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5d ago

Madison Cawthorn Launches Florida House Bid for Donalds’ Open Seat

The MAGA-aligned ex–North Carolina lawmaker enters a safe GOP district where a crowded primary will test his vulnerabilities.

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 with the FEC and announced a campaign for Florida’s 19th District after Rep. Byron Donalds chose to run for governor.
  • He cited the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as the catalyst for his decision to return to Congress.
  • The district, covering Fort Myers and Naples, is solidly Republican, making the GOP primary the likely deciding contest.
  • His record includes a 2022 House Ethics finding over crypto promotion and a September arrest in Florida for failing to appear on a license-related citation.
  • He joins a large Republican field that includes former Rep. Chris Collins, ex–Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis, Marine aviator Mike Pedersen, and broadcaster Jim Schwartzel, as reporting indicates Trumpworld and House GOP leaders are unlikely to support him.