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NH

Madison

Cawthorn

Republican
NC
-11
Asheville, Hendersonville, Waynesville
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Madison Cawthorn

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Personal Background

Birthdate

8/1/95 (25)

Race/Ethnicity

Caucasian/White

Gender Identification

M
Twitter

@CawthornforNC

Religion

Christian

Family

Engaged

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

One semester at Patrick Henry College

KEY HEALTH LINK

Cawthorn credits surviving a 2014 car crash, which left him partially paralyzed, with the free market health care system in the U.S. “I believe I’m alive today because we don’t have a single-payer system, which invariably rations care, limits choices and lowers quality.” Cawthorn’s fiancee is a fitness instructor studying to be an anesthesiologist.

Political/Professional Background

LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE

Never held elected office

2020 ELECTION CONTEXT

Cawthorn placed second in the Republican primary to succeed Rep. Meadows in representing North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. Because no candidate won a majority of the vote, Cawthorn advanced to a runoff election against Lynda Bennett. Bennett had been endorsed by Republican politicians including President Trump, Rep. Meadows, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Jim Jordan. Cawthorn won the runoff election and took on Democrat Morris Davis in the general election.

INCUMBENT REPLACED

Mark Meadows (R), resigned to serve as White House Chief of Staff

MOST RECENT PROFESSION

Owner, SPQR Holdings, LLC (real estate investment company)

POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY

Cawthorn is the owner of SPQR Holdings, LLC, a real estate investment company. Cawthorn’s run for Congress was his first foray into electoral politics. Before running for Congress, Cawthorn worked as a Staff Assistant in Rep. Mark Meadows’ district office.

On The Issues

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Cawthorn has said, "Helping Western North Carolina emerge from this once-in-a-century pandemic will be my top priority in Congress." He has also said that in reopening, "We need to be guided by science and common sense, not politics." Cawthorn has criticized aspects of the CARES Act, saying that, "I don't think it gave the money or exactly where it needed to be put ... I think that we should have focused more on giving money to small business owners so that we can keep people getting their paychecks from their employers instead of relying on unemployment."

HEALTH COVERAGE

Cawthorn wants to see the ACA repealed and replaced with a free market approach to health care, saying, "The problem is not that the free market has failed in health care. The problem is that it has never really been tried."

MARIJUANA

Cawthorn supports federal legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, though he believes states should be allowed to choose to criminalize it. Cawthorn has received an A rating from NORML.

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION

No Data

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

No Data

VETERANS HEALTH CARE

No Data

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Cawthorn is pro-life. He is a supporter of the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and opposes funding for Planned Parenthood from any level of government.

OTHER HEALTH CARE ISSUES

When he was 18, Cawthorn was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed and using a wheelchair. He has stated that the accident left him with over $3 million in medical debt.

DID YOU KNOW?

At 25, Cawthorn will be the youngest member of the House of Representatives ever. Cawthorn has said, “There’s a generational time bomb going off in the Republican Party,” adding that he wants to “carry the message of conservatism in a way that doesn’t seem so abrasive—that has better packaging … better messaging.”