House Ethics Committee Recommends Censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards Over Harassment Claims; He Drops Reelection Bid

The House Ethics Committee announced on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, that it had found “substantial reason” to believe Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) violated House rules on sexual harassment, recommending he be formally censured. The committee's months-long investigation concluded Edwards engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two young female staffers. Following the recommendation, Edwards announced he would not seek reelection to his North Carolina House seat. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), chair of the House Republican Women's Caucus, said on Wednesday, Aug. 5, that the House should proceed with the censure vote despite Edwards' decision to withdraw from his reelection campaign. Edwards' exit from the race left North Carolina Republicans without a candidate and limited time to identify a replacement, according to reporting on the district's political dynamics. Democratic farmer Jamie Ager had already been building support in the district prior to Edwards' withdrawal. As of the latest reporting, the full House had not yet voted on the censure recommendation, and it remains unresolved whether or when that vote will occur. It is also unclear who North Carolina Republicans will select to run for the seat given the compressed timeline before the election. Separately, Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) is facing an unrelated House Ethics Committee review stemming from a matter referred by the Office of Congressional Conduct in June 2026; Gooden has called that investigation “baseless,” and it is not connected to the Edwards case.