One of the most closely watched congressional races in the country is taking place in western North Carolina, as Jamie Ager, a farmer and entrepreneur, takes on Republican Jennifer Balkcom, a two-term state House Member from Henderson County.
Balkcom entered the race on Monday night after she was selected by the Republican Party’s 11th Congressional District Executive Committee to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson County) on the ballot.
Edwards dropped out of the race on Aug. 5 after the House Ethics Committee found he did not “adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.”
Sabato’s Crystal Ball officially lists the race as a toss-up.
Since Democrat Heath Shuler left office in 2013, the 11th District has been represented by Mark Meadows, Madison Cawthorn, and now. Edwards, all Republicans.
Jamie Ager
Jamie Ager is seeking to become the first Democrat in more than a decade to represent the district.
Ager is a farmer who operates Hickory Nut Gap and has deep ties in the community. . “I know a lot of folks that see me less in the context of partisan politics, and they see me more as a farmer, a business owner, as a dad, as a community member,” he told Cardinal & Pine in June.
Ager also comes from a family of political leaders in the region. His grandfather, Jamie Clarke, served in Congress from 1983 to 1985, and from 1987 to 1991. His father, John Ager, served in the North Carolina General Assembly, while his brother Eric is currently a member of the North Carolina House.
Ager has said getting funding for the region’s recovery from Hurricane Helene will be a top priority for him if elected.
“I would really focus on Helene recovery, number one. And make sure that we’ve got money coming into western North Carolina,” Ager told Cardinal & Pine.
He also criticized the Trump administration for having misplaced priorities.
“That administration is building ballrooms in DC instead of building bridges here in western North Carolina, talking about Greenland instead of Newland right here in western North Carolina,” he said.
State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom
Jennifer Balkcom entered the race on Aug. 10 and will have just under three months to make her case to voters following Edwards’ late exit from the race.
Balkcom is a two-term state representative for the 117th District, which encompasses Henderson County, where her family has lived for generations.
After being selected as the GOP nominee, Balkcom released a statement saying she would “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.”
As a state lawmaker, Balkcom has held very conservative positions on a host of issues, including abortion rights. She has said that “Abortion is never medically necessary.”
She voted for a bill which banned abortion at 12 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomalies, and when the life of the mother is at risk.
As a candidate for the NC House, she also opposed Medicaid expansion prior to its passage.
“I do not support Medicaid expansion in North Carolina to cover childless, able-bodied adults,” she said in a questionnaire.
