Jennifer Balkcom
Republican
North Carolina state representative for the 117th district (Henderson County) since 2023; mortgage loan officer
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U.S. House · Nov 3, 2026
Open seat. Held by Chuck Edwards, who is not running.
Open seat: Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards withdrew from the race in August, and the district Republican committee chose state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom as the nominee. Candidates are listed in the State Board of Elections' 2026 ballot order.
North Carolina state representative for the 117th district (Henderson County) since 2023; mortgage loan officer
Farmer and co-owner of Hickory Nut Gap farm in Fairview
Safety specialist at Old Dominion Freight Line; president of Better Ballot North Carolina
What each candidate says they support or would do, on the issues they campaign on. Summaries use the same neutral words for everyone and link to the candidate’s own words.
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RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Says federal Hurricane Helene recovery money is slow in arriving and that more needs to be done, more quickly, including finding which communities are still missing what they need.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Says his top priority would be delivering Hurricane Helene recovery funds he says were promised to the region, and cutting red tape to get the money to people and small businesses.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Says FEMA should be thoroughly investigated over its Hurricane Helene response, which he says got in the way of recovery, and says he would support productive efforts to help the area rebuild.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Says rural health care is something that has to be worked on and made affordable, and lists it among her campaign priorities.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Supports Medicaid and Medicare, including Medicare coverage of home care, dental and vision; Medicare drug price negotiation and insulin caps; a public option; and expanded mental health services.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Supports abolishing certificate-of-need laws, which he lists as one of the three key messages of his campaign.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Says she supports secure borders and immigration done the legal way, which she calls the best way to provide workers for farms.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Supports comprehensive immigration reform that he says should treat people with dignity, give businesses the workforce they need and keep communities safe.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Says legal immigration procedures are too complex, expensive and lengthy, and supports making legal channels fair, reasonable and accessible.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Says she agrees that rolling back regulations is good for farms, and supports bringing more agricultural manufacturing, such as fertilizer, tractors and parts, back to the United States.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Supports policies that help young farmers, including land ownership, right-to-repair legislation and markets for farm and timber products, and supports strengthening SNAP and WIC.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Asked about the war in Iran, says the U.S. should not start wars but needs to protect Americans and should try to end the conflict as quickly as possible.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Describes himself as a non-interventionist, supports bringing all U.S. troops home, and says there should be no war without congressional approval.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Says she would have voted to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards after the House Ethics Committee report, and says she is unsure whether he should resign.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Supports campaign finance reforms to expose dark money, a ban on stock trading by members of Congress, transparency in federal spending, and stronger ethics and anti-corruption rules in Congress.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Lists housing affordability among her campaign priorities.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
Says local governments should decide any moratoriums on data centers and that Congress should establish safeguards for artificial intelligence.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Supports programs for first-time home buyers and public service employees, tax credits to cut energy bills, action against monopolies in industries such as food and utilities, and expanding childcare grants and the child tax credit.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Would oppose cuts and closures at the VA, push to expand VA clinics across the district, support mobile units for veterans who cannot travel, and support the Fisher House in Asheville.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
Says he will never allow the region's national parks, forests and other public lands to be sold off.
LibertarianTravis Groo
No published position found.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Supports auditing the Federal Reserve, which he says causes inflation, and immediately abolishing all taxes on income, food, gas and necessities.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Opposes gun laws, saying all gun laws are illegal.
“All gun laws are illegal.”
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Supports ranked-choice voting, which he says the major parties oppose; says he likes term limits but does not support an Article V convention of the states.
RepublicanJennifer Balkcom
No published position found.
DemocraticJamie Ager
No published position found.
LibertarianTravis Groo
Lists balancing the budget as one of the three key messages of his campaign.