Man Who Beat Trump-Backed Madison Cawthorn Says Voters ‘Don’t Like to Be Told Who to Vote For’

State Rep. Chuck Edwards, whose Tuesday close primary victory will send Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) home next January, said North Carolinians do not like to be told whom to vote for.

Edwards was asked by CNN’s Erin Burnett about former President Donald Trump‘s endorsement of Cawthorn, who he narrowly defeated Tuesday.

On OutFront, Burnett asked the mild-mannered McDonald’s franchisee about his big win, and Cawthorn’s concession.

“Were you surprised that he did that, and that he conceded so readily?” she asked him.

Edwards said the call was not surprising at all.

“He and I have always had a good, solid relationship,” Edwards said. “And we weren’t that far away from the end of the election.”

Burnett then asked Edwards about Cawthorn’s numerous scandals.

“You know, Cawthorn accused people in Washington of having orgies, doing cocaine, later admitted that he exaggerated,” she said. “He got stopped at the airport for carrying a loaded gun, lewd videos on social media, senator, what do you think took this over the line for voters?”

Edwards was not at all interested in dishing about Cawthorn’s issues, and moved on from the question.

Later in the interview, Burnett asked him about not receiving Trump’s endorsement.

So obviously, he didn’t back you,” she said, before she asked, “You have supported a lot of the former president’s policies, though. Did you want his endorsement, senator?”

Edwards said Trump’s endorsement in the race was not asked for by voters.

“Well, one thing that I have heard very clearly from the people here in western North Carolina, they don’t like to be told who to vote for,” he told Burnett. “They want to make up their own minds, and they certainly exercised that right in this race.”

Trump had asked voters in the district to give Cawthorn a “second chance.”

Watch above, via CNN.