WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards of North Carolina said on Wednesday he will not seek reelection, ending his campaign for a third term after a bipartisan House Ethics Committee recommended that he be censured over findings that he engaged in inappropriate conduct toward two female staff members.
Edwards, who represents North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, announced his decision in a statement posted on X, saying that after "much prayer and reflection" he had decided to withdraw from the race. He said he would complete the remainder of his current term, which ends in January 2027.
The announcement came hours after the House Ethics Committee released a report recommending that the Republican lawmaker be formally censured by the full House. The committee concluded that Edwards repeatedly engaged in unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides over an extended period, creating an uncomfortable workplace because of the power imbalance between a member of Congress and congressional staff.
According to the committee, Edwards gave the staffers expensive gifts, made personal comments, sent affectionate communications and invited them to dinners, vacations and other private settings. Investigators said they found no evidence that Edwards had sexual relationships with the women or directly propositioned them for sex, but concluded that his conduct nevertheless amounted to sexual harassment under House standards because it fostered a hostile work environment.
Edwards has denied that he intended any romantic or sexual relationship with either staffer. His attorneys argued during the ethics inquiry that the evidence did not support the committee's conclusions and maintained that a recommendation for censure was unwarranted.
The congressman did not address the committee's findings directly in his withdrawal announcement, instead thanking constituents for their support and saying it had been "the honor of my life" to serve western North Carolina.
Edwards, first elected to the House in 2022 after defeating incumbent Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary, had been seeking another term in a district that includes Asheville and much of western North Carolina. His withdrawal leaves Republicans with little time to choose a replacement nominee ahead of the November election.
The House is in its August recess, and no vote on the Ethics Committee's recommendation has yet been scheduled. Edwards has said he will remain in office through the end of his current term.
