U.S. House race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Representative, North Carolina District 11
Represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, which writes federal laws, approves the federal budget and taxes, and oversees the executive branch.
2-year term. Open seat: no incumbent is running. The district covers far western North Carolina, including Asheville (Buncombe County), Hendersonville (Henderson County) and Waynesville (Haywood County), with all of Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties and part of Polk County. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R) won the March 3, 2026, Republican primary but ended his re-election bid on Aug. 5, 2026, after the House Ethics Committee recommended that he be censured; Edwards denied wrongdoing. On Aug. 10, the district's Republican Executive Committee chose state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom as the replacement nominee, and her name is on the ballot. No certified write-in candidates were identified.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Jamie Ager
Farmer; co-founder of Hickory Nut Gap, a farm and meat company in FairviewJamie Ager is a Fairview farmer who, with his wife, Amy, built Hickory Nut Gap into a regional meat company, and he won the March 2026 Democratic primary with about 65% of the vote. His campaign focuses on Hurricane Helene recovery, health care costs, lowering living costs and banning stock trading by members of Congress.
Jennifer Balkcom
State Representative, N.C. House District 117 (Henderson County); mortgage loan officerJennifer Balkcom is a two-term Republican state representative from Henderson County and a mortgage loan officer whom the district's Republican Executive Committee chose on Aug. 10, 2026, to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards as the party's nominee. Her campaign focuses on lowering costs for working families, community safety, supporting farmers and Hurricane Helene recovery.
Travis Groo
Safety specialist, Old Dominion Freight Line; president of Better Ballot North CarolinaTravis Groo is a Greensboro freight safety specialist, president of the ranked-choice voting group Better Ballot North Carolina and a former Wake County Libertarian Party chair who has run for office several times since 2018. He says he favors abolishing federal income taxes, bringing U.S. troops home and adopting ranked-choice voting.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Jamie Ager Democratic | Jennifer Balkcom Republican | Travis Groo Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Wants to secure the Hurricane Helene recovery funding Congress promised western North Carolina and cut red tape so aid reaches residents and small businesses directly. | Lists continued Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding western North Carolina as priorities; as a state lawmaker she led efforts to provide additional state funding for Helene recovery and cleanup. | Wants a thorough investigation of FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene, saying the agency got in the way of recovery. |
| Economy & Jobs | Supports more housing for owners and renters, expanded child care grants and child tax credit, no taxes on tips, and tax changes so high earners pay their "fair share"; calls tariffs "just a tool" and says they should be used more strategically. | Says she will work to make life more affordable for working families, and that "our farmers, families, and small businesses need someone who understands them." | No public position found yet |
| Elections & Democracy | Supports banning stock trading by members of Congress, campaign finance reform to expose "dark money" and stronger congressional ethics rules. | No public position found yet | Supports ranked-choice voting and term limits but opposes an Article V convention of states. |
| Immigration | Supports comprehensive immigration reform, saying the system should be "clear, fair, and realistic," give businesses the workforce they need and keep communities safe. | Says immigration must be done "the legal way" and supports border security, describing legal immigration as the best way to supply workers for farms. | No public position found yet |
| Abortion | No public position found yet | Describes herself as pro-life; voted in 2023 to override the governor's veto of the state law restricting most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. | No public position found yet |
| Agriculture | No public position found yet | Says rolling back regulations is good for farms and supports making more fertilizer and building more tractors in the U.S.; was a lead sponsor of the N.C. Farmland and Military Protection Act, which became law in July 2026. | No public position found yet |
| Foreign Policy | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Describes himself as a non-interventionist who wants U.S. troops brought home and no war without congressional approval. |
| Guns | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Opposes gun laws, saying "all gun laws are illegal." |
| Health Care | Supports Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, a public option, Medicare drug-price negotiation and insulin price caps, and wants to expand Medicare to cover home care, dental and vision. | No public position found yet | No public position found yet |
| Taxes | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Says he would abolish federal income and capital gains taxes and audit the Federal Reserve, and calls tariffs a tax paid by Americans. |