Chuck Edwards drops reelection bid after House Ethics report
The western North Carolina congressman said he will finish his term but withdraw from his reelection campaign after the House Ethics Committee recommended censure.
RALEIGH — U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., says he is withdrawing from his reelection campaign after the House Ethics Committee recommended that the House censure him over conduct involving two young female staffers.
Edwards, who represents North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, announced Wednesday on X that he had decided to withdraw from his reelection campaign after “prayer and reflection.” He said he would complete his current term.
The announcement came two days after the House Ethics Committee released a 25-page report finding that Edwards violated the House Code of Official Conduct. The bipartisan committee said Edwards failed to follow the spirit of House rules prohibiting sexual harassment and unwanted advances toward House staffers.
The committee said Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two young female staffers. The report said the conduct included recurrent gifts, comments about appearance and dress, invitations to dinners and vacations, and personal notes. The committee said it found no evidence that Edwards engaged in sexual activity with, or explicitly propositioned, anyone under his employ.
The committee said both women were uncomfortable and were placed in a difficult position because Edwards was their boss and a member of Congress. The report said both women later left the congressional office.
Edwards has denied that his conduct was intended as sexual or romantic. The committee said he cooperated with the investigation and waived procedures otherwise required for the panel to recommend a House floor sanction.
The withdrawal reshapes the 2026 race in NC-11, a western North Carolina district that includes Asheville and much of the state’s mountain region. Edwards won the Republican nomination earlier this year. His exit leaves Republicans to choose a replacement nominee for the general election ballot.
Democrat Jamie Ager is running for the seat.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
