North Carolina Republicans pick Balkcom for 11th District race
What's next: State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom will face Democrat Jamie Ager after Chuck Edwards quit the race amid an ethics report.
North Carolina Republicans selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom as their new nominee for the 11th Congressional District after Rep. Chuck Edwards ended his re-election campaign. The district executive committee chose Balkcom on Monday to replace Edwards on the general election ballot. Balkcom is set to run against Democratic nominee Jamie Ager in western North Carolina. Edwards withdrew days after the House Committee on Ethics recommended he be censured, saying he had engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers. Balkcom quickly won backing from Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Greg Murphy, giving Republicans a new standard-bearer in a seat Edwards had already won in the GOP primary.