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3w ago

Madison Cawthorn Launches Bid for Florida’s 19th District, Filing to Succeed Byron Donalds

He frames the bid as a MAGA comeback motivated by Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 01: An aerial view of single family homes on August 01, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Home sales have fallen across South Florida as high interest rates and other factors have weighed on the market. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
FILE - Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., speaks before former President Donald Trump takes the stage at a rally on April 9, 2022, in Selma, N.C.(AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 01: Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) arrives for the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on March 1, 2022 in Washington, DC. During his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden will speak on his administration’s efforts to lead a global response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, work to curb inflation, and bring the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Saul Loeb - Pool/Getty Images)
FILE - Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) attends a campaign rally for then-former President Donald Trump at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 9, 2024, in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Cawthorn filed FEC paperwork Wednesday and told Fox News he decided to run after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
  • The open, safely Republican seat spans Naples, Cape Coral and Fort Myers as Rep. Byron Donalds runs for governor in 2026.
  • He faces a crowded GOP primary that includes Jim Oberweis, Mike Pedersen and Jim Schwartzel, with former Rep. Chris Collins reportedly preparing a bid.
  • After losing his 2022 North Carolina primary, he moved to Cape Coral and brings significant baggage, including a misdemeanor gun case, House ethics findings and a recent arrest over a missed court date on a license citation.
  • Despite showcasing ties to Trump and America First themes, reporting indicates little interest from Trump’s orbit or House GOP leadership in backing his campaign.