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Cawthorn and Trump Campaign advisor discuss elections at Hendersonville meetup

Madison Cawthorn, GOP nominee for the 11th congressional district, and John Pence, Trump campaign senior adviser and nephew of the vice president, spoke about the upcoming elections during a meetup at the Henderson County Republican Party office hosted by Trump Victory on Wednesday.

Pence said, “We need Madison in Washington with Trump ... Madison knows this: There are no shortcuts to great victory in life.”

Cawthorn, a Hendersonville native, had a U.S. Naval Academy nomination before he was critically injured in a car crash. In June, he beat Lynda Bennett in the race for the GOP nomination by a large margin. Bennett had the endorsement of President Trump and Mark Meadows, but Cawthorn, 24, acquired more local support, connecting with county commissioners, sheriffs and school board members.Madison Cawthorn speaking to meetupMadison Cawthorn, GOP nominee for the 11th congressional district, speaks to audience at meetup on Wednesday.
At the meetup, he said he wants to go to Washington to “say no” to career politicians. “Nancy Pelosi has been in Congress longer than I’ve been alive,” he said. He said he is not subject to the interests of large contributors like super PACs, but that he reflects the people of Western North Carolina.

Michael Whatley, NCGOP Chairman, introduced the two speakers and said, “We’ve got to be able to take back the house and put Nancy Pelosi out to pasture.”

Cawthorn and Pence spoke of the importance of the upcoming election. Pence said, “America’s future is up to vote in 90 days.” He said Republicans defend freedoms by defending the police and the constitution.

Cawthorn said that North Carolina has seen state and local government’s power in Gov. Cooper’s response to COVID-19. “So, these elections are important,” he said. “The time is now to take action, to rally your friends ... Don’t be the silent majority.” He said a vote for Democrats is a vote for bigger government and raising taxes, while a vote for Republicans is a vote for freedom and for fighters.

Both Pence and Whatley said the that Republican campaigns have been strong across the country and across the state. Pence said many volunteers have been making calls and knocking on doors. Whatley said the enthusiasm behind Republican campaigning is a result of the experience of the past four years and the positive state of the economy prior to COVID-19. He quoted the president, saying “promises made, promises kept.”John PenceJohn Pence, Trump Campaign senior advisor and nephew of the vice president, poses in front of the Henderson County Republican Party office.
Whatley said that Cawthorn’s success with voters is due to his pro-America stance and his optimism and energy.

Despite Trump’s support for Bennet, Cawthorn said he and the president share an ethos of putting “America first.” Putting “America first” was a theme in both speaker’s talks. “We are the party of freedom," Pence said, "because we have a president that puts America first.”

Cawthorn competes against Democrat Moe Davis in November. Cawthorn said, amid COVID-19, his youth and experience with social media have helped him connect to voters digitally. At the meetup, the audience of more than a dozen people was largely young. Cawthorn turns 25 this month, the minimum age to serve in congress.