Republican Candidate Suspended From Kalshi for Betting on Own Campaign

Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout has been suspended from the prediction market platform Kalshi for three years and fined nearly $2,600 after placing a bet on her own campaign. The penalty was announced on August 31, 2026, for the violation of Kalshi's rules prohibiting candidates from trading on their own races. Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, is the GOP nominee challenging incumbent Democratic Representative Don Davis in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. According to Kalshi, Buckhout purchased less than $1,000 in contracts related to her candidacy, which is considered a form of insider trading on the platform.