Rep. Edwards ends reelection bid leaving Western NC GOP looking for a replacement

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The House Committee on Ethics has been investigating Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, in the spring of 2026. On Aug. 3, the committee released a report confirming he “violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.” Edwards dropped his bid for reelectoin on Aug. 5. Here’s ongoing coverage.

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards ended his reelection bid for a third term Wednesday following a House ethics investigation, leaving Republicans the task of finding a replacement candidate for the Nov. 3 general election.

The two-term Congress member from Western North Carolina announced he plans to end his campaign two days after a House ethics report “found substantial evidence” of sexual harassment of young female staffers.

Edwards won the district’s Republican primary on March 3 and was set to face Democratic nominee Jamie Ager in November. Ager, a farmer, has a political pedigree that includes his father, grandfather and brother.

Edwards, 65, of Flat Rock, began serving as North Carolina’s 11th District congressman in 2023 after defeating Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary and going on to win the general election.

Edwards plans to remain in office through the end of his term, which expires in January. That means Edwards may still face censure by the House, as the ethics committee recommended.

Edwards announced he would end his campaign in a social media post Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. But to formally end his campaign, state law mandates that he file a written request to withdraw to the state Board of Elections.

Edwards has until Sept. 3 to do so.

Once Edwards makes it official, the 11th District Republican Party will decide who replaces Edwards on the ballot for the election that’s three months away.

“Essentially, the power in selecting the Republican candidate moves from the voters to around several dozen people who make up the North Carolina District 11 Republican executive committee,” said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, within Edwards’ district.

Cooper said the process can get complicated at this stage. Republicans are running quiet campaigns behind the scenes to get that party nod.

“It’s maybe better thought of as a negotiation more so than an election or a vote, because it’s about matching the opinions of these executive committee folks and the willingness to run from any of these candidates,” Cooper said.

Margaret Ackiss, who is a member of the district’s Republican executive committee, posted on social media that the district “doesn’t have a strong bench to pull from.” She posted online her letter to 11th District Chairman Merry Guy asking for an immediate meeting to start the replacement process.

The 11th District Republicans announced they will meet next week to find a replacement.

“The people of Western North Carolina deserve a strong conservative voice on the ballot this November, and our Party is prepared to move through this process quickly and efficiently,” said Jason Simmons, chairman of the state Republican Party. “The District Executive Committee will fulfill its responsibility under our rules to nominate a candidate who will fight for lower taxes, secure our border, strengthen our economy, and stand up for the values of the people of the 11th District.”

Simmons said he’s confident that the party will unite behind the new nominee.

Cooper speculated on names that could come up, saying that state Sen. Tim Moffitt’s name has surfaced the most.

“Tim Moffitt would make a lot of sense, in a lot of ways,” Cooper said. “He’s from Henderson County, just like Chuck Edwards. He has property in Buncombe County. Those are the two most populous counties. He served in the North Carolina House and the North Carolina Senate. He’s been in politics a long time.”

He cited the following elected officials as other possibilities.

Cooper said naming a current elected official would set off a chain reaction to replace them in their own reelection campaigns.

Looking at possible candidates who aren’t currently running for office, Cooper added to the list Christian Regan and Adam Smith, who have both run previously. He considers Transylvania County Commission Vice Chair Larry Chapman a “dark horse candidate.”

None of the people Cooper named have publicly said they’re interested in the role.

Despite lawmakers drawing North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District to favor a Republican win, political watchers have rated the 11th District as a “toss-up,” citing both the allegations against Edwards’ and his fundraising.

Republicans also have to contend with Ager outraising Edwards 9-to-1, and having $2.2 million in his war-chest, to someone coming in to the campaign fresh with 90 days until the election.

Ager said in a written statement Wednesday: “No matter who we face in November, I’m confident we can win this race and deliver what I’ve been talking about since day one; Hurricane Helene recovery, lower costs, and an end to the corruption in Washington.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2026 at 11:40 AM with the headline “Rep. Edwards ends reelection bid leaving Western NC GOP looking for a replacement.”