Chuck Edwards
Chuck Edwards (born September 13, 1960) is an American businessman and Republican politician serving as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 11th congressional district, which encompasses 15 counties in the western mountains of the state, since January 2023.[1][2] Prior to his election to Congress, Edwards represented the 48th district in the North Carolina Senate from 2016 to 2023, where he earned a reputation as a workhorse legislator serving on 17 committees and chairing five.[3] A native of Western North Carolina, he graduated from West Henderson High School in 1978 and attended Blue Ridge Community College from 1979 to 1983, before building a career as an entrepreneur and civic leader in Hendersonville.[1] In Congress, Edwards was selected as one of few freshmen for the influential House Appropriations Committee and House Budget Committee, and he serves as vice chairman of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee under Appropriations.[3] His office emphasizes constituent services, with a motto of "First in constituent services," reflecting priorities on local issues in a district characterized by rural and mountainous communities.[3] Edwards resides in Flat Rock, North Carolina, with his wife Teresa.[3]Early Life and Education
Upbringing in Western North Carolina
Charles Marion Edwards was born on September 13, 1960, in Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina, to Charlene Grooms, a waitress, and Marion Edwards, a truck driver.[1][4] His family traced its roots to ancestors who lived self-sustaining lives in Mount Sterling, Tennessee, before being displaced in 1926 due to the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and resettling near McClure’s Creek in Haywood County.[5] Edwards was raised in a Southern Baptist household on McClure’s Creek, where his parents' divorce left his mother to raise him and his two siblings alone on a limited income, instilling what he describes as core "mountain values" of reverence for God, patriotism, a strong work ethic, and communal support for neighbors.[5] As a child in this rural Western North Carolina setting, he spent time roaming the woods, hunting, fishing, and foraging, activities that reinforced his self-identification as a "mountain boy" shaped by the region's independent, outdoor-oriented culture.[5][6] At age 12, the family relocated to Henderson County, where Edwards began working at his stepfather's gas station in Fletcher, gaining early exposure to labor and responsibility amid economic hardship.[5] He later joined the Boy Scouts as a teenager, crediting the organization with providing essential male role models and discipline during his upbringing in what he characterized as a poor, broken home.[5][4] These experiences in Western North Carolina's Appalachian communities, marked by modest means and self-reliance, profoundly influenced his formative years before high school.[5]Academic and Formative Experiences
Edwards graduated from West Henderson High School in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in 1978, where he participated in football, intramural basketball, and wrestling.[5] Born on September 13, 1960, in Waynesville to a truck-driver father and waitress mother who raised three children amid financial hardship, Edwards developed an early emphasis on self-reliance, entering the workforce at age 16 by taking a job at a McDonald's in Hendersonville while completing high school.[5][1][7] Following high school, Edwards attended Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, North Carolina, from 1979 to 1983, pursuing coursework in business, accounting, and marketing without earning a degree.[8][9] This period aligned with his growing interest in entrepreneurship, as he balanced studies with initial forays into business, reflecting a practical orientation toward real-world application over formal academia.[5] His experiences emphasized hands-on learning, shaped by family circumstances that prioritized economic independence from an early age.[5]Pre-Political Career
Business Ventures and Entrepreneurship
Edwards began his business career in 1977 at the age of 16, working behind the counter at a McDonald's restaurant in Hendersonville, North Carolina, while attending West Henderson High School.[5] He advanced to the management team by 1979 and entered corporate middle management in 1985, overseeing operations, finance, training, consulting, planning, human resources, franchising, and site development for McDonald's franchises across seven southeastern states.[5] In 1998, Edwards transitioned to entrepreneurship by purchasing the McDonald's franchise in Hendersonville where he had started, along with additional locations, through his newly established company, C. Edwards Group, Inc.[5][9] The firm operates seven McDonald's restaurants in Haywood, Henderson, and Transylvania counties, including sites in Hendersonville (three locations), Brevard, and Canton, co-owned with his wife, Teresa Edwards.[5][9][10] These franchises represent his primary restaurant holdings, built from employee experience to ownership over two decades.[5] Beyond restaurants, Edwards founded and owns two real estate management and holding companies focused on commercial and residential properties, as well as a self-storage facility, establishing these ventures after high school as part of his broader investing activities.[5][11][12] His self-employment as a business owner in restaurants and real estate investing has continued since 1998.[12]Civic and Community Leadership
