Rep. Chuck Edwards suspended his campaign for reelection early Wednesday morning following a House Ethics report that cited alleged inappropriate behavior toward two women staffers.
“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” he posted on X. “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.”
The Ethics Committee recommended on Monday that the North Carolina Republican be censured and found “substantial reason to believe Representative Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces,” according to a committee press release.
Edwards was running for reelection in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, one of two competitive districts in the state crucial to both parties’ paths to a majority in Congress.
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Pressure had been building among Republicans to force him out.
House Republicans were privately trying to convince Edwards to abandon his reelection bid in light of the House Ethics Committee’s report, CNN reported on Tuesday. A source on Capitol Hill told The News & Observer that Sen. Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) asked Edwards to drop out of the race.
A spokesperson for Budd told NOTUS on Tuesday that while the senator doesn’t disclose his private conversations, he “finds the House Ethics report deeply concerning.” The spokesperson added that Budd “believes Rep. Edwards faces a significant uphill battle in his reelection bid,” pointing to Edwards’ trailing poll numbers and that his opponent is vastly outraising Edwards.
The House Ethics Committee found that Edwards gave the two women staffers “lavish gifts,” including expensive jewelry, designer purses, vacations, guns and dinners.
The report also pointed to instances when Edwards paid for spa trips, talked to staffers about going to D.C. strip clubs, and told one of the staffers not to let his scheduler know about a dinner the two had planned.
The committee did not find evidence that Edwards “engaged in sexual activity with or explicitly propositioned any individual under his employ.” The report said that Edwards was aware that his “excessive attention toward the young women had led to rumors and innuendo in the office” and “acknowledged at least some of the behavior at issue could be viewed as inappropriate.”
Even before news broke about him being the subject of a House Ethics investigation in May, Edwards faced a competitive challenge from Democrat Jamie Ager, a farmer backed by the centrist group Blue Dog Democrats who comes from a family of North Carolina politicians.
Ager is one of several Democrats running in red districts that have the backing of House Democrats’ campaign arm through its Red to Blue program. The Cook Political Report changed the district’s rating from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican” in June.
The state’s other competitive seat is North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis.
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