RALEIGH — Republican officials in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District formally selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom as their nominee Monday, after U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards dropped his reelection bid last week following a House Ethics Committee report alleging he harassed two aides.
Balkcom, a two-term Republican from Hendersonville who leads several committees in the state House, said she had not originally planned to seek the seat.
"I hadn't planned to go to Washington," Balkcom said. "But I've learned throughout my life that when your community needs you, you don't sit on the sidelines; you step up."
She said she intends to "hold this seat, preserve our mountain values, work with President Donald Trump's administration to continue rebuilding western North Carolina, and make sure Washington never forgets the people who call these mountains home."
The race was already tightening before Edwards withdrew. The Cook Political Report shifted its rating for the district in June from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican," signaling a more competitive environment for the GOP.
Several other prominent western North Carolina Republicans passed on the race before Balkcom stepped in. State Sen. Kevin Corbin, a Republican from Macon, cited his role as co-chair of Gov. Josh Stein's Helene recovery task force. "These responsibilities are too important to leave unfinished," Corbin said.
State Sen. Tim Moffitt, a Republican from Henderson, said family and business obligations prevented him from committing to federal office. "Western North Carolina deserves a representative who can give the full measure of time required, both day-to-day and over the long-term," Moffitt said. "Anything less would be unfair to the people of this district."
With Balkcom moving to the congressional race, Republicans in her state legislative district must now choose a candidate to fill her seat. All state legislative seats are on the ballot in November.
Balkcom will face Democrat Jamie Ager in the general election.
