Republicans Pick Edwards' Replacement
State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom will now square off against Democrat Jamie Ager in the U.S. House race.
Where else but Western North Carolina can someone go from a registered Libertarian to a Democrat to a Republican congressional nominee? It’s not been a traditional political journey for state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, but as of Monday night, she’s replacing Chuck Edwards on the ballot for the 11th Congressional District.
Republicans are hoping she’ll be a welcome deviation from the myriad of self-inflicted controversies her predecessors have created. From Mark Meadows to Madison Cawthorn to Edwards, mountain folks have been through a lot.
For today’s edition, we’re going to focus on the multi-day frenzy that has taken place behind the scenes, what it means for one of the most competitive congressional races in the country, and the forthcoming battle between Balkcom and Democrat Jamie Ager. Let’s get into it…
Roll Call
What you should know about Balkcom
The six bills sitting on Stein’s desk
Fact-checking some election claims
The NCGOP’s comms director is out
A New Game
A committee of Western North Carolina Republicans on Monday night tapped state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards on the ballot in the 11th District.
Balkcom enters one of the most competitive congressional races in the country a mere 85 days before Election Day and less than a month before ballots begin going out to voters on September 4. The last-minute campaign presents an uphill battle for Republicans trying to hold a seat that Democratic farmer and businessman Jamie Ager is looking to flip.
“It has been an incredible honor to fight for Henderson County in Raleigh, and I will take that fight to Washington and 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,” Balkcom said in a statement.
