Chuck Edwards NC-11

Chuck Edwards NC-11

Summary

Current Position: US Representative of NC District 10 since 2005
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Represented the 48th district in the North Carolina Senate from 2016 to 2023
District:   western part of Rutherford County and the entirety of Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties includes all of Asheville
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Edwards joined McDonald’s in 1989, working as an operations manager until 1991, senior business consultant from 1991 to 1996, and development coordinator from 1996 to 1998. He also worked as the vice president of Henderson County Partners for Economic Progress. In 2013, he became a director of Entegra Financial Corporation. In 2020, Entegra merged with First Citizens Bank.

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About

Source: Government site

Congressman Chuck Edwards serves as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 11th District, which covers 15 counties in the state’s western mountains.

A Hendersonville businessman and civic leader, Chuck previously served three terms in the North Carolina Senate beginning in 2016. There, he gained a reputation as a workhorse, serving on 18 committees – chairing eight of them – and focusing on improving the lives of those in his district and for all North Carolinians.

In November 2022, Chuck was elected to Congress.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Chuck’s work ethic was recognized, and he has the rare honor as a freshman of being selected to sit on three committees: the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Accountability.

He serves on six subcommittees: On Oversight, he sits on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation; Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs; Government Operations and the Federal Workforce.

On Transportation and Infrastructure, he sits on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management; Highways and Transit; and Water Resources and Environment.

However, as important as that legislative work is, Chuck’s main focus continues to be serving his constituents, helping them interface with federal agencies, assisting with problems, and trying to make life better for Western North Carolinians. His office motto is “First in constituent services.”

Chuck and his wife, Teresa, live in Flat Rock, NC.

Personal

Full Name: Charles ‘Chuck’ Marion Edwards

Gender: Male

Family: Wife: Teresa; 2 Children: Chris (deceased), Kimberly

Birth Place: Waynesville, NC

Religion: Christian

Source: Vote Smart

Education

Attended, Business, Accounting, Marketing, Blue Ridge Community College, 1979-1983

Representative, United States House of Representatives, North Carolina, District 11, 2023-present

Candidate, United States House of Representatives, North Carolina, District 11, 2022, 2024

Senator, North Carolina State Senate, District 48, 2016-2023

Candidate, North Carolina State Senate, District 48, 2020

Political Experience

Professional Experience

Director, Entegra Financial Corporation, 2013-present

Owner, C. Edwards Group, Incorporated, 1998-present

Vice President, Henderson County Partners for Economic Progress, present

Development Coordinator, McDonald’s Corporation, 1996-1998

Senior Business Consultant, McDonald’s Corporation, 1991-1996

Operations Supervisor, McDonald’s Corporation, 1989-1991

Offices

Washington DC Office
1505 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515Phone: (202) 225-6401

Hendersonville District Office
200 North Grove Street
Suite 121
Hendersonville, NC  28792Phone: (828) 435-7310
Fax: (771) 200-5795

Contact

Email: Government

Web Links

More Information

Services

Source: Government page

District

Source: Wikipedia

North Carolina’s 11th congressional district encompasses most of Western North Carolina. Since January 3, 2023, the district has been represented by Chuck Edwards.[3]

The 11th district has historically been known for its volatile politics and was once considered one of the most competitive congressional districts in North Carolina. It was traditionally anchored by the heavily Democratic city of Asheville, with the rest of the district being split between Democratic-leaning counties in the south and Republican-leaning counties in the north. Consequently, congressional races were historically hard-fought and often very close.

In 2011, the Republican-controlled legislature redrew the district, shifting much of Asheville to the 10th district, where the city’s Democratic tilt was diluted by the overwhelming Republican inclination of the rest of the district. The new map split Asheville in such a way that in some neighborhoods, one side of the street moved to the 10th while the other side of the street stayed in the 11th.[4]

To make up for the loss in population, the 11th absorbed some strongly Republican territory in the Foothills which had previously been in the 10th. On paper, it was one of the most Republican districts in the state. Due to the district becoming much more conservative, three-term Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler did not run for reelection in 2012, and was succeeded by Republican Mark Meadows.

