Rep. Cawthorn loses North Carolina GOP House primary, concedes race

North Carolina GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn on Tuesday night lost his bid for a second House term. 

He conceded the race at about 10:25 p.m. Eastern time, according to several news outlets.

When Cawthorn conceded, he had 31.7% of the vote, compared to closest challenger Chuck Edwards with 33.5%, with 99% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press. 

In 2020, the 26-year-old congressman became the youngest person elected to Congress and quickly established himself as a popular conservative firebrand.

However, a series of incidents – including a tale about sex and drugs among Washington lawmakers, traffic violations, and a series of leaked, unflattering videos cost him the support of Washington Republicans.

Former President Trump continued to back Cawthorn, including an eleventh-hour plea to voters that the congressmen has learned from his mistakes, but it was not enough to save him from defeat in the eight-candidate primary.