A North Carolina Republican committee on Monday selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace embattled Rep. Chuck Edwards as the party’s nominee on the November ballot.
Balkcom, a self-described “Henderson County farm girl,’’ will face Democrat Jamie Ager in the general election for the 11th District, which is anchored by Asheville.
“Western North Carolina is where I was born, raised, and chose to raise my own family,’’ Balkcom said in a statement after the votes were tallied. “Rest assured, I will work every single day between now and Election Day to earn the votes of our friends and neighbors.”
Edwards announced last week that he was dropping his reelection bid, two days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for engaging in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” toward two female staffers. Edwards said in a response that he disagreed with the panel’s findings but added that he “sincerely regrets that his behavior created discomfort.”
Given Edwards’ late departure from the race – after winning the Republican primary in March – the roughly 60-member executive committee for the 11th District Republican Party was empowered, under state law, to choose his replacement. Balkcom, who was reportedly the only elected official under consideration, had the backing of North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall.
Another state legislator, state Sen. Tim Moffitt, had initially expressed interest in running. But he announced over the weekend that he would not be a candidate, saying he could not commit to serving more than a few terms.
The seat was a Democratic target even before Edwards abandoned his bid. Ager, a farmer whose grandfather previously represented the district, had significantly outpaced Edwards in fundraising, and the House Democratic campaign arm placed him on its “Red to Blue” list for promising recruits, eligible for extra money and resources.
A business owner from Henderson County, Balkcom first won her state House seat in 2022 after prevailing in a competitive three-way primary. In her statement Monday, she alluded to previously identifying as a Democrat, saying her former party “had left me behind when they abandoned their values and embraced extremism.”
“We must prevent that radical agenda from reaching our government, and that starts right here in the Eleventh District,” she said.
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Lean Republican.
