The seat opened after Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards withdrew from his reelection campaign on Aug. 5, two days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides, the Associated Press reports in wire copy carried by PBS News. NBC News reports that Edwards has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and that he said he would serve out his term. NPR reports the House voted 413 to 2 on Sept. 1 to censure him.
NBC News reports that the North Carolina GOP's executive committee for the 11th Congressional District picked the replacement nominee under state law because Edwards dropped out so late in the campaign. Roll Call reports the roughly 60-member committee selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom on Monday, Aug. 10, that she was reportedly the only elected official under consideration, and that she had the backing of North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall. Roll Call also reports that state Sen. Tim Moffitt had expressed interest and then announced he would not be a candidate. NBC News reports Balkcom announced her intention to seek the nomination less than 24 hours before the vote, and that absentee ballots were set to start going out Sept. 4.
Roll Call describes the 11th District as anchored by Asheville, and the Associated Press reports it covers much of the rural western part of the state along with progressive Asheville. CBS News reports the district has not elected a Democrat since 2010. NBC News reports Edwards won the seat in 2022 after ousting Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary, that Mark Meadows represented the district before that, and that Edwards won by more than 13 percentage points in 2024. Roll Call, citing calculations by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, reports Trump carried the district by 9 points in 2024. CBS News reports that Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to western North Carolina in 2024 and that Edwards was grilled by both Democrats and Republicans for slow delivery of recovery funds.
CBS News reports Ager is a fourth-generation farmer, and Roll Call reports his grandfather represented an earlier version of the district. CBS News reports the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named Ager among a dozen candidates it singled out for additional resources and fundraising support, and that the campaign arm of the Blue Dog Coalition endorsed him. CNN reported on Aug. 4 that Ager outraised Edwards by nearly 9-to-1 the previous quarter, and NBC News reports he significantly outraised Edwards.
Roll Call reports Balkcom is a business owner from Henderson County who describes herself as a "Henderson County farm girl," and that she first won her state House seat in 2022 after prevailing in a competitive three-way primary. Roll Call reports that in her statement after the committee vote she alluded to previously identifying as a Democrat. Fox News reports that Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Greg Murphy, both North Carolina Republicans, have endorsed her, and Roll Call reports the National Republican Congressional Committee added her to its "MAGA Majority" program in September.
Ager made the remark to CNN in coverage of his March primary win.
“Because I know so many people in the community, I've been a good business partner to a lot of folks, people see me less in the context of political partisanship, and more in the context of a friend, a neighbor, community member.”
Balkcom made the remarks in her statement on winning the nomination, which Fox News reports reporters posted on X.
“Like many Americans, the Democrat Party left me behind when they abandoned their values and embraced extremism. We're seeing that extremism play out across the country, as their party nominates radical socialists who want to raise taxes, open our borders, and do away with our way of life. We must prevent that radical agenda from reaching our government, and that starts right here in the Eleventh District.”
Balkcom issued the statement after the district committee's votes were tallied.
“Western North Carolina is where I was born, raised, and chose to raise my own family.”
Balkcom made the remark in the same statement after the district committee's vote.
“Rest assured, I will work every single day between now and Election Day to earn the votes of our friends and neighbors.”
Platforms are on the candidates' own sites, linked above.