Wary Republicans in the state quickly speculated that she had advance notice of Meadows' retirement.

Online records revealed her campaign website domain had been registered on Oct. 28 by a Scott Meadows, who appears to be the brother of the congressman. The campaign's Facebook page was created on Dec. 18, a day before the retirement. And shortly after midnight on Dec. 19 — about five hours before Meadows announced — Bennett posted photos of herself with the congressman and his wife at local GOP events in the state.

After launching her run, Bennett was quickly endorsed by the Asheville Tea PAC, a local organization which said in a release that its board convened for a 6:15 a.m. conference call on the day of Meadow’s announcement to throw support behind a successor.

"It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how this happened. It just doesn’t," said Jeff Miller, a city councilman in Hendersonville, who was the 2010 GOP nominee in the district. "It just looks very suspicious."

"It was very discourteous to other Republicans who were respecting Congressman Meadows and not primarying him for him to pull out this close to it and leave everybody in a lurch," Miller said.

Ultimately, a dozen Republicans filed before the deadline, but the field is notably devoid of local politicians who would typically flock to an open-seat race.

While Meadows’ announcement came before the final deadline, it was two days after the deadline for candidates who had already filed for one office to withdraw and switch to another office, boxing out any state legislator in the district who had filed for reelection but harbored congressional ambitions. The only North Carolina lawmaker running is state Sen. Jim Davis, who had not filed for reelection to the General Assembly because he was planning to retire.

“Mark is held in high esteem,” said Aubrey Woodard, the chairman of the 11th District GOP organization. “Since this has hit, my phone has been ringing off the hook from people who are upset and discouraged.”

The timing of Bennett’s announcement raises "great suspicion,” Woodard said, though he stressed he had no proof of inappropriate favoritism. He said he expressed his concerns to a Meadows’ staffer and asked that the congressman refrain from endorsing anyone in the race.

Through a spokesperson, Meadows' congressional office declined to comment for this story.

Debbie Meadows recently founded and serves as the executive director of Right Women PAC, an organization that plans to play in "primaries in Republican districts" to elect more GOP women who align with the House Freedom Caucus.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and wife Debbie Meadows at the White House in September. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

The congressman's wife appears to be supporting Bennett's bid, though she has offered no formal endorsement. Debbie Meadows was slated to introduce Bennett at a meet-and-greet event on Saturday in Hendersonville, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO.

And the two were together at an early October GOP fundraiser in Hendersonville, where Debbie Meadows remained near Bennett for much of the event, introducing her to donors and other attendees, according to a person at the fundraiser.

Reached last week in a brief phone call, Bennett declined to be interviewed and asked if questions could be sent via email. She did not respond to the email containing POLITICO's questions.

Meadows' plans were kept so secret that Wayne King, the congressman’s deputy chief of staff and district director who has been eyeing the seat, did not learn about the retirement until shortly before the public announcement. He said he was asked to break the news to the district staff on Dec. 18, a Wednesday and the day the House voted to impeach Trump.

“The first I heard anything about it was late Tuesday evening,” said King, who resigned from Meadows' office and filed to run on Dec. 20. He said he was not deterred by the short timeline. “I don’t expect anyone to hand me anything. I’ve always been a worker and a warrior and a fighter.”

Still, Meadows' decision has ripple effects beyond western North Carolina.

Privately, some state legislators are grumbling that, had they known Meadows was planning to retire, they might have been able to save Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), according to people who have spoken with lawmakers. Walker’s Greensboro-area seat was sacrificed last month in court-prompted redistricting. Walker then spent weeks threatening to primary several members of his own state’s delegation before announcing he would retire and prep for a 2022 Senate run.

"Meadows screwed everybody," said one GOP operative in the state. "About 15 percent of the General Assembly is out there in the mountains. They have all been eyeing that seat and figured they had two more years. And the rest of the Republicans in the Assembly are furious because they threw Mark Walker off the boat, and they didn't have to."

In announcing his retirement, Meadows said he never planned to stay in Congress long-term.

"Meadows screwed everybody ... They have all been eyeing that seat and figured they had two more years." A GOP operative in the state

He won an open-seat race for the district, which spans the western border of the state, in 2012 when then-Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) retired. Redistricting cracked the liberal enclave of Asheville and transformed the seat into safe GOP territory. (The newly redrawn map for the 2020 reunites Asheville, but the seat still heavily favors Republicans.)

This retirement is the latest in a whirlwind for North Carolina's congressional delegation. The state held two special elections in 2019 — one of which was precipitated by an apparent ballot-fraud scheme — before undergoing court-prompted redistricting in November.

Meadows has also not ruled out resigning before the end of his term, which could prompt a special election next year.

Other incumbents who appear to have timed retirements to benefit a preferred successor have seen mixed success.

In 1998, then-Rep. Esteban Torres (D-Calif.) declared his retirement just three days before the filing deadline for his Los Angeles-area seat in a move that could have cleared the way for Jamie Casso, his son-in-law and chief of staff. It didn’t work: Casso lost the primary to Grace Napolitano, who still holds the seat.

Another notable example: former Rep. Bill Lipinski (D-Ill.), who deftly maneuvered his exit to position his son, Dan Lipinski, to take over. After denying retirement rumors in the summer of 2004, Bill Lipinski announced a resignation in mid-August and then persuaded the state Democratic Party to nominate his son to replace him on the ballot.

The younger Lipinski won that race and has represented the district since, though he faces another stiff primary challenge next year.

Alex Isenstadt contributed to this report.