In what mainstream media is portraying as an embarrassing defeat for President Trump, 24-year-old Madison Cawthorn defeated the Trump-endorsed Lynda Bennett in the Republican primary to see who will win White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ old seat in North Carolina’s 11th District.
According to still unofficial results, Cawthorn’s victory over Bennett was a landslide. Preliminary results show that Cawthorn received 65.8 percent of the vote to Bennett’s 34.2 percent. Cawthorn received more than 30,000 votes in the district, while Bennett received fewer than 16,000.
In his victory statement, Cawthorn said, “The voters of the 11th District of North Carolina said they’re ready for a new generation of leadership in Washington. You turned our message of hope, opportunity and freedom into a movement. While the far left is lighting our cities on fire, we are lifting the lights of liberty. Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden may not be able to control where the Democrats are going but, together, we can.”
In the March 3 primary, Bennett bested Cawthorn by three points but failed to garner the 30-percent threshold needed to avoid a run-off. In the interim, at least four of the other March primary contenders endorsed Cawthorn, and that support seems to have pushed him over the finish line.
Bennett had been endorsed not only by Trump, but also Meadows, Ohio congressman Jim Jordan, and Texas senator Ted Cruz. Trump, in fact, tweeted support for Bennett more than once.
“Lynda Bennett has my complete and total endorsement,” the president wrote on June 16. “She is a great fighter and ally in North Carolina. Lynda is strong on crime, borders, military, our great vets and 2A. She will be a great help to me in DC. We need Lynda to help DRAIN THE SWAMP!”
The president again tweeted his support for Bennett on June 4.
Despite Trump’s endorsement of his opponent, Cawthorn bore the president no ill will. “I want to make something clear; I support our great president. 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 made the choice you believed is best for our district. I look forward to fighting alongside our president after I’m elected in November.”
But voters in western North Carolina saw things differently and chose Cawthorn, whose roots in the region go back to the Revolutionary War. Cawthorn was homeschooled and had been nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy by Meadows himself before a 2014 automobile accident left him partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
According to his website: “Madison’s ordeal built his faith, made him a fighter, helped him appreciate every day, and inspired him to help everyone he encounters overcome whatever adversity they face in their daily lives.”
While mainstream media outlets are portraying Cawthorn’s victory as an embarrassing setback for Trump, a quick scan of Cawthorn’s key issues seem to indicate that the young candidate would not only be an extremely staunch ally for Trump, but, more importantly, an ally and a defender of the U.S. Constitution.
Among Cawthorn’s key issues are:
Health Care
“I believe patients and doctors, certainly not government bureaucrats, should be in charge of our health care decisions. I’m for expanding choice in our health care system. I strongly oppose the Democrats’ plan to create socialized medicine.”
Immigration
“We lawfully admit over a million immigrants each year, which far exceeds other countries. But, our immigration system is in crisis. We need to secure our borders and we need the rule of law. I oppose the continued allowance of sanctuary cities.”
Life
“I am pro-life. Each of us have an inalienable, God given right to life. The first responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens, including those who are pre-born.”
So, despite their glee that President Trump’s hand-picked candidate did not win the day, the media surely won’t be happy once they glance into Cawthorn’s policy positions.
In November, Cawthorn is set to face Democrat Moe Davis in the general election. If elected, Cawthorn — who turns 25 in August — will be the youngest representative in Congress, a title currently held by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Image: https://www.madisoncawthorn.com/index.php/media/
James Murphy is a freelance journalist who writes on a variety of subjects, with a primary focus on the ongoing anthropogenic climate-change hoax and cultural issues. He can be reached a [email protected].
