CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced that he is endorsing state Sen. Chuck Edwards against incumbent Rep. Madison Cawthorn in North Carolina's 11th District House primary.
Tillis issued a statement Friday confirming his endorsement of Edwards, saying Cawthorn has "fallen well short of the most basic standard western North Carolina expects from their representatives." Tillis also said there are several candidates who would be a "significant improvement" over Cawthorn.
"Chuck Edwards has proven he's a hardworking conservative leader who delivers conservative results," Tillis said. "He'll never give up on his day job in search of celebrity status in Washington, D.C., with no record of results to speak of."
On Wednesday, Tillis announced he would not vote to confirm judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
Cawthorn has come under scrutiny from Republicans, with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying the freshman congressman "lost my trust." During an appearance on the "Warrior Poet Society" podcast, Cawthorn alleged that Republican colleagues previously invited him to an orgy and that he has also seen a lawmaker do cocaine.
Earlier this month, Cawthorn called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "thug." That report came just days after he was charged with driving with a revoked license.
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