Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) announced he is dropping his reelection bid after a House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured following a probe that found he violated House rules by creating a hostile work environment and repeatedly acting inappropriately toward two young female staffers.“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign. I will complete my current term,” Edwards wrote on X, formerly Twitter, early Wednesday.Edwards’ statement did not reference the censure recommendation.After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign. I will complete my current term. Serving Western North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Thank you for your trust, prayers, and support. God bless WNC and America.— Congressman Chuck Edwards (@RepChuckEdwards) August 5, 2026House GOP leaders had been urging Edwards, who has denied wrongdoing, to abandon his reelection campaign following the publication of the report amid concerns that Democrats could flip his seat in November, CNN said.The bipartisan House panel’s report released Monday noted that when the congressman was interviewed by the committee he “repeatedly asserted that he knows well what constitutes ‘sexual harassment,’ and seemed to believe that by avoiding inappropriate physical touch, explicitly sexual comments, and occasionally telling the staffers that they were free to put up boundaries with him, he had immunized himself from such a charge.”“That is not the case,” the report said. “Despite the absence of an explicit proposition, a reasonable person could interpret Representative Edwards’ intimate and effusive attentions, where he prioritized the personal over the professional, as thinly veiled advances.”Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) has announced he is dropping his reelection bid after a House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured.Nell Redmond/APStill, Edwards’ team claimed the committee’s probe exonerated him.“Representative Edwards looks forward to having his name cleared and will work to ensure that the full light of day is brought on this process and that every member of Congress and the public can see the attempt to harm the Congressman who has brought no harm to others,” his spokesperson previously told HuffPost.Edwards was first elected to the U.S House in 2022 after defeating then-Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) in that year’s GOP primary. Edwards’ announcement comes as another of his GOP colleagues, Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), is under pressure to drop his reelection bid amid allegations of domestic and child abuse, which he denies.