ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A western North Carolina county commissioner and LGBT activist announced on Wednesday that she would seek to unseat first-term GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn next year.
Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara of Asheville has criticized Cawthorn for his words challenging the results of the November presidential election, including his speech in Washington on the day of the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Beach-Ferrara, a Buncombe County commissioner since 2012, is a United Church of Christ minister and founder of the Campaign for Southern Equality. The group pressed for legalizing same-sex marriage in Southern states and nationwide in the 2010s.
Cawthorn, 25, was one of the youngest members ever elected to Congress when he won the 11th District seat in November by 12 percentage points over his Democratic opponent.
The state’s congressional map will be redrawn in time for the 2022 elections. Primary elections are currently set for March 2022. There is no requirement that a candidate live in the U.S. House district for which the person is seeking the seat.
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