Federal judge blocks challenge to bar Madison Cawthorn from reelection bid

A federal judge in North Carolina on Friday blocked a legal challenge by a group of voters and advocacy groups that sought to bar Rep. Madison Cawthorn from running for office over his role in the buildup to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol last year.

Chief District Court Judge Richard Myers, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said he could not allow the challenge to label the first-term Republican representative as an insurrectionist and deny his ability to run on the November ballot.