In 2019, a panel of North Carolina judges ruled that the existing map was a partisan gerrymander, and ordered new congressional districts to be drawn ahead of the 2020 election.[5] After review in December, a new map was approved.[6][7] The district included the western part of Rutherford County and the entirety of Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties. It still leans Republican, but much less so than the previous iteration, as it once again includes all of Asheville.[6][7]

On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved a new map which removed Avery and Mitchell Counties from the district.[8]

Wikipedia


[1] (born September 13, 1960)[2] is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 48th district in the North Carolina Senate from 2016 to 2023.[3][4]

In 2026, Edwards was investigated by the House Committee on Ethics over allegations that he had behaved inappropriately with female staffers. Following the release of the Committee’s report, which included a recommendation that he be censured, he ended his bid for re-election that fall.

Early life and education

Edwards was born in Waynesville, North Carolina. He graduated from West Henderson High School in 1978 and studied business, accounting, and marketing at Blue Ridge Community College.[5]

Career

Edwards’ state senatorial portrait, c. 2019

Edwards joined McDonald’s in 1989, working as an operations manager until 1991, senior business consultant from 1991 to 1996, and development coordinator from 1996 to 1998. He also worked as the vice president of Henderson County Partners for Economic Progress.[6] In 2013, he became a director of Entegra Financial Corporation.[7] In 2020, Entegra merged with First Citizens Bank.[8] In 2026, Edwards sold all of his holdings in McDonalds so he could focus more on his legislative career.[9]

Edwards was appointed to the North Carolina Senate in August 2016 after Tom Apodaca resigned. He defeated Democratic nominee Norman Bossert in 2016, and was reelected in 2018 and 2020.[5] In 2024, Edwards held a ceremony and awarded Donald Trump with a French Fry Certification Pin, an award that Edwards created (this is an honorary award, and not an actual certification given by the McDonald’s Corporation).[10] C Edwards Group, Inc. operates McDonald’s restaurants in the western North Carolina communities of Hendersonville, Brevard and Canton which have been the target of protest events.[11]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

On November 30, 2021, Edwards declared his candidacy for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district in the 2022 election.[12] The district was represented by freshman Republican incumbent Madison Cawthorn. Cawthorn faced numerous scandals, had made many controversial statements, and was criticized by Edwards as an ineffective legislator.[13] Edwards was also endorsed by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.

On May 17, 2022, Edwards defeated Cawthorn in the Republican primary with 33.4% of the vote.[14] Although he lost 12 of the district’s 15 counties, he carried Buncombe, its most populous, by over 2,000 votes, exceeding his overall margin of 1,338. Edwards also defeated Cawthorn in Henderson County, where they both lived, by 3,191 votes.[15]

In March 2025, Edwards held a town hall meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, that became contentious as constituents questioned him about federal policy and proposed government cuts. Attendees repeatedly interrupted and booed his responses during the event, and security ultimately escorted Edwards from the building.[16]

2026

Edwards filed for re-election to his seat in December 2025.[17] On April 30, 2026, reports emerged that the House Ethics Committee was investigating him over sexual harassment allegations.[18] On August 3, the committee released its report, concluding that Edwards “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” by engaging in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct” towards two young female staffers. It was recommended that he be censured by Congress for his alleged misconduct. Initially, Edwards denied harassing his staffers and said he would exonerate himself;[19][20] on August 5, he announced that he would no longer be running for re-election.[21]

Committee assignments

Source:[22]

United States House Committee on Appropriations

United States House Committee on the Budget

Caucus memberships

Source:[22]

Political positions

Abortion

In 2022, Edwards stated his opposition to the 1973 Roe v. Wade court decision, and said it should be overturned.[23]

Foreign policy

In March 2026, Edwards said he supports Trump’s decision to enter the 2026 Iran war.[24][25] Edwards said Trump did not require congressional authorization for the war.[25] In June 2026, he voted against a war powers resolution intended to limit the war in Iran while it lacked authorization from Congress.[26][27]

