Major Updates on a Key NC Congressional Race
Incumbent 11th Congressional District Representative Chuck Edwards earlier this month announced he is withdrawing from his re-election campaign, after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured for inappropriate conduct toward two young women who worked in his Congressional office. Trailing in the polls and being outraised by his Democratic challenger, even fellow Republicans were telling him to withdraw.
From an environmental standpoint, Edwards’ withdrawal is no loss. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Congressional Scorecard showed him with a lifetime environmental score of a miserable 5% – and it was declining from a 6% in his first two years in office (2023-2024) to 3% in 2025 and to a fat 0% thus far in 2026.
Sadly, the 11th District Republican Executive Committee lost little time in naming as Edwards’ replacement State House Representative Jennifer Balkcom (R-117) (Henderson County).
Balkcom’s rating on the NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) Environmental Legislative Scorecard shows her with one of the worst environmental voting records in Western North Carolina, a lowly 14% career score since 2023 (p. 39). She voted to extend the life of polluting power plants, gut coastal environmental protections, strip appointment powers from the governor in favor of pro-polluter council of state members, and worsen extreme partisan gerrymandering, among other bad decisions.
Pro-Climate Action, Pro-Environmental Justice Advocate
The national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Victory Fund has already endorsed Democratic challenger Jamie Ager for the 11th Congressional District seat in March, and Edwards’ replacement by Balkcom provides no reason to change that endorsement.
In contrast to Balkcom Jamie Ager is clearly pro-public lands, pro-climate action, and pro-environmental justice. He and his wife Amy own and operate Hickory Nut Gap Farm, modeled on a commitment to sustainable agricultural practices. His education includes a degree from Warren Wilson College in Environmental Studies with a concentration in sustainable agriculture and history.
Ager is one of just four U.S. House candidates – and the only non-incumbent – from North Carolina featured on GiveGreen. The environmental campaign fundraising site notes that Ager is “committed to bold climate action” and “will work to protect public lands” including “the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along with several national forests, wilderness areas, and other public lands in North Carolina.”
Ager has also been endorsed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund.
