NC Republicans Pick Jennifer Balkcom to Replace Chuck Edwards
Party officials in Asheville chose the state lawmaker on the first ballot after the incumbent quit his re-election bid over a House sexual harassment finding.
North Carolina Republicans on Monday selected state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom as their nominee in the 11th Congressional District, replacing Rep. Chuck Edwards, who abandoned his re-election bid this month after a House investigation concluded his conduct toward young female staffers likely amounted to sexual harassment.
Balkcom will face Democratic nominee Jamie Ager in the November midterm elections in the district, which covers western North Carolina. Zach Almond, the state party's executive director, said Balkcom defeated five other candidates on the first round of balloting at a meeting of regional party officials convened in Asheville.
Edwards had already won the Republican nomination in last March's primary, forcing the party to choose a replacement.
"I'm blessed to receive the Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District. Western North Carolina is where I was born, raised, and chose to raise my own family," said a statement issued after the nomination, which the Guardian attributed to Ager. "Rest assured, I will work every single day between now and Election Day to earn the votes of our friends and neighbors. Our region is incredibly strong and resilient, and I plan to be the fighter everyone who calls Western North Carolina home deserves."
President Trump carried the district by 10 percentage points two years ago, but Democrats believe Ager has an opening amid the president's low approval ratings and frustration over the pace of recovery from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region in 2024. Even before Edwards dropped out, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had added the seat to its list of targets in its push to win back the House majority.
No House Democrat has won election in the region since 2010, and both parties and outside groups are expected to spend heavily on the contest.
Edwards was first elected in 2022 after defeating scandal-plagued Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. Last week, the House ethics committee found he "fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment" toward two female employees in his Washington office. The committee said it found no evidence that Edwards engaged in sexual activity with the staffers or suggested it, but concluded his behavior likely violated House rules barring sexual harassment and unwanted advances. It recommended he be censured.
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