Madison Cawthorn, the GOP’s Controversial Twentysomething

Donald Trump lost the election, but his message resonated with more than 73 million people, and Republicans gained seats in the House. The telegenic Cawthorn, who won North Carolina’s 11th District, supported the president and appears game to carry on his spirit under the Biden administration. During the election, Cawthorn dealt with controversies around sexual misconduct and racism (he denied the accusations), as well as an Instagram post that seemed to glorify Hitler. (Cawthorn said that a trip to Hitler’s vacation house in Germany had been on his “bucket list” and “did not disappoint.”) After his race was called, he continued channeling Trump’s bombastic style, tweeting, “Cry more, lib.” Cawthorn has been using a wheelchair since a 2014 car accident and says he wants to make health care his signature issue.

The election of someone his age was one of many political firsts in the U.S. in November. Notable others include the first Korean-American women to serve in the House: Republican Michelle Steel of California and Democrat Marilyn Strickland of Washington state. Democrat Cori Bush is the first Black woman to represent Missouri, and Cynthia Lummis is the first female senator from Wyoming. In New York, Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones will be sworn in as the first openly gay Black representatives. And in Delaware, new state Senator Sarah McBride becomes the highest ranking transgender lawmaker in the country.