U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards said he will drop out of a race for reelection as he faces likely censure by the House.
“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my reelection campaign,” the Hendersonville Republican said. “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 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee already listed North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District among its “Districts in Play.”
But a House Ethics Committee investigation ultimately appears to have driven Edwards’ decision. The bipartisan panel voted on Tuesday to recommend the House censure Edwards, who has faced accusations of inappropriate harassment by multiple female staffers.
“At the completion of its investigation, the Committee concluded there was substantial reason to believe Representative Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces,” reads a joint statement from Ethics Committee leaders Michael Guest and Mark DeSaulnier. “The Committee Rules provide for a process before the Committee can recommend that the House of Representatives sanction a Member. However, the Member can waive any part of that process. Although he disagrees with the Committee’s findings, Representative Edwards agreed to waive certain procedural steps, after reviewing a draft of the report several days prior, allowing the Committee to recommend a House level sanction in relation to his conduct.”
An investigation found Edwards gave lavish gifts and made overt remarks to two young staffers. Evidence released by the Ethics Committee includes numerous flirty texts and offers to pay for flowers and hotel rooms for the staffers. He also gave about $1,000 in jewelry to the women, along with designer purses, guns and a laptop computer.
Counsel for Edwards stressed the investigation also determined Edwards never had a sexual relationship with either staffer, nor did he explicitly proposition them.
Edwards was facing Democrat Jamie Ager. A majority of voters in the battleground district supported President Donald Trump for President by a 10-percentage-point margin, but Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, also won the district by 6 points, according to the Washington Examiner.
The North Carolina Republican Party can choose a replacement nominee for Edwards. That requires convening the Republican Executive Committee for the district to vote on a new nominee for the November ballot. Edwards in March won a Republican Primary over Adam Smith.
