Madison Cawthorn, the former North Carolina congressman who became the youngest member of Congress at 25, is running for Florida’s 19th Congressional District seat in a heavily contested Republican primary scheduled for August 18. Cawthorn, now 31, previously served one term representing North Carolina’s 11th District from 2021 to 2023 before losing his 2022 primary reelection bid.
The seat is opening because incumbent Byron Donalds is retiring to run for Florida governor. Cawthorn announced his candidacy in October 2025, moving to Florida to pursue a return to Congress after his defeat in North Carolina.
The Republican primary field is one of the most crowded in the state, with ten Republicans competing for the nomination in the heavily conservative district. The race notably features two former members of Congress: Cawthorn and Chris Collins, who previously represented New York’s 27th District. Collins was pardoned by President Trump after pleading guilty to insider trading charges.
Other prominent candidates in the Republican primary include Catalina Lauf, a former Trump administration official and conservative author, who has raised the most individual donations of any Republican candidate in the race. Lauf has secured significant support and is viewed as a leading contender by political analysts tracking the primary.
Cawthorn’s path back to Congress comes after a turbulent tenure in his first congressional term. He was elected in 2020 at 25 years old, making him the youngest member of Congress in modern history. However, his time in office was marked by controversy and public missteps that weakened his political standing in his North Carolina district.
When Cawthorn attempted to run for reelection in 2022, he initially filed to run in a different district before returning to his original 11th District. He lost the Republican primary to Chuck Edwards, ending his first congressional bid. The defeat marked a significant setback for the once-rising Republican star who had been viewed as a potential long-term player in national GOP politics.
The heavily conservative Florida district, which Donalds won with 66.3% of the vote in 2024, is expected to remain firmly in Republican hands regardless of which candidate wins the primary. The general election will be held on November 3, 2026, and Democrats are running three candidates in their primary, though the district’s lean suggests the Republican nominee will be favored in the fall.
Cawthorn’s comeback attempt reflects a broader pattern in 2026, with multiple former members of Congress seeking to return to Washington. His candidacy in Florida represents a fresh start in a new political environment after his North Carolina political career ended in defeat.
Sources
- Naples News — Profile of Madison Cawthorn as a candidate in Florida’s 19th Congressional District race, published August 7, 2026
- Ballotpedia — Information on Cawthorn’s service in North Carolina’s 11th District (2021-2023) and his 2022 primary loss to Chuck Edwards
- Wikipedia — Details on the 2026 Florida House elections and the Republican primary field, noting two former members of Congress running in the race
- WGCU — Campaign fundraising data for GOP District 19 candidates, published August 1, 2026, showing Catalina Lauf’s fundraising totals
- Axios — Report on Club for Growth’s $1.1 million ad buy in the Florida 19th race, published July 27, 2026
- Florida Politics — Overview of the crowded field for Byron Donalds’ seat as he runs for governor, published June 12, 2026
