RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn lost his reelection bid last week — but that doesn’t necessarily mean a legal battle over his eligibility to serve in Congress is also finished.
Opponents of the far-right Republican congressman had filed a challenge with state election officials, seeking to have Cawthorn banned from even running for reelection this year. They say he supported and possibly even helped plan the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress carried out by supporters of former President Donald Trump, who were trying to keep Trump in power through violence after he lost the 2020 election. Cawthorn has denied those claims.
His critics want to keep the challenge alive, despite his recent loss, said Edward Erikson, spokesman for a group behind the challenge, Free Speech For People.
