Democrat Jamie Ager to face GOP pick in 11th District
North Carolina Republicans on Monday chose state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom as the party’s replacement for Rep. Chuck Edwards in the 11th Congressional District, putting her in a November matchup with Democrat Jamie Ager for the western North Carolina seat. Balkcom now carries the nomination that Edwards held before he ended his re-election bid earlier this month.
Edwards, first elected in 2022, won the nomination again in the March vote before withdrawing. His decision followed last week’s finding by the U.S. House ethics committee, which concluded that he “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” toward two female employees in his Washington office. While the investigation uncovered no evidence that Edwards or the staffers had been sexually involved with each other or had suggested such involvement, the committee found his actions were likely a violation of House standards prohibiting sexual harassment and unwanted advances. The ethics panel recommended he be censured on the floor.
Even before Edwards dropped out, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had placed the district on its targeted list of seats to pursue in its push to regain the House majority. With Trump’s 10-point margin in the district two years ago, no Democrat has claimed the region in a House election since 2010. Democrats see an opening for Ager built in part on the president’s approval deficits and lingering complaints about how slowly the region is recovering from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region in 2024. Republican and Democratic campaigns, plus outside groups, are expected to pour significant resources into the contest.
North Carolina Republicans convened in Asheville to select a replacement; state party executive director Zach Almond said Balkcom beat five other candidates on the first round of balloting.