Immigration

In January 2024, Edwards introduced legislation which would prevent immigrants from being counted by the United States census, for the purposes of determining the United States congressional apportionment.[28] In February 2024, Edwards posted a picture on X of a large migrant caravan in Mexico to criticize the immigration policies of the Biden administration, suggesting that Joe Biden was at fault for the migrants in the picture immigrating to the United States. However, the picture was taken in 2018, during the administration of Donald Trump.[29][30]

Electoral history

U.S. House of Representatives

North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, 2022 Republican primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanChuck Edwards 29,496 33.4
RepublicanMadison Cawthorn (incumbent)28,11231.9
RepublicanMatthew Burril8,3419.5
RepublicanBruce O’Connell6,0376.8
RepublicanRod Honeycutt5,7756.5
RepublicanMichele Woodhouse4,6685.3
RepublicanWendy Nevarez4,5255.1
RepublicanKristie Sluder1,3041.5
Total votes88,258 100.0
North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, 2022 General Election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanChuck Edwards 174,232 53.8
DemocraticJasmine Beach-Ferrara144,16544.5
LibertarianDavid Coatney5,5151.7
Total votes323,912 100.0
Republican hold
[31]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanChuck Edwards (incumbent) 245,546 56.8
DemocraticCaleb Rudow186,97743.2
Total votes432,523 100.0
Republican hold

Controversies

Attacks against Joe and Hunter Biden

Acting on a complaint filed by the Henderson County (North Carolina) Democratic Party, Edwards was sanctioned by the House Communications Standards Commission on April 24, 2024, for making personal attacks against Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in email newsletters sent to constituents in May, June, July, and December 2023.[32] Such attacks are prohibited by federal law and by rules of the House of Representatives when they are sent out as “mass communications” at taxpayer expense.[33]

Behavior with female staffers

On April 30, 2026, it was revealed that allegations against Edwards of inappropriate behavior with female staff members were being investigated by the House Ethics Committee.[18][34][35] On August 3, the Ethics Committee released its report. Edwards was found to have sent gifts, intimate texts and poems, and a guitarist with a message from a “special someone” to two junior staffers; to have had dinners with the staffers which he preferred were kept private; and to have taken the staffers on separate vacations to New York City and Las Vegas, with the second staffer, having left his office, feeling like she had been pressured into agreeing. It was recommended that he be censured for violating the House’s rules against sexual harassment.[36]

On August 5, announcing that he had undertaken “much prayer and reflection”, Edwards ended his campaign for re-election.[37]

Personal life

Edwards and his wife, Teresa, have had two children. In 2018, his 36-year-old son died by suicide via firearm after a lengthy period of untreated depression, leaving a baby daughter and wife behind.[38]

