In the closely-watched race for North Carolina鈥檚 11th Congressional district, Republican candidate Chuck Edwards has won with about 54 percent of the vote, or 10 percent more votes than Democratic candidate Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, according to unofficial results from the NC Board of Elections
is from Henderson County. He has served three terms as a state senator for District 48.
鈥淚 know that people in this district are eager to see somebody go to Washington, D.C. that has actually done the things that everybody else says that they would like to do,鈥� Edwards told . 鈥淚've cut taxes, outlawed sanctuary cities, balanced budgets, voted to protect the Second Amendment. No one else on that stage can say that. And I believe the voters in NC-11 recognize the difference.鈥�
Edwards lives in Flat Rock with his wife and two children. He graduated from Blue Ridge Community College and owns a chain of McDonald鈥檚 franchises in Henderson, Transylvania, and Haywood counties.
Libertarian candidate David Coatney also competed in the race and won two percent of the vote.
The race for NC-11 has been packed with twists and turns since 2021. now-former Congressman Madison Cawthorn announced that he was switching districts based on proposed maps. Ultimately, Cawthorn switched back to NC-11 garnering ill-will from his former supports and community members.
One of the biggest differences between the candidates is their stances on abortion.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a misconception that overturning Roe decentralized decision-making because Roe never put it in the purview of the federal legislature rather the individual. So, the move away from Roe is a move away from individual rights back up to state鈥檚 rights 鈥� or bigger government,鈥� said Coatney.
Simply put, Edward鈥檚 website reads: 鈥淚 am a pro-life candidate who believes life begins at conception!鈥� and continues, 鈥淚 will continue this fight as your US Congressman!鈥�
By contrast, Beach-Ferrara said she looks at abortion as a woman, mother and Pro-choice pastor.
鈥淲hat we saw this summer with the Dobbs ruling is a very dangerous moment in American life when a fundamental freedom that had been secured and protected was rolled back. What that means very concretely is that young girls and women like my daughter now have fewer rights than their moms or grandmas,鈥� said Beach-Ferrara.
The primary season was a tough road for Edwards.
Incumbent Cawthorn to Edwards by just 1.5 percent. Edwards was able to avoid a runoff by accumulating more than 30% of the vote.
Democratic candidate Beach-Ferrara of the vote. She was re-elected to a second term as a in 2020. Beach-Ferrara is an ordained minister and executive director of the . Beach-Ferrara lives in Buncombe County with her wife and three children.
Beach-Ferrara took part in a forum at Blue Ridge Public Radio with Coatney in August. Edwards declined the invitation to participate in BPR鈥檚 candidate forum and that he would only be taking part in one debate. Edwards did appear with Beach-Ferrara in one on WLOS. Coatney was to that debate.
