North Carolina Republicans on Monday picked a state legislator to be the GOP nominee in the state’s 11th Congressional District, replacing an incumbent who ended his reelection plans last week. Party officials in the district picked State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, R-Henderson, to replace U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards on the ballot. Balkcom, a mortgage loan officer, has risen through the House Republican ranks quickly since winning her seat in 2022. This year, Balkcom led an effort to prevent foreign countries from buying certain land in North Carolina. At least two other legislators from western North Carolina — state Sens.