North Carolina Republican Party officials have selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards on the ballot, after he withdrew from the race in the wake of a House Ethics Committee report that he sexually harassed two of his staffers.
“Representative Jennifer Balkcom has what it takes to be a strong voice for Western North Carolina in Washington,” Jason Simmons, chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, said in a statement. “She is committed to fighting for our families, defending our conservative values, and making sure Western North Carolina has a strong advocate in Congress.”
The North Carolina Republican Party’s 11th Congressional District Executive Committee met in a closed-door meeting Monday night to select between multiple candidates: Ken McKim, Chad Nesbitt, Matthew Burril, Kristie Sluder and Balkcom. According to North Carolina GOP rules, each member of the committee must vote for their preferred candidate, and whichever candidate gets over 50% of the vote first becomes the nominee.