Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout is facing scrutiny for placing bets on her own campaign through the trading platform Kalshi. After a review of Buckhout’s actions, the betting giant fined her $2,590 and suspended her for three years.
Buckhout told WRAL she was unaware it was a violation to bet on herself, calling the decision a “dumb mistake.”
“As soon as I learned there was an issue, I worked to make it right. Safe to say my career as a Kalshi trader was short-lived,” she said.
The battle for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District is expected to be among the closest contests in the country. Democratic Rep. Don Davis, a two-term congressman, is facing a challenge from Buckhout in a rematch of the 2024 election.
“Eastern North Carolinians are struggling with the everyday costs of healthcare, gas, groceries, and housing, while my opponent treats a congressional election as an opportunity to cash in,” Davis said in a statement.
The national Democratic Party was also quick to jump on the news.
“If Buckhout can’t be trusted to follow the most basic prediction market rules, there is no chance she can be trusted as an ethical representative for North Carolina families,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus said in a statement.
Based on public opinion polls, this new revelation could be problematic for Buckhout, as recent polling finds 92% of Americans view corruption in government and politics as a “big problem,” and 85% currently view Congress as “corrupt.”
Kalshi said in a statement that Buckhout cooperated with its investigation and accepted its findings and penalties.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball currently rates NC-1 as a “toss-up.”
