Madison Cawthorn, 24, Wins North Carolina GOP Congressional Primary, Beating Trump’s Endorsed Candidate

Political newcomer Madison Cawthorn, 24, won the North Carolina Republican primary race for a U.S. House seat against President Donald Trump‘s endorsed candidate Lynda Bennett.

A real estate investment firm CEO and motivational speaker, Cawthorn defeated Bennett, endorsed by Trump, in the 11th Congressional District runoff. Bennett was also backed by Mark Meadows, President’s chief of staff who held the seat before.

Trump endorsed Bennet in a series of tweets, calling her “a great fighter and ally.”

After winning the primary, Cawthorn posted a Facebook statement, saying he did not have anything against Trump.

“I want to make something clear: I support our great president,” Cawthorn wrote. “I do not believe this election has been a referendum on the president’s influence. The people of western North Carolina are wise and discerning. You observed both candidates and simply made the choice you believed is best for our district.”

Bennett posted on Facebook that she called Cawthorn to congratulate him on his victory.

Cawthorn’s website says that he is “a constitutional conservative” and “is committed to defending the values of faith, family and the freedom that have made America great.”

Cawthorn stated on his website: “I’m running because our faith, our freedoms and our values are under assault from coastal elites and leftists like Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”

As for his other views, Cawthorn stated he is “pro-life” and opposes “the Democrats’ plans to create socialized medicine.”

Cawthorn has been partially paralyzed since the 2014 car accident and has been using a wheelchair.