a better way to serve our nation right now than by helping the people of Southwest Florida put their lives back together," Cawthorn wrote in his caption on Instagram. "It’s been so encouraging and heart warming to see so many American’s from all over pouring into this area and doing what they can to help rebuild. So much brotherly love being displayed here. Pray for these people and know that they will rebuild stronger and better than ever before. The nation is with you."

He also visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach back in 2021.

The Citizen-Times reported that he remains a registered voter in the Rugby area of Henderson County, where he currently owns a home. He used that address to vote at an early one-stop location for the May 17 primary.

His current voter record shows him as not voting early this recent election, as reported by Citizen Times.

If Cawthorn makes Southwest Florida his new permanent home, he might have a chance at reigniting his political career back up. Lee County's voter demographics show 149,731 votes cast by Republican voters out of the 276,255 overall votes counted during the 2022 midterm elections.

However, he will need to physically be in North Carolina for upcoming court dates. The Citizen Times reported he is set to appear on Jan. 13 in Mecklenburg County District Court on a charge of carrying a loaded gun while going through airport security.

His other North Carolina court dates include Dec. 12 in Cleveland County on a charge of driving while license revoked and Feb. 2 for a speeding charge in Polk County.

Joel Burgess of the Citizen Times contributed to this story. Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095, or on Twitter @AVLreporter. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Far-right Rep. Cawthorn purchases $1 million home in Southwest Florida