North Carolina Primary Election 2026: North Carolina, an important swing in the Southern US, had its primaries this March. During a key race for the state’s 11th Congressional district, conservative Chuck Edwards secured the win. Now, he has officially withdrawn from the race after a bombshell House Committee vote.
North Carolina Primary Election 2026: Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards Drops Re-Election Campaign
Chuck Edwards, a Republican Congressman from North Carolina made a key announcement today. After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign”, he said in a social media post.
The post then added that “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.” Edwards also confirmed that he will retire from the North Carolina state Congress once his tenure concludes.
North Carolina Primary Election 2026: Why Did Chuck Edwards Withdraw?
Why did Republican Chuck Edwards end his re-election bid so abruptly? That’s because of a bombshell report by the House Ethics
Committee which was released today. The report was in connection to a months long probe against Congressman Edwards over multiple allegations of sexual assault from 2 young employees.
In its report today, the House Ethics Committe shared that Edwards “violated the House Code of Official Conduct by failing to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.” It said it found that Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”
But despite withdrawing, Edwards maintained his innocence. A statement from his team said that “They concluded that he neither engaged in sexual activity with nor explicitly propositioned any individual staff member. They concluded that the allegations in this matter do not implicate quid pro quo sexual harassment. They concluded he did not violate federal sexual harassment law”. It then added that the outgoing Congressman “looks forward to having his name cleared.”
North Carolina Elections 2026 Latest News: What Happens Next
Under North Carolina’s official election law, because a nominee has officially withdrawn before the general election, the vacancy must be filled by the local party leadership. Now, the members of the Republican Party executive committee will choose a pool of potential replacement candidates and then vote.
North Carolina 11th Congressional District Election Result 2026: A Quick Recap
During the election results of North Carolina’s 11th Congressional district, incumbent Republican Chuck Edwards registered a landslide win over Adam Smith with 70% of the votes. In the Democratic party, fourth generation farmer Jamie Ager got the win.
