ASHEVILLE, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom on Aug. 10 as their nominee for the 11th Congressional District, moving quickly to fill a ballot slot left vacant by an incumbent undone by a sexual harassment scandal.
Balkcom, who represents House District 117 in northern Henderson County, will challenge Democrat Jamie Ager for the U.S. House seat. Cherokee County's Margo Ackiss nominated her for the slot.
Her selection follows the withdrawal of incumbent Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) from the November ballot. Edwards faced allegations of sexual harassment from staff members and a threat of censure by the House.
The North Carolina Republican Party's 11th Congressional District executive committee made the decision during a meeting in Asheville. Of the 63 committee members, 51 attended the vote.
The timeline is tight. Absentee ballots are scheduled for mailing in 25 days, with Election Day less than three months away. Ager has shown a surge in recent polling.
Five other Republicans vied for Edwards' spot.
Matthew Burril, a Buncombe County investment advisor and former Asheville Airport Authority chair, was nominated by McDowell County's David Patneude. Burril finished third in the 2022 Republican primary with 9.5 percent of the vote, behind Edwards' 33.4 percent and Madison Cawthorn's 31.9 percent.
Kristie Sluder, a Buncombe County social worker, also sought the nomination after finishing last in the 2022 primary with 1.5 percent. Buncombe County's Gloria Michael nominated Sluder.
Real estate developer Ken McKim, from Highlands in Macon County, entered the 2022 primary but later withdrew. His sister, Molly, nominated him for the current vacancy.
Christian Reagan, a Clay County business owner, challenged Edwards in the 2024 primary, capturing 31 percent of the vote against Edwards' 69 percent. Reagan also ran unsuccessfully for the Clay County Board of Commissioners this spring. An executive committee member from Clay County nominated Reagan.
Chad Nesbitt, a Christian conservative from Leicester who had not previously run against Edwards, was nominated by Haywood County's Joshua Mashburn.
The executive committee began with candidate nominations and speeches shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10. Deliberations continued well into the evening before Balkcom's selection. Vote totals were not immediately available.
Balkcom had sought a third term in her current seat. Her elevation to the congressional ballot means Republicans must now select a candidate to fill her prior ballot slot. House District 117 voted 57.4 percent Republican and 40.4 percent Democratic from 2016 to 2022, according to davesredistricting.org.
