Balkcom, who is herself from a farming family in Henderson County, will run against Ager who has been campaigning for the past year. So far, Ager had significantly out-fundraised Edwards, but the seat has been held by Republicans since 2013. He has represented the 11th District in Congress since 2022, winning the Republican primary against the controversial former representative Madison Cawthorn. State Sen. Kevin Corbin, R-Macon, issued a statement last week after Edwards announced his decision to not pursue Edwards’ seat for a myriad of reasons, one being his position on a Hurricane Helene recovery committee. While the 11th District is in a largely conservative region of North Carolina, it includes liberal Buncombe County and other small urban pockets.