North Carolina Republicans choose Balkcom for House race

North Carolina Republicans chose state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom on Monday as their nominee for a western North Carolina congressional seat after Rep. Chuck Edwards ended his re-election campaign following sexual harassment allegations and a House Ethics Committee recommendation that he be censured.

Balkcom, who represents a state legislative district in Henderson County, will face Democrat Jamie Ager in November in the race for the 11th Congressional District. Ager won the Democratic primary in March.

The North Carolina GOP’s Executive Committee for the 11th Congressional District selected Balkcom under state law because Edwards withdrew so late in the campaign. State party executive director Zachary Almond said Balkcom defeated five other candidates on the first round of balloting, The Guardian reported. Almond later congratulated her on X and said he was “excited to work alongside her and her team throughout the election cycle.”

Balkcom has little time to introduce herself to voters. Election Day is less than three months away, and absentee ballots are scheduled to go out Sept. 4. She announced her interest in the nomination less than 24 hours before the party chose her.

“This race is too important to sit out,” Balkcom wrote Sunday on X, saying western North Carolina “needs a strong voice right now” as it continues to rebuild after Hurricane Helene.

Her bid drew quick support from senior Republicans in the state. North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall endorsed Balkcom on social media Monday, calling her “the right person at the right time.”

“Jennifer is a principled conservative, a tireless advocate for her district, and a leader who gets things done,” Hall wrote.

Edwards, who had been endorsed by President Donald Trump, said last week that he would serve out his current term but would not seek a third term in the House. His announcement came days after the House Ethics Committee said it had found “substantial reason to believe Representative Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.” The committee recommended censure.

The Guardian reported that the committee found Edwards “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” toward two female employees in his Washington office. The investigation found no evidence that Edwards had sexual activity with the staffers or suggested it, but concluded his behavior likely violated House rules barring sexual harassment and unwanted advances.

Edwards has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The Ethics Committee said he cooperated with its investigation and denied that any of his actions were sexual or romantic in nature. His attorneys submitted a 15-page response calling the findings “unfounded.” Edwards previously described the allegations as “baseless,” and in May said he welcomed an investigation.

Edwards was first elected to Congress in 2022 after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary. Before Cawthorn, the district was represented by Mark Meadows, a former House Freedom Caucus leader who later became White House chief of staff during Trump’s first term.

The district has leaned Republican in recent elections. Edwards won the seat by more than 13 percentage points in 2024, and Trump won it by 10 percentage points two years ago, The Guardian reported. No House Democrat has won election there since 2010.

Still, Democrats are targeting the seat as Republicans defend a narrow House majority in the midterm elections. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had already added Edwards’ district to its target list before he withdrew. Ager, a farmer, significantly outraised Edwards in the race. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report had rated the contest “Likely Republican” before downgrading it to “Lean Republican” ahead of the Ethics Committee report’s release.