24-year-old Republican Defeats Trump’s Pick in North Carolina Congressional Primary Race

Madison Cawthorn, a 24-year-old real estate investment CEO, won a Republican primary runoff election Tuesday in Hendersonville, Western North Carolina for the congressional seat of former Representative Mark Meadows who stepped down in March to become President Trump’s chief of staff.

In winning the runoff contest, the political newcomer upset Lynda Bennett, who was endorsed by the President earlier this month.

Cawthorn believes he won because of a superior ground game and a message “that translated across generations and ethnic groups.”  His win marks a rare victory over a candidate backed by Trump.

While Trump endorsed Lynda Bennett, Cawthorn stated in his victory speech posted on his Facebook page that he is an admirer of Trump’s administration and looks forward to fighting alongside Trump after he is elected in November.

Trump views Bennett as a great fighter and the only candidate with a proven record of business experience to help carry out his agenda.

The former House Freedom Caucus chair Meadows, who announced in December that he would not run for a fifth two-year term representing North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, also supported Benettte a Haywood County real estate company owner.

However, Cawthorn says on his Facebook page that Meadows nominated him to the US Naval Academy as a teenager in 2014. However, he was unable to go because he was partially paralyzed in a car crash that left him in a wheelchair.

Cawthorn came second to Bennett in a whopping 12-candidate GOP primary in early March. The May runoff was rescheduled for June due to the coronavirus epidemic.

He sees himself as a Constitutional conservative who is “committed to defending the values of faith, family, and freedom that have made America great.” He is also a motivational speaker.

Chairman of the North Carolina Republican, Party Michael Whatley, congratulated Cawthorn on the win Tuesday evening.

The candidate turns 25 in August, the minimum age to be in Congress, and will face Democrat Moe Davis, a former military prosecutor, in November.