Former GOP Rep. Cawthorn Faces Arrest for Missing Court Amid Florida House Bid
Former North Carolina GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s 2026 bid for Congress in Florida’s 19th District has hit a legal snag. According to court records and law enforcement filings, Cawthorn was arrested in Cape Coral, Florida, on Sept. 10, 2025 for failing to appear in traffic court on a citation tied to driving with a suspended or revoked license. He was held briefly and released on a $2,000 bond.
The arrest stems from a case in neighboring Collier County, where he’d been cited in 2024 for multiple traffic violations, including a report that he rear-ended a Florida state trooper’s vehicle.
Cawthorn, who served one term in Congress from 2021-2023 and lost a 2022 primary, announced his run to replace Rep. Byron Donalds on Oct. 1, 2025.
His campaign has framed the legal issue as a scheduling misunderstanding, but critics say the arrest could complicate his comeback.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.