NCGOP to select new NC-11 candidate after US Rep Edwards’ withdrawal

Several Republican state lawmakers from the area initially indicated interest in the seat,  but over the past few days, most of them have announced they’ll seek reelection to their current districts instead. State Sens. Kevin Corbin, R-Macon, and Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson, as well as state Rep. Jake Johnson, R-Polk, all issued statements saying they’re not interested in the seat. 

That leaves state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, a Republican from Henderson County, as the only state lawmaker in the running. Balkcom has represented District 117 in the state House since 2023. She initially endorsed Moffitt — her predecessor in the 117th — before he decided against running. 

In a statement Sunday on social media, Balkcom said she hadn’t “planned to go to Washington,” but has learned that “when your community needs you, you don’t sit on the sidelines; you step up.”

“After much prayer, reflection, and conversations with my family, I’m in,” she said. “We must hold this seat, preserve our mountain values, work with President Trump’s Administration to continue rebuilding Western North Carolina, and make sure Washington never forgets the people who call these mountains home.”

Edwards’ abrupt withdrawal leaves western NC Republicans scrambling

If NCGOP selects Balkcom, she could continue to serve in the state House while she campaigns for the congressional seat. Henderson County Republicans would need to find a replacement candidate to run for her District 117 seat.

Three of the other four candidates known to be seeking the seat have previously run for public office, some against Edwards himself. None appear to have won elections.

Ken McKim ran for the state Senate in 2006, and for North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District in 2022. 

Kristie Sluder sought the District 49 seat in the state Senate in 2024, losing to incumbent Democrat Julie Mayfield. Her website from that campaign describes her top goals as rebuilding the nuclear family, prioritizing public safety, and protecting individual rights. Before that, she sought the Republican nomination for NC-11 in 2022, winning 1.5% of the vote. 

Matthew Burril also ran for NC-11 in 2022, winning 9.5% of the vote in the Republican primary. He came in third after Edwards and incumbent Rep. Madison Cawthorn. 

Chad Nesbitt is a Republican activist and the president of Skyline News in Asheville, as well as the stepson of Martin Nesbitt, a Democratic state lawmaker who died in 2014. 

The replacement will face off against Democrat Jamie Ager, a fourth-generation farmer from a political family, on the ballot in November. They’ll have less than three months to launch a campaign and overcome Ager’s $2 million fundraising advantage. 

“No matter who we face in November, I’m confident we can win this race and deliver what I’ve been talking about since day one: Hurricane Helene recovery, lower costs, and an end to the corruption in Washington,” Ager said last Wednesday in a statement.

Ager’s grandfather previously represented the 11th district from 1983 to 1985 and 1987 to 1991. His brother Eric Ager serves in the North Carolina House.

Even before the March primary election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pledged resources and fundraising support to Ager in February, adding him to its “Red to Blue” program. Election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted its assessment of the district from “Leans Republican” to “Toss-up” at the end of July.