U.S. House, North Carolina 11th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District?
Jennifer Balkcom has the strongest record in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District. Jennifer Balkcom scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jamie Ager at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Jennifer Balkcom's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jamie Ager's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Travis Groo (2 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Jamie Ager
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Strongest record
Jennifer Balkcom
On the ballot as Jennifer Capps Balkcom
61 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 50
Libertarian
Travis Groo
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 2 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 38
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Jamie Ager
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Jennifer Balkcom
- On the record2026-08-10
Chosen by the 11th District Republican executive committee as the party's replacement nominee after Rep. Chuck Edwards ended his re-election bid following a House Ethics Committee censure recommendation.
Sources: NBC News, Aug. 10, 2026, The Assembly, Aug. 10, 2026
- Credit2026-07-08
Her House Bill 133, the NC Farmland and Military Protection Act barring adversarial foreign governments from buying farmland or land near military bases, became Session Law 2026-54, signed by Gov. Josh Stein.
Sources: FastDemocracy, HB 133 (2025 to 2026 session) legislative record, WCTI, July 9, 2026, NC Newsline via Yahoo News, April 8, 2025
- Credit2026-08
WLOS reported that leaders of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry thanked her for work securing $5 million in state funding for its Veterans Restoration Quarters rebuilding project.
Source: WLOS, August 2026
Travis Groo
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jamie Ager. House candidate financial disclosures filed in 2025 and June 2026, and FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10079888, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jennifer Balkcom. No public record found.
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. No public record found.
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jamie Ager. Spoke at an August 2026 forum on agriculture and business with Republican Jennifer Balkcom, per WLOS, and held public campaign rallies, including one at Asheville Yards in May 2026. No 2026 debate was found.
Sources: WLOS, Aug. 29, 2026, WLOS, May 7, 2026
Jennifer Balkcom. Spoke at an August 2026 forum on agriculture and business with Democrat Jamie Ager, per WLOS, and made public campaign appearances. No 2026 debate was found; in August she said she was potentially open to one.
Sources: WLOS, Aug. 29, 2026, WLOS, August 2026
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jamie Ager. Co-founded and runs Hickory Nut Gap, a meat company he says supports 25 employees, over about 25 years. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jamie Ager, Campaign site, About
Jennifer Balkcom. A mortgage loan officer in banking and finance since 1998 and a state representative since 2023. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, The Assembly, Aug. 10, 2026
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. Has held the sworn office of North Carolina state representative since 2023, with no official finding of misuse of office found. She has not served in Congress.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jennifer Balkcom, The Assembly, Aug. 10, 2026
Travis Groo. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jamie Ager. Farmer and co-founder of Hickory Nut Gap, a regional meat company; took part in an NC State agriculture leadership program. Has not held public office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jamie Ager, Campaign site, About
Jennifer Balkcom. Serving a second term in the North Carolina House for District 117 (Henderson County), elected 2022 and re-elected 2024.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jennifer Balkcom, NBC News, Aug. 10, 2026
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jamie Ager. Publishes a platform on Hurricane Helene recovery, health care, costs, immigration, veterans, small business and farms, mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Platform
Jennifer Balkcom. Served on the state House Agriculture, Banking, Finance, Local Government and State Government committees. Her campaign site publishes no issue platform.
Sources: Ballotpedia, committee assignments 2023 to 2024, Campaign site, home page
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jamie Ager. Publishes plain-language platform and biography pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey; no debate or other questionnaire was found.
Jennifer Balkcom. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 (for her state House race). Her congressional site has a biography but no issue pages.
Source: Ballotpedia, Jennifer Balkcom
Travis Groo. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Travis Groo
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jamie Ager. Born and raised in Fairview in Buncombe County, where the state candidate list places his home. FEC by-state totals show about 47 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jamie Ager, NCSBE 2026 general election candidate list
Jennifer Balkcom. Henderson County native, eighth-generation western North Carolinian, who lives in Hendersonville and represents Henderson County in the state House.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Jennifer Balkcom, Campaign site, home page
Travis Groo. The state candidate list gives a Greensboro home address; the 11th District covers counties in the state's western mountains, which do not include Greensboro.
Sources: NCSBE 2026 general election candidate list, Office site of Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), home page
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jamie Ager. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each received by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jennifer Balkcom. No public record found.
Travis Groo. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. Primary sponsor of House Bill 133, the NC Farmland and Military Protection Act, signed by Gov. Josh Stein and chaptered as Session Law 2026-54 on July 8, 2026. Full sponsorship record not opened (ncleg.gov blocked).
Sources: FastDemocracy, HB 133 (2025 to 2026 session) legislative record, WCTI, July 9, 2026
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. No public record found.
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. No public record found.
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. One bipartisan result: her House Bill 133 passed the House 111 to 0 in April 2025 and was signed by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein in July 2026.
Sources: FastDemocracy, HB 133 (2025 to 2026 session) legislative record, NC Newsline via Yahoo News, April 8, 2025, WCTI, July 9, 2026
Travis Groo. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jamie Ager. No public record found.
Jennifer Balkcom. No public record found.
Travis Groo. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District?
Jennifer Balkcom has the strongest record in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District. Jennifer Balkcom scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Jamie Ager at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Jennifer Balkcom's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jamie Ager's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Travis Groo (2 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District in 2026?
Jamie Ager (Democratic), Jennifer Balkcom (Republican), Travis Groo (Libertarian). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jamie Ager a good candidate for Congress?
Jamie Ager scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jennifer Balkcom a good candidate for Congress?
Jennifer Balkcom scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Travis Groo a good candidate for Congress?
Travis Groo has public evidence on 2 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every North Carolina race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the North Carolina 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.