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The Fight For Mark Meadows’ Vacated NC-11 Seat Continues In Debates

Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, candidates for the North Carolina 11th Congressional District, came together for a two-day forum this weekend to discuss policy issues. The candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by Mark Meadows.
Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, candidates for the North Carolina 11th Congressional District, came together for a two-day forum this weekend to discuss policy issues. The candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by Mark Meadows.
Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, candidates for the North Carolina 11th Congressional District, came together for a two-day forum this weekend to discuss policy issues. The candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by Mark Meadows.
Credit Cory Vaillancourt
Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis, candidates for the North Carolina 11th Congressional District, came together for a two-day forum this weekend to discuss policy issues. The candidates are vying for the seat left vacant by Mark Meadows.

Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis are in a close race for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District seat, which represents most of western North Carolina. The two faced off in a two-day forum this weekend addressing issues ranging from police reform to the numerous unsolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous women. 

Host Frank Stasio talks with Cory Vaillancourt of Smoky Mountain News about the recent debates between the candidates for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district seat.

They also faced questions about their vastly different backgrounds: Davis is a 62-year-old career military lawyer and retired Air Force colonel, while Cawthorn is a 25-year-old CEO of a real estate company. The forum — hosted by Blue Ridge Public Radio, Smoky Mountain News and Mountain Xpress — was moderated by reporter Cory Vaillancourt of BPR and Smoky Mountain News. Vaillancourt joins host Frank Stasio to talk about the standout moments from the forum.

Copyright 2020 North Carolina Public Radio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
Kaia Findlay is a producer for The State of Things, WUNC's daily, live talk show. Kaia grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a household filled with teachers and storytellers. In elementary school, she usually fell asleep listening to recordings of 1950s radio comedy programs. After a semester of writing for her high school newspaper, she decided she hated journalism. While pursuing her bachelor’s in environmental studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, she got talked back into it. Kaia received a master’s degree from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism, where she focused on reporting and science communication. She has published stories with Our State Magazine, Indy Week, and HuffPost. She most recently worked as the manager for a podcast on environmental sustainability and higher education. Her reporting passions include climate and the environment, health and science, food and women’s issues. When not working at WUNC, Kaia goes pebble-wrestling, takes long bike rides, and reads while hammocking.