Madison Cawthorn is now the youngest member of Congress in modern history and the youngest Republican ever elected to the house. At 25, he’s barely made the minimum age to serve in the house. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was elected at age 29, previously held the spot for the youngest member of Congress in modern history.
The youngest person to ever be elected in the house was William Charles Cole Claiborne of Tennessee who was elected at the age of 22 in 1797.
Cawthorn beat Moe Davis, a 62-year-old air force veteran, in the North Carolina 11th Congressional District on Tuesday by more than 54,000 votes. Shortly after his win, Cawthorne tweeted “Cry more, lib.”
Cry more, lib.
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) November 4, 2020
From his Tweet, he’s already managed to receive some criticism as a new Congressman, with many users baffled by his unprofessional mannerism.
What a response for a congressman.
— Rob Jackson (@muh_thoughts) November 4, 2020
“What a response for a congressman,” one Twitter user responded.
Cawthorn grew up being homeschooled in Hendersonville, North Carolina and planned to serve in the Navy after high school when he was nominated to the United States Naval Academy by Rep. Mark Meadows in 2014, but that same year, Cawthorn was involved in an almost fatal car crash that left his lower limbs paralyzed, which changed these plans. Instead, he spent the next year recovering.
Cawthorn then became an investor, small business owner, and motivational speaker. He quickly built up a large following on social media and decided to run for congress, although he’s previously noted that a dream of his has always been to be a Congressman.
