Republican congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout has been suspended from the prediction market platform Kalshi and fined nearly $2,600 after placing bets related to her own North Carolina congressional race, a violation of the platform’s rules prohibiting trading on events that users can influence. The action was announced on Monday.

Buckhout, an Army veteran and retired colonel who served in combat in Iraq, is running in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, a competitive seat currently held by Democrat Don Davis. The district, redrawn recently to include more conservative areas, is seen as a key battleground in the upcoming election, with some political analysts rating the race as leaning Republican.

Kalshi’s rules prohibit users from making trades on events where insider knowledge or direct influence may be involved to prevent unfair advantages. Buckhout purchased less than $1,000 worth of contracts connected to her candidacy, which led to the platform imposing a three-year suspension from trading and the fine. According to Kalshi, Buckhout cooperated fully with its investigation and agreed to the penalties.

“I bet on myself. Literally," Buckhout said in a statement acknowledging the violation. She described the action as a “dumb mistake” and expressed regret, stating that she acted quickly to address the issue once it was brought to her attention. “Safe to say my career as a Kalshi trader was short-lived,” she added.

This incident marks one of the more high-profile cases involving a political candidate betting on their own race in an election regarded as significant for control of Congress. While earlier this year Kalshi had sanctioned three other political candidates for similar conduct, Buckhout’s case appears to be the first to gain notable public attention in a competitive House race.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee criticized Buckhout following the revelation, accusing her of misconduct and using the situation to question her candidacy’s integrity. Meanwhile, Buckhout is preparing to face Don Davis, whose district includes a largely Black electorate and has been the focus of partisan redistricting efforts by state Republicans.

Details remain unclear regarding the exact timing and nature of Buckhout’s bets, including whether they pertained to the primary or general election, as both her campaign and Kalshi declined to provide further specifics. The case highlights growing concerns about the intersection of online prediction markets and political campaigns, as such platforms become more popular and regulatory scrutiny increases.