Lee Buchanan
editor@thefranklinpress.com
Madison Cawthorn burst on to the state and national political scene in March, when he trounced the favorite, Linda Bennett, in a runoff to become the GOP candidate for the 11th Congressional District.
The Henderson County Republican, a real estate investor and motivational speaker, now faces Democrat Moe Davis, a retired US Air Force colonel, in a race for the 11th District representing 17 Western North Carolina counties.
His upset victory in the runoff is evidence of strong support in the general election, Cawthorn said.
“I had a strong message, one that people want to get behind,” he said. “Washington DC is filled with cowards on both sides, career politicians that don’t have our best interest at heart.”
Experience
Cawthorn acknowledges questions about his lack of political experience.
“I don’t blame them, but I do not believe that experience is really defined by how many years you’ve been alive but what you’ve done in those years,” he said. “I myself have gone through pain and suffering, and it taught me grit and empathy for others.”
Cawthorn has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, and some critics say he has moved further to the right after his primary runoff victory.
“I don’t think I’ve moved to the right,” he said. “My positions have not changed.
“I’m definitely a supporter of the president. I love what he does with foreign policy and trade deals, but I see that there are flaws in our president.”
Healthcare
Asked about his legislative priorities, Cawthorn puts health care reform at the top of his list.
“We’ve got to get health care fixed,” he said. “I think Republicans have been doing a pretty poor job being the party of ‘no’ in health care reform.”
Cawthorn said the best approach to reform is a market-based system.
Broadband
Inadequate broadband internet access is a common theme in much of the district’s 17 counties, and Cawthorn agreed that infrastructure reform to facilitate that expansion is a critical need in Western North Carolina.
He supports a free-market approach but added that federal funding may be necessary to solve the problem.
“It depends on how fast the free market plans work,” he said. “I’d like to do it much like the 1930s Rural Electrification Act. But we’ve been so reckless with our spending that the piggy bank’s pretty much dry.”
Stimulus funding
Cawthorn supports the paycheck protection plans that have helped businesses weather the COVID crisis while keeping employees on the payroll, but he’s less enthusiastic about other stimulus funding.
“I would rather see more slashes on spending and regulations during this time of economic crisis,” he said. “Our debt is our number-one national security concern.”
Racial justice and police
Cawthorn supports additional training for law enforcement officers, he stops short of advocating systemic changes.
“Our law enforcement, especially here in Western North Carolina, does an incredible job, but we should all be held to higher standards,” he said as he voiced support of police body cams, de-escalation training.
“People are saying they want broad changes,” he said. “I believe my opponent [has said that] defunding the police doesn’t really mean defunding the police, but AOC [Alexandria Ocasio Cortez] and [Nancy]Pelosi have expressed their desire to defund. That’s a path we don’t need to walk down.”
Asked what sets him apart from Moe Davis, Cawthorn said his opponent is “as far left as he can go” and said Davis would move even further to the left if elected.
“I am forthcoming and honest,” Cawthorn said. “I’m not going to say one thing and do another.”
This is an unprecedented election season, with traditional campaigning complicated by coronavirus restrictions, but Cawthorn said his campaign is well-positioned as the election season begins in earnest.
“I’ve never run a campaign before, so for me this is a normal campaign,” he said.
Recent polls show the race is a toss-up.
“We know that this is a close race,” Cawthorn said. “We know we’re ahead, but not by a margin where we can rest on our laurels.”