Republicans in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District have selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards on the November ballot.
Balkcom, a mortgage loan officer from Henderson County who currently represents the 117th state House district, won the nomination on the first ballot, according to several attendees at Monday night’s meeting at the Buncombe County Republican Party headquarters in Asheville.
Members of the NC-11 Republican Party’s executive committee — which includes the party’s district officers, county chairs, vice chairs and at-large members — chose Balkcom from among six candidates at the meeting.
“She’s just very experienced,” Merry Guy, who chairs the 11th District Republican Party, told reporters after the meeting. “Very passionate. She knows the values of this country. She’s an eighth-generation farmer. She’s got a tremendous amount of legislative experience and a track record that’s hard to beat. So, we’re just really excited that she has stepped up, and we can’t wait to get to work to get her elected.”
Balkcom will face Democrat Jamie Ager in November.
In a statement, Balkcom vowed to “work every single day to make life more affordable for working families, improve community safety, support our farmers, and ensure we have the resources we need to continue to recover from Hurricane Helene.”
“Like many Americans, the Democrat Party left me behind when they abandoned their values and embraced extremism,” Balkcom said. “We must prevent that radical agenda from reaching our government, and that starts right here in the Eleventh District.”
Ager did not issue a statement immediately after Balkcom won the nomination. But in a social media post earlier Monday, he blasted “backroom deals” – even though state law calls for party leaders, rather than voters, to decide on a replacement candidate in the event of a vacancy.
“Our politicians shouldn't be selected in backrooms,” Ager said in the Facebook post, adding: “The people we elect should work for us. Not themselves, party bosses, or the highest bidder.”
The race between Ager and Edwards was already among the most closely-watched in the country. Then, Edwards dropped his reelection bid last week after a House Ethics Committee report detailed his sexual harassment of two female staffers, throwing the race into chaos.
NC-11 Republican leaders already had a meeting scheduled for Monday night, so they quickly pivoted and turned the gathering into an opportunity to choose a new candidate to run for the seat.
Balkcom originally threw her support behind state Sen. Tim Moffitt, but Moffitt announced Saturday afternoon that he had decided against seeking the nomination. Balkcom then announced her candidacy Sunday morning, and by Monday evening, she had won the support of a majority of the district’s Republican leaders — as well as state House Speaker Destin Hall (R), who endorsed Balkcom in a post on X hours before Monday’s voting began.
Chad Nesbitt, a conservative influencer who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination, told BPR after the meeting that Balkcom had won overwhelmingly. He said Balkcom focused her remarks on her legislative record and the importance of rebuilding infrastructure and supporting survivors of Hurricane Helene.
“I think she’s going to be fantastic,” Nesbitt said in an interview. “I think Jamie Ager just might as well just quit, because this girl’s going to take the entire race by storm.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, the GOP’s national campaign arm, also celebrated Balkcom’s nomination.
“As a North Carolina State Representative, Jennifer is ready to hit the ground running and deliver results for Western North Carolina,” NRCC spokesperson Reilly Richardson said in a statement. “In Congress, Jennifer will help Republicans deliver a strong economy, support North Carolina farmers, and maintain a secure border.”
The 11th District, which includes most of western North Carolina, has sent a Republican to Congress in every election since 2010. But this year Democrats are hoping that President Donald Trump’s unpopularity and a national environment favoring their party will help them turn the district blue.
With less than three months until Election Day, Balkcom will face the challenge of quickly increasing her name recognition throughout the 11th District. Ager, by contrast, comes from a family with a long history in local politics.
Balkcom also needs to make up significant ground against Ager in the fundraising race: In the 2nd quarter of the year, Ager raised more than $1.3 million and had nearly $2.2 million cash on hand. Edwards had raised only $155,000 during the same period and had less than $500,000 cash on hand. It will be up to Edwards to decide whether to return those donations, transfer them to Balkcom or donate them to charity. Outside groups and the national parties’ campaign committees are also expected to play a role in the race.
