North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards announced early Wednesday he was dropping his reelection bid, two days after a House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for engaging in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two female staffers. 

The move comes as some Republicans have expressed concern over retaining his 11th District seat in North Carolina’s western corner, which Democrats are targeting this cycle. 

“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” the second-term congressman posted on social media. “I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life.”

The Ethics Committee’s 25-page report found there was “substantial reason to believe” Edwards violated sexual harassment and hostile workplace rules. The North Carolina Republican spent thousands of dollars on lavish gifts for the women and sent deeply personal texts, according to the report. 

“That Representative Edwards did all these things to two young staffers, repeatedly over a sustained period, was beyond inappropriate,” the report states. 

In an attached 15-page response to the report, Edwards said he disagreed with the panel’s findings and argued that there was no evidence he broke House rules governing sexual misconduct or harassment. He “sincerely regrets that his behavior created discomfort,” according to the response.  

The bipartisan Ethics Committee had announced in May that it was reviewing the allegations against Edwards. In its report, the panel said the congressman had agreed to waive certain procedural steps of the process, which was why it could more quickly recommend a House level-sanction for his conduct.

Some House Democrat said the committee’s recommendation of a censure as punishment didn’t go far enough. 

“Any Member of Congress who sexually harasses staff has no place serving. We all must be held to a higher standard, and Rep. Chuck Edwards clearly does not meet that bar,” Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal said on social media Monday. “A censure is not enough, he should be removed from Congress.”

In a statement after the report, the Democratic Women’s Caucus called for Edwards’ resignation.

“Congress has a responsibility to protect the women that work here and reciting a few words of censure on the House floor doesn’t protect women from retaliation and sexual harassment,” the DWC said.

Edwards is currently serving his second term in Congress and is a member of the Appropriations and Budget committees. A former state senator, he was first elected to the House in 2022 after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. 

Under North Carolina law, a House candidate wishing to withdraw must submit that request in writing to the state Board of Elections before military and overseas ballots are mailed, which is scheduled to happen on Sept. 4.

After the candidate formally leaves the race, the “appropriate district executive committee” will select a nominee to fill the vacancy on the ballot. Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, said in a social media post that the congressional district executive committee of the North Carolina Republican Party would choose Edwards’ replacement as the nominee.

North Carolina’s 11th District, anchored by Asheville, was in play even before Edwards’ announcement. The Democratic nominee is farmer Jamie Ager, whose grandfather represented an earlier version of the seat. Ager has significantly outpaced Edwards in fundraising, and the House Democratic campaign arm placed him on its “Red to Blue” list for promising recruits, eligible for extra money and resources.

“It doesn’t matter who Republicans select to replace Chuck Edwards,’’ CJ Warnke, a spokesperson for House Majority PAC, which backs Democrats, posted on social media Wednesday. “[Ager] is winning #NC11 in November.”