Western North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards will face Democratic candidate Jamie Ager in the 2026 midterm for North Carolina‘s 11th Congressional District.
Western North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards is seeking a third term in Congress and will face Democratic candidate Jamie Ager in the 2026 midterm for North Carolina‘s 11th Congressional District.
First elected in 2022 after ousting then-Rep. Madison Cawthorn during the Republican Primary, Edwards, 65, has received the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who called him a “MAGA Warrior” in October. A Henderson County native, he won the 2026 primary by defeating former Green Beret Adam Smith. Edwards previously served in the North Carolina Senate from 2016 to 2022.
The owner of a McDonald’s franchise with locations in Haywood, Henderson and Transylvania counties, Edwards serves on the House Appropriations Committee and House Budget Committee.
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The 2026 race for North Carolina‘s 11th Congressional District is expected to be among the most hotly contested in the nation as national Democratic organizations have backed Ager, who has outraised Edwards between July 31, 2025, and Feb. 11. Ager has raised more than $940,000 to Edwards’ roughly $638,000.
On his 2026 campaign website, Edwards states: “Through strong, conservative leadership, we are making WNC families safer and more prosperous. We are off to a good start, but to continue, we must persevere in changing how Washington works.”
Edwards supports some of Trump’s signature legislation, believes FEMA must be reformed and did not rule out supporting U.S. troops on the ground in the war with Iran, stating he will support whatever the president’s military advisers deem necessary. Edwards believes the war will not require congressional approval.
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Rep. Chuck Edwards on ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
Edwards voted for Trump’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which Democratic lawmakers, nonprofits and advocacy groups have cited as increasing local costs for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and leading to the $3.7 billion loss of Medicaid payments for North Carolina‘s rural hospitals. Edwards defended his vote in a speech on the House floor.
“This ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ delivers on two of our nation’s most urgent priorities. Securing our southern border and unleashing American energy independence. It invests nearly $70 billion to finish the border wall, expand surveillance technology and to hire thousands of new border agents,” Edwards said in his speech. He described the bill as “rolling back the Biden administration’s reckless energy mandates and cutting red tape to expand American oil.”
“By restoring the free market and prioritizing domestic production, this bill lowers costs for American families,” Edwards said, adding, “Let’s get this done for our agents, for our workers and for the future of this country.”
Rep. Chuck Edwards on SAVE America Act
Edwards supports the SAVE America Act, a proposed law that would require documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. The bill adds criminal penalties for officials who register someone to vote in an election without proof of citizenship and will require states to hand over voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security.
The bill passed the House on Feb. 11, but has not been voted on in the Senate. Voting rights groups have argued the bill would create more barriers to voting for married women, rural and lower income voters and people of color. The nonprofit, nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice estimates the law would “block millions of American citizens from voting.”
Responding to whether tougher voter registration standards might make it more difficult for constituents to vote in a March 10 interview on CNN, Edwards called the SAVE Act “not an undue hurdle.”
“We give a great deal of latitude to the states to help right those exceptions,” Edwards said during the interview.
Support for new DHS leader, Iran war, FEMA reform in Q&A
The Asheville Citizen Times recently caught up with Edwards on issues such as Tropical Storm Helene recovery, the war in Iran, Federal Emergency Management Agency reform and domestic immigration policy after federal agents killed two American citizens in Minneapolis. Questions and responses have been edited for clarity.
Kristi Noem was removed from her post as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Was that the right decision?
Chuck Edwards: It was certainly President Trump’s decision to make. I support that. It’s very clear that the current structure inside of FEMA is not working. The current structure with what’s taking place with Homeland Security is not working. I welcome any kind of a change that would give us hope that we would see improvement in those areas rather quickly.
Gov. Josh Stein has made an additional request for $13.5 billion in recovery funds for WNC. What conversations you are having with the NC delegation on where that request stands?
Edwards: Well, the Governor’s request is largely already funded. There’s duplication in that request. The issue for the last few months has been getting that funding out of the door of FEMA and into the hands of people that need it back at home.
What funding sources do you think need to be sped up, then?
Edwards: FEMA needs to speed up the reimbursements to our local governments, our fire departments, electrical companies and others so we can continue recovery. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, while it is fully funded, will probably take a while because there are multiple entities that are involved in FEMA buying one’s property. There’s the state government; the local governments; the DOT that need to come that need to come together in an agreement to purchase a property. That takes a little while.
We’re making a huge amount of progress. I was in the White House last week (the week of Feb. 23) making an appeal for this.
Sen. Thom Tillis has expressed concern over reports of US citizens being arrested by ICE in NC. Does that concern you?
Edwards: I have not seen Sen. Tillis’ remarks, but I can tell you I met with (Border Czar) Tom Homan this morning (March 5). He has a plan he intends to put on the President’s desk. A very clear plan to be much more targeted in how we go after the worst of the worst than we’ve been led to believe.
That doesn’t sound like the targeted operations like Operation Charlotte’s Web, where local officials worried Asheville would be a targeted city.
Edwards: Mr. Homan’s plan did not seem to be casting a wide net. It seemed to be putting in place a very targeted system to go look for the worst of the worst, beginning with cooperation with local law enforcement. If we could get local law enforcement to work in conjunction with ICE and Border Patrol, we could be far more efficient with our search for the worst of the worst.
Do you think ICE needs more oversight? Do you think it needed Tom Homan?
Edwards: Most definitely. He’s been recognized by Republican presidents and Democrat presidents alike for his methodology, his passion for carrying out the law and watching over immigration enforcement.
The president has indicated the war in Iran is expected to last at least a couple of weeks. How long are you willing to support the war?
Edwards: I’m willing to support it until the mission is done and I have no reason to believe that this is going to be an elongated war. The President and those folks that have briefed Congress give us every reason to believe this is going to be a very targeted mission and that Congress’s actions to declare war will not be necessary.
Would you support boots on the ground?
Edwards: I’m going to support what the president and his military advisers suggest we need in order to carry out the mission.
What’s the biggest issue facing Western North Carolina in 2026?
Edwards: We’re still recovering from the hurricane. That is at the forefront of my activities. We’re working to make sure that Americans keep more of their own money in their pocket and that we reduce the regulations and create an environment and an economy that’s working for the folks in WNC, just as we did with the working families tax cuts.
Reporting by Will Hofmann, Asheville Citizen Times / Asheville Citizen Times
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