GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn to switch districts for 2022 North Carolina election

Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn announced he’ll run in a new congressional district under North Carolina’s newly approved map.

Cawthorn, 26, is an ally of former President Donald Trump announced his switch on Twitter on Thursday night, casting it as an effort to thwart the bid pundits have expected from state US House Speaker Tim Moore.

His decision to run for a seat that is more Republican-friendly might boost his national prominence and serve as a springboard to greater political office in a state that is progressively becoming more Democratic-friendly.

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“Knowing the political realities of the 13th district, I’m afraid that another establishment, go-along-to-get-along Republican would prevail there. I will not let that happen,” Cawthorn said in the video. “I will be running for Congress in the 13th congressional district.”

If the congressional design is upheld in court, the district will be one of Republicans’ safest wins next year.

Moore said shortly after Cawthorn’s declaration that he would not compete for the congressional seat drawn near his home, instead opting for another term as state House speaker.

“I look forward to serving with my colleagues as Speaker of the House of Representatives and securing a supermajority for the Republicans next year,” Moore said in a statement, adding that “much of the speculation about my potential congressional candidacy has been driven by the media and political pundits.”

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North Carolina is one of few states that allows congressional candidates to run in whatever district they want as long as they live in the state by the general election date.

Cawthorn does not reside in the newly constituted 13th district, which spans the state’s southwestern region outside of Charlotte. His Henderson County home would be in the 14th, one of three districts considered somewhat competitive for Democrats in 2022.

He currently represents voters in the 11th, North Carolina’s westernmost district, where his Henderson County home would be in the 14th, one of three areas considered somewhat competitive for Democrats in 2022, according to Associated Press inputs.

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“This move is not an abandonment,” Cawthorn said to voters he will no longer represent. “In fact, quite the opposite. It is a move to take more ground for constitutional conservatism. In my heart, I represent North Carolina as a whole, not some arbitrary line that some politician drew this cycle.”

A pair of lawsuits filed by voting rights organisations accusing Republicans of political and racial gerrymandering in North Carolina loom over the March 2022 primary. If the maps pass legal muster, the GOP will likely retain 10 or 11 of the 14 seats up for grabs next year in a state where Trump narrowly beat President Joe Biden with less than 50% of the vote.

With inputs from the Associated Press