References

  1. ↑ Quay, Grayson (May 19, 2022). “Meet the man who defeated Madison Cawthorn”. The Week. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  2. ↑ “North Carolina New Members 2023”. The Hill. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  3. ↑ “Chuck Edwards replaces Tom Apodaca, will complete Apodaca’s term”. WLOS News 13. Associated Press. August 24, 2016. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  4. ↑ “Senator Chuck Edwards – Biography – North Carolina General Assembly”. North Carolina General Assembly. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  5. 1 2 “Chuck Edwards”. Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  6. ↑ Moss, Bill (January 29, 2013). “Henderson County Business: Small business background preps Edwards for Chamber role”. Hendersonville Lightning. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  7. ↑ “Charles Edwards’ Biography”. Vote Smart. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  8. ↑ “First Citizens Bank Completes Merger With Entegra Financial Corp., Entegra Bank”. First Citizens Bank (Press release). January 1, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  9. ↑ “North Carolina congressman exits McDonald’s ownership after decade”. Fox News. July 14, 2026.
  10. ↑ Nicholls, Flynn (October 22, 2024). “Donald Trump given McDonald’s award in hurricane-“obliterated town”“. Newsweek. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  11. ↑ Pridgen, Dee (November 27, 2025). “Protesters to boycott McDonald’s owned by Rep. Chuck Edwards”. 828 News NOW. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ King, Kimberly (November 30, 2021). “Republicans eye open seats after Sen. Edwards announces congressional run”. WLOS News 13. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  13. ↑ DeChalus, Camila (May 6, 2022). “Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s primary challenger Chuck Edwards wants to focus on results for North Carolina — not his opponent’s many scandals”. Business Insider.
  14. ↑ Ulloa, Jazmine (May 18, 2022). “Madison Cawthorn loses his re-election bid after a deluge of scandals”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  15. ↑ “NC SBE Election Contest Details”. NC SBE Contest Results. NC State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ Ibssa, Lalee (March 14, 2025). “GOP lawmaker booed at North Carolina town hall, escorted from building”. ABC News.
  17. ↑ “Rep. Chuck Edwards, Jamie Ager file bid for Congress in North Carolina”. Citizen Times. December 1, 2025.
  18. 1 2 Grayer, Annie; Lee, MJ (April 30, 2026). “House Ethics Committee investigating allegations of sexual harassment against GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards”. CNN.
  19. ↑ Sprunt, Barbara (August 3, 2026). “House Ethics panel recommends censure for Chuck Edwards after harassment allegations”. NPR News. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  20. ↑ Stein, Chris (August 3, 2026). “US House ethics panel recommends censure for Republican Chuck Edwards”. The Guardian. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  21. ↑ Robertson, Deeanna (August 5, 2026). “Rep. Chuck Edwards abandons re-election bid”. WYFF. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  22. 1 2 “Committees and Caucuses”. edwards.house.gov. January 3, 2023. Archived from the original on March 5, 2025.
  23. ↑ Burgess, Joel (May 5, 2022). “Roe Supreme Court draft opinion splits District 11 candidates on abortion, need for law”. Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved July 24, 2026. Chuck Edwards | SCOTUS must rule based on our Constitution, not the mobs they see out their window. If they do that, the abominable decision of 1973 will be overturned. We pray the 1973 abomination is about to end.
  24. ↑ King, Kimberly (March 2, 2026). “Democratic, Republican candidates for NC-11 react to Trump’s strike on Iran”. WLOS. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  25. 1 2 Hofmann, Will (March 16, 2026). “Here’s what Chuck Edwards has to say about Iran war, FEMA reform, more”. Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  26. ↑ Dougherty, Danny (June 3, 2026). “How Each Member of the House Voted on the War Powers Bill”. The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  27. ↑ Wu, Ashley; Gómez, Martín González (June 3, 2026). “How Each House Member Voted on the Iran War Powers Resolution”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ King, Kimberly (January 25, 2024). “Congressman Chuck Edwards introduces legislation targeting immigrants”. WLOS. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  29. ↑ Zurick, Maura (February 13, 2024). “Republican Congressman’s Meme About Border on Biden’s Watch Backfires”. Newsweek. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  30. ↑ Moye, David (February 14, 2024). “GOP Rep. Blames Biden For Border Issues Using Pic Taken During Trump Era”. Yahoo. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  31. ↑ “11/05/2024 OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS – STATEWIDE”. North Carolina State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  32. ↑ WLOS Staff (April 25, 2024). “Rep. Chuck Edwards sanctioned by House commission over communications rules violation”. WLOS. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  33. ↑ “The House of Representatives Communications Standards Manual” (PDF).
  34. ↑ Santaliz, Kate (May 4, 2026). “Scoop: Rep. Chuck Edwards singled out young female aides for special attention”. Axios. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  35. ↑ “LegiStorm: Congress Revealed”. www.legistorm.com. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  36. ↑ “Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Representative Chuck Edwards”. House Committee on Ethics. August 3, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  37. ↑ Santaliz, Kate (August 5, 2026). “Rep. Chuck Edwards drops re-election bid after censure recommendation”. Axios. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  38. ↑ “Today@NCCapitol: Moment of silence”. WRAL.com. May 22, 2018. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
North Carolina’s 11th congressional district
2023–present


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Edwards

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