Chuck Edwards drops reelection bid after Ethics panel recommends censure

Nina Heller and Daniela Altimari, CQ-Roll Call on Aug 5, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

WASHINGTON — North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards announced early Wednesday he was dropping his reelection bid, two days after a House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for engaging in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two female staffers.

The move comes as some Republicans have expressed concern over retaining his 11th District seat in North Carolina’s western corner, which Democrats are targeting this cycle.

“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” the second-term congressman posted on social media. “I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life.”

The Ethics Committee’s 25-page report found there was “substantial reason to believe” Edwards violated sexual harassment and hostile workplace rules. The North Carolina Republican spent thousands of dollars on lavish gifts for the women and sent deeply personal texts, according to the report.

“That Representative Edwards did all these things to two young staffers, repeatedly over a sustained period, was beyond inappropriate,” the report states.

In an attached 15-page response to the report, Edwards said he disagreed with the panel’s findings and argued that there was no evidence he broke House rules governing sexual misconduct or harassment. He “sincerely regrets that his behavior created discomfort,” according to the response.

The bipartisan Ethics Committee had announced in May that it was reviewing the allegations against Edwards. In its report, the panel said the congressman had agreed to waive certain procedural steps of the process, which was why it could more quickly recommend a House level-sanction for his conduct.

Some House Democrat said the committee’s recommendation of a censure as punishment didn’t go far enough.

“Any Member of Congress who sexually harasses staff has no place serving. We all must be held to a higher standard, and Rep. Chuck Edwards clearly does not meet that bar,” Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal said on social media Monday. “A censure is not enough, he should be removed from Congress.”

In a statement after the report, the Democratic Women’s Caucus called for Edwards’ resignation.

“Congress has a responsibility to protect the women that work here and reciting a few words of censure on the House floor doesn’t protect women from retaliation and sexual harassment,” the DWC said.

Edwards is currently serving his second term in Congress and is a member of the Appropriations and Budget committees. A former state senator, he was first elected to the House in 2022 after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary.

Under North Carolina law, a House candidate wishing to withdraw must submit that request in writing to the state Board of Elections before military and overseas ballots are mailed, which is scheduled to happen on Sept. 4.

After the candidate formally leaves the race, the “appropriate district executive committee” will select a nominee to fill the vacancy on the ballot. Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, said in a social media post that the congressional district executive committee of the North Carolina Republican Party would choose Edwards’ replacement as the nominee.

North Carolina’s 11th District, anchored by Asheville, was in play even before Edwards’ announcement. The Democratic nominee is farmer Jamie Ager, whose grandfather represented an earlier version of the district. Ager has significantly outpaced Edwards in fundraising, and the House Democratic campaign arm placed him on its “Red to Blue” list for promising recruits, eligible for extra money and resources.

“For months, North Carolina Republicans stood by and allowed Edwards to get away with a long, demonstrated pattern of abuse,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus said in a statement. “Whichever GOP lapdog they try to drop in Edwards’ place will own the consequences.”

Republicans, though, expressed confidence in holding the seat.

“NC-11 is a Republican seat and will remain that way this November,” Reilly Richardson, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.

_____