RALEIGH — State Sen. Chuck Edwards defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn to win the Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District. Cawthorn, who has become a national political figure mired in controversies, fell short of winning the nomination to a veteran legislator who was backed by many of the state’s top Republicans.
With all 275 precincts reporting on Tuesday night, Edwards led Cawthorn by a 33.4% to 31.9% margin, enough to put the race out of reach. Edwards won the counties of Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania in the race – areas he represented as a state senator in the General Assembly.
Cawthorn was the only Congressional incumbent to lose in the state’s primary.
This is a developing story and will be updated.