Rep. Chuck Edwards withdraws from reelection bid after ethics panel recommends censure
by Kerry Picket · The Washington TimesRep. Chuck Edwards announced on social media early Wednesday morning that he will not seek reelection, days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured following its investigation into his behavior toward two former staffers.
In a post on X, the North Carolina Republican said he would end his reelection campaign but would finish the remainder of his current term in Congress.
“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” Mr. Edwards said on X.
“I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America.”
North Carolina law allows the 11th Congressional District Republican Executive Committee to select a replacement for Mr. Edwards, but no new primary election will be held.
Whoever North Caroiina Republicans choose to run in the district will face Democrat Jamie Ager.
The race had shifted recently from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
The Ethics Committee had recommended on Monday that Mr. Edwards, 65, be censured after the panel found he violated the chamber’s Code of Official Conduct through a sustained pattern of “unprofessional and inappropriate” behavior toward two young female staffers.
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The staffers were a 19-year-old intern who had not yet graduated from college, and a staffer who worked for him when he was a state senator and later became a legislative assistant in his congressional office.
Following the report’s release, Sen. Tedd Budd, North Carolina Republican, called on Mr. Edwards to resign.
The 25-page Ethics Committee report listed the nature of Mr. Edwards’ conduct toward them, including making remarks about their appearance and weight, such as calling them “pretty” and “breathtaking.”
While the committee found no evidence of sexual activity or explicit propositions, it concluded that Mr. Edwards’ conduct would lead “a reasonable observer” to interpret it as romantic or sexual advances.
The report also noted that he bought the expensive gifts for the staffers, including jewelry priced at over $1,000, designer purses, guns, vacations, electronics and spa treatments — with one of the staffers feeling “obligated” to wear items he gave her.
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Personal outings with the staffers after they left his office for other jobs also became a problem, with one staffer saying she felt forced to meet up with him for a trip to Las Vegas, fearing if she did not, he could hurt her career.
The report also said Mr. Edwards did not produce, or apparently deleted, over 400 relevant text messages, and the panel of five Republicans and five Democrats found his explanations not fully credible.
Mr. Edwards’ lawyers issued a 15-page rebuttal in which they called the report a “vindication” based on its conclusion that the congressman didn’t proposition anyone or engage in any sexual conduct. It also called censure an “extraordinarily harsh and infrequent punishment” inappropriate for a case “not based on a direct violation of House rules addressing sexual misconduct.”
Mr. Edwards has represented North Carolina’s Republican-leaning 11th District since 2023, after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn in 2022.
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Kerry Picket
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