Madison Cawthorn gets Democratic challenger

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) has a Democratic challenger for his House seat, with a local county commissioner announcing plans to run against the first-term lawmaker on Wednesday.

“Some people will say, a gay woman who’s a Christian minister just can’t get elected in the South. Not to mention she’s a Democrat,” Jasmine Beach-Ferrara said in her campaign video. “But I say, an insurrectionist, who flirts with Nazis, and fires up a violent crowd to attack our democracy, well, he shouldn’t get reelected anywhere.”

I’m Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and I’m running against Madison Cawthorn. As a gay woman, Christian minister, mom of 3, I’ve heard “you can’t” all my life. I’m ready to prove the skeptics wrong again. Please retweet and ask everyone you know to follow this account to join us. pic.twitter.com/dJroXf3bWf

— Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (@jbeachferrara) March 3, 2021

Beach-Ferrara is running in a district that former President Trump won by 11 points during the 2020 presidential election. 

When Cawthorn won the seat last year, he became the youngest person elected to Congress at age 25, the minimum age to be elected.

In her campaign video, Beach-Ferrara mentioned winning local seats in her district and touted her push for marriage equality and advocacy surrounding issues like mental health and the opioid crisis. 

She said the political divisions in the country require a “really big bridge,” emphasizing the need to work with others and keep an “open heart.”

Cawthorn has been under fire during his last campaign and his time in Congress for sexual misconduct allegations and for speaking at the Trump rally on Jan. 6 that took place shortly before the Capitol riot.

“So with all due respect to the skeptics, this barbeque-loving, football-watching, proud Southern mom of three is running for Congress. And you better believe I’m running to win,” Beach-Ferrara said. 

The Hill has reached out to Cawthorn for comment.