A Republican campaign has been left "scrambling" by the sudden departure of a scandal-plagued congressman, according to The New York Times.
North Carolina Republicans are stuck looking for a candidate who can replace Congressman Chuck Edwards, who dropped out of the race after a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of harassing young female staffers, The New York Times reported. Edwards' campaign was already "spiraling" amid the allegations of misconduct, but local GOP chairs from North Carolina told The Times that they're in a tougher position now.
"There was already a lot of work to do," Jim Fulton, the Republican Party chair in Buncombe County, North Carolina, told The Times. "Now, there's a lot more."
Republicans in the 11th Congressional District are trying to beat Democratic candidate Jamie Ager after Edwards announced he was dropping out on Wednesday. According to The Times, the district has been "reliably red" for decades, but "Republicans are scrambling to find a candidate."
"I'm not sure who chooses to do this, and if they even have a shot at winning," Michele Woodhouse, a former GOP party chairwoman for the district, told The Times. "Which Republican is going to want to get in at this point? Can they win?"
According to The Times, several North Carolina legislators are considered possible replacements, but "no clear front-runner has emerged." Republicans involved in the process understand that "the road ahead would be steep," The Times added.
Edwards had $940,000 in his campaign coffers when he left, but Ager has been able to raise more than $3 million for his campaign, which leaves Republicans looking for a candidate with fundraising chops, The Times reported.
However, the candidate will have 12 weeks to campaign across a district that covers 16 mostly rural counties, The Times notes. Ager, the Democratic candidate, has "had over a year to meet the voters, to go out there and make his case," Grayson Barnette, Ager's campaign manager, said, noting the next Republican won't be able to do the same.