Scandal-scarred GOP seat falls to Democrats in solidly red North Carolina mountains

Democrat Jamie Ager won North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District on Tuesday, CNN and Decision Desk HQ projected, flipping a Republican-held seat in the state’s western mountains.

Ager, a fourth-generation farmer, defeated Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom. The seat opened up after Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards dropped his reelection bid in August amid his censure in the House over misconduct allegations. A Democrat had not won the seat since 2010.

Ager won a five-way Democratic primary in March and was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program for top-tier candidates. He ran heavily on recovery from Hurricane Helene, which devastated western North Carolina in 2024, and Edwards had faced criticism from both parties over the slow delivery of recovery funds.

After Edwards withdrew, Republican district leaders picked Balkcom to replace him 85 days before Election Day. Ager comes from a political family, with his grandfather, Jamie Clark, representing the district in the 1980s.