Madison Cawthorn Bio
David Madison Cawthorn, known publicly as Madison Cawthorn, is an American politician and businessman born on August 1, 1995, in Asheville, North Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district from January 2021 to January 2023. He first entered Congress at age 25, becoming the youngest member of the 117th Congress and the first person born in the 1990s to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cawthorn describes himself as a constitutional conservative. After a single term shaped by national attention and recurring controversies, he lost the 2022 Republican primary to state senator Chuck Edwards. He later relocated to Florida and, in 2025, launched a campaign to return to Congress from a new district in his adopted state.
Early Life and Background
David Madison Cawthorn was born on August 1, 1995, in Asheville, North Carolina, to Roger and Priscilla Cawthorn. He grew up in nearby Hendersonville, where he was home-schooled through 12th grade. As a young athlete, he played football with the Asheville Saints, a home-school league, and worked at a Chick-fil-A restaurant during his teen years.
In 2014, at age 18, Cawthorn was a passenger in a BMW X3 that crashed near Daytona Beach, Florida, when the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The accident left him partially paralyzed and required him to use a wheelchair. The crash also resulted in significant medical debt, later settled in part by an insurance payment of about $3 million. After high school, he attended Patrick Henry College for a semester, studying political science, but withdrew with low grades, which he attributed to his injuries.
Path to US Politics
Cawthorn’s political path began in the office of U.S. Representative Mark Meadows, where he worked as a part-time staff assistant in the district office from January 2015 to August 2016. He had also been nominated by Meadows to the U.S. Naval Academy in 2013, though his application was not accepted. These early political connections shaped his later decision to run for office in the same western North Carolina region.
While recovering from his accident, Cawthorn pursued business activities, founding SPQR Holdings, LLC, a real estate investment firm in Hendersonville. He also spoke publicly about his interest in wheelchair racing and a goal of competing in the 2020 Summer Paralympics, though he did not reach the qualifying level. These experiences built his public profile and laid the groundwork for his 2020 congressional campaign.
Madison Cawthorn Career
Early Career (2015-2019)
From 2015 to 2016, Cawthorn served as a staff assistant in Mark Meadows’ district office, an experience that introduced him to the day-to-day operations of a congressional office. After leaving the position, he focused on speaking engagements, conservative political events, and his real estate business, gradually building a regional profile in western North Carolina.
He also became a frequent guest on conservative media, sharing his personal story of recovery and his political views. By 2019, he had formally established his real estate firm and was laying the foundation for a future campaign, drawing on relationships built during his time in Meadows’ office and his visibility within local Republican circles.
2020 Congressional Breakthrough (2020-2021)
Cawthorn entered the 2020 Republican primary for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district to succeed Mark Meadows. After finishing second behind Lynda Bennett in the March primary, he won the June runoff. He went on to defeat Democratic nominee Moe Davis in the November general election, taking office on January 3, 2021. At 25, he was one of the youngest members ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
His campaign drew both support and criticism. He spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention and frequently used social media to rally supporters. Controversies during the race included past social media posts referencing Adolf Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest and allegations of sexual misconduct, which he largely denied. Despite these issues, his upset primary victory established him as a rising voice among younger conservative activists.
U.S. House Era (2021-2023)
During his single term in Congress, Cawthorn identified as a constitutional conservative and joined the House Freedom Caucus. He positioned himself as a combative communicator, stating that he had built his staff around messaging rather than legislation. He voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results and aligned himself with efforts challenging the outcome, though he later acknowledged Joe Biden as president.
His tenure was marked by a series of public controversies, including ethics complaints, accusations of insider trading related to a cryptocurrency promotion, a leaked nude video, and reports of bringing a loaded handgun to an airport. Multiple ethics complaints were filed against him, and Republican leaders publicly criticized his behavior. These controversies, combined with his decision to run in a different district following redistricting, contributed to his defeat in the 2022 Republican primary by Chuck Edwards.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of Cawthorn’s most notable moments was becoming the first member of Congress born in the 1990s. He also gained attention for a 2021 speech in which he warned of potential “bloodshed” if election integrity issues were not addressed, comments that drew widespread criticism. His 2020 upset primary win over a Trump-endorsed candidate was widely described as a defining moment of his early career.
Madison Cawthorn Career Wins
Madison Cawthorn’s electoral record includes a single congressional victory in 2020, when he won both the Republican primary runoff and the general election for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district. He did not win any subsequent elections, losing the 2022 Republican primary to Chuck Edwards.
Congressional Election Highlights
Cawthorn’s signature win came in 2020, when he defeated Democratic nominee Moe Davis to claim North Carolina’s 11th congressional district seat. His primary runoff victory over Lynda Bennett was considered an upset, as Bennett had been endorsed by President Donald Trump and outgoing Representative Mark Meadows. His time in office ended with his 2022 primary defeat, after which he chose not to seek his party’s nomination again.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond electoral politics, Cawthorn achieved a significant personal milestone in his recovery from a 2014 car accident, regaining mobility and public presence with the aid of a wheelchair. He also built a real estate business and became a prominent voice among young conservative activists, though these accomplishments were frequently overshadowed by the controversies of his congressional term.
Madison Cawthorn Family
Family Background and Personal Faith
Cawthorn was raised in a Christian household in western North Carolina by his parents, Roger and Priscilla Cawthorn. He has an older brother named Zachary. Cawthorn describes himself as a Christian, and his faith has been a recurring theme in his public speeches and campaign messaging.
Personal Life
Cawthorn married Cristina Bayardelle, a college student and competitive CrossFit athlete, in a December 2020 civil ceremony, followed by an outdoor ceremony in April 2021. In December 2021, he announced that the couple was divorcing. After leaving Congress in 2023, Cawthorn relocated from North Carolina to Cape Coral, Florida.