NC GOP taps Balkcom to replace Edwards on ballot amid harassment allegations

A North Carolina GOP panel selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards on the November ballot after Edwards dropped his re-election bid amid sexual harassment allegations. Balkcom, a Henderson County legislator, will face Democrat Jamie Ager as absentee ballots begin going out Sept. 4; her nomination was boosted by endorsements from figures like House Speaker Destin Hall. Edwards will serve out his term but will not seek another, a decision prompted by a House Ethics Committee finding substantial reason to believe he violated rules and his denial of wrongdoing. Ager, a farmer who outraised Edwards, had been rated Lean Republican by Cook Political Report prior to the ethics findings, signaling a potentially competitive race in a narrowly divided district.