By one, and only one, metric has Madison Cawthorn succeeded in his first term in Congress — gaining notoriety.
That’s enough for backbench Republicans to become huge stars these days, but it may well lead to Cawthorn’s defeat in the Republican primary in his district in the western end of North Carolina — and it certainly should.
The 26-year-old Cawthorn has alienated his colleagues in the House, infuriated many in his own state party, lost many of his endorsers from when he ran the first time in 2020, routinely said idiotic things, seen the release of several embarrassing photos and videos, faced multiple charges of sexual harassment, and generally not been good at his job.
Harsh judgments about Cawthorn’s time in Congress should be tinged with sympathy. He’s wheelchair-bound after a devastating injury in a car accident when a friend fell asleep at the wheel during spring break. A long, wrenching profile in Politico brought home the great physical and psychological trauma that Cawthorn has overcome. But there is a broadly shared sense that he’s been unraveling in Congress, with repeated minor brushes with the law coming on top of bizarre statements, including that his congressional colleagues are attending coke-fueled orgies (only on Netflix shows is Washington really this interesting). He has also managed to burn through the vast sums of money he has raised, leaving him short of campaign cash when he actually needs it for a campaign.
Cawthorn would probably be better served finding a calling outside of Congress, with its temptations of instant fame. Regardless, there is no reason for the voters of the heavily Republican eleventh district to settle for a representative who continuously brings discredit to the institution he serves and the people he represents. There is no lack of worthy alternatives in the multi-candidate field in Tuesday’s primary, led by Chuck Edwards, a rock-ribbed conservative with a solid record of public service. Many of the leading lights of the North Carolina GOP have thrown everything they have behind him.
That he has so many challengers may perversely help Cawthorn by dividing the field; so long as he finishes first, he only has to get to 30 percent to avoid a runoff. He also has the advantage of incumbency and an early endorsement from Donald Trump, who has notably declined to double down lately. Finally, there’s a segment of Republican voters who will rally to anyone on the right who is a lightning rod for controversy, no matter the merits.
That said, the voters of the eleventh district should wish Cawthorn well — and send someone better suited to advance conservative ideas and to represent their interests to Washington.