By Gareth Vipers

Embattled Rep. Chuck Edwards (R., N.C.) said he wouldn't seek re-election, withdrawing from the race two days after a House investigation concluded the congressman had made unwelcome sexual advances to female staffers.

Edwards made the announcement in a short post on X early Wednesday, saying he would complete his current term representing North Carolina's 11th congressional district.

"Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life," he wrote on X. "Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America." The message was posted at 3:32 a.m. ET.

The House Ethics Committee said Monday it had found substantial reason to believe behavior by Edwards toward two young women working in his congressional office had violated House rules prohibiting sexual harassment and a hostile workplace. The committee recommended he be censured by the full House.

It concluded in a 25-page report that the congressman had made frequent comments regarding his staffers' appearance and weight, sent them messages late at night, texted them deeply personal and seemingly romantic thoughts, intruded on personal occasions without invitation, paid for personal vacations and spent thousands of dollars on gifts.

One of the women was a 19-year-old -- first hired while still in college -- and the other was in her early 20s.

Edwards, who is 65 years old and married, had been running for a third term in November. Backed by President Trump, Edwards won the Republican primary earlier this year, overwhelmingly defeating Adam Smith.

Representatives for the Edwards campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman previously said that the committee findings "concluded that the allegations in this matter do not implicate quid pro quo sexual harassment," adding that Edwards "looks forward to having his name cleared and will work to ensure that the full light of day is brought on this process."

The committee found that Edwards skipped House votes to help decorate the Christmas tree of a staffer in her early 20s, paid for her massages and spa treatments, and wrote poems that he tearfully read at her farewell party. It also found that he arranged for a singer to serenade the staffer on her birthday. She later told a friend she believed the congressman no longer viewed her as "just a daughter figure" and said she was "scared lowkey."

"That Representative Edwards did all these things to two young staffers, repeatedly over a sustained period, was beyond inappropriate," the committee said in its report.

Democrats have nominated Jamie Ager, a fourth-generation cattle farmer from a prominent North Carolina political family, in an attempt to flip Edwards's seat. His brother serves in the state Legislature, while his grandfather represented western North Carolina in Congress.

Before Edwards's exit, Democrats had expressed confidence about their chances despite the district's Republican bent. Trump carried the district by 10 percentage points in 2024. It wasn't immediately clear who would replace Edwards as the Republican candidate on the November ballot.

Write to Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 05, 2026 09:12 ET (13:12 GMT)