Voters in Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s district have mixed feelings about the freshman Republican lawmaker’s re-election amid the many scandals surrounding him.
Cawthorn, 26, has called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug” as he leads his country’s resistance against the invading Russian army. He was also caught driving without a valid license, accused of insider trading, said fellow lawmakers invited him to cocaine-fueled orgies, brought a gun to the airport twice, accused of being a “habitual liar” with more liquor bottles than water bottles in his office, photographed wearing a lingerie at a party, and recently was seen naked on video simulating sex acts in bed with another man.
Cawthorn brushed off these controversies, calling them a “drip drip” smear campaign against him and vowing to not back down.
But still, voters in his district have mixed feelings about him running for re-election ahead of the May 17 primary.
A resident who identified himself as Philip told Insider that Cawthorn is “dangerous.”
“He has got to get out of here,” Philip added. “He has lost a lot of respect in this community.”
“I don’t agree with any of the ideas he has,” another resident name Joy, told the outlet. “I think he is a wacko and they should take him off of anything that he is on.”
“He screwed himself,” Sharon, another one of Cawthorn’s constituents said. “Once he got elected, he started to do stupid things. I won’t vote for him.”
On the other hand, some residents of North Carolina’s 11th congressional district are sticking with Cawthorn and is willing to overlook the “nonsense,” blaming it on his age and inexperience.
“It’s all nonsense,” David Gorasan told Insider. “I met him one time, he’s a great guy, and I like his way of thinking … He’s very upfront and cool and overall a very nice person.”
“He’s young, and sometimes he may speak when you probably shouldn’t, but I’m all for him,” a business owner who wanted to remain anonymous said.
Cawthorn is facing several Republican primary challengers including state Sen. Chuck Edwards who was endorsed by North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. To avoid a July run-off election, Cawthorn must receive more than 30 percent of the vote in the primary later this month.