Prior to entering elective office, Edwards demonstrated civic engagement through leadership roles in local advisory bodies and non-profit organizations in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He chaired the City of Hendersonville Business Advisory Committee, where he advised on economic development and local business concerns, including potential impacts of regional retail projects on downtown commerce.[13][14][15] Edwards served on the board of the Friends of the Ecusta Trail, a non-profit advocating for the conversion of a disused rail corridor into a multi-use trail spanning Henderson and Transylvania counties to promote recreation, tourism, and conservation.[13][14][16] He also held executive board positions with the Boy Scouts of America's Daniel Boone Council, supporting youth programs in western North Carolina, and joined the Hendersonville Rotary Club in 2011, participating in service initiatives focused on community improvement and international goodwill.[13][5]State Legislative Service
Elections to the North Carolina Senate
Edwards was appointed to the North Carolina Senate District 48 seat on August 24, 2016, by Governor Pat McCrory to complete the unexpired term following the resignation of incumbent Tom Apodaca, who left office to become president of Mayland Community College.[17] The district includes Henderson and Transylvania counties in full, along with portions of Buncombe County.[17] Edwards had secured the Republican nomination for the full term earlier that year, winning the March 15, 2016, primary election against Dennis Justice, who received 9,962 votes (33.8%), and Lisa Baldwin, who garnered 2,922 votes (10%).[18] In the November 8, 2016, general election, Edwards defeated Democratic nominee Norman Bossert.| Year | Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Chuck Edwards | Republican | 61,002 | 62.0%[19][20] |
| 2016 | Norman Bossert | Democratic | 37,353 | 38.0%[19][20] |
| Year | Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Chuck Edwards | Republican | 48,829 | 56.3%[21] |
| 2018 | Norm Bossert | Democratic | 37,896 | 43.7%[21] |
| Year | Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Chuck Edwards | Republican | 68,197 | 58.9%[22] |
| 2020 | Brian Caskey | Democratic | 47,580 | 41.1%[22] |
Key Legislative Accomplishments and Positions
Edwards chaired the North Carolina Senate's Commerce and Insurance Committee and Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee during the 2021-2022 session, influencing policies on business regulation, insurance reforms, and natural resource management.[23] He also led the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources, prioritizing funding for economic development initiatives tailored to Western North Carolina.[12] These roles enabled him to advocate for pro-business measures, including support for tourism funding via Senate Bill 326 and establishment of funds for the NC Military Business Center through Senate Bill 342, both introduced in 2019 to bolster local industries and military-related enterprises.[24] On public safety and victim rights, Edwards introduced the Standing Up for Rape Victims Act (Senate Bill 51) in 2019, aiming to enhance support mechanisms for sexual assault survivors by clarifying procedures and resource allocation.[25] In 2021, he co-sponsored legislation to tighten oversight of needle exchange programs, requiring stricter reporting and accountability to balance harm reduction with community health concerns.[26] He also backed the Water Safety Act (Senate Bill unspecified in session records), focusing on infrastructure improvements for water quality and emergency response.[27] Edwards maintained conservative positions on governance and security, introducing Senate Bill 378 in 2021 to remove non-citizens from voter rolls, emphasizing election integrity through verification processes.[28] He supported broader immigration enforcement, stating he sponsored measures outlawing sanctuary cities to ensure state and local cooperation with federal law.[4] Additionally, he advanced education funding via the Strengthening Educators' Pay Act and veteran support through committee work on bills like the No Veteran Left Behind Act, reflecting priorities in workforce development and military family assistance.[24][29]U.S. Congressional Career
2022 Election to the U.S. House
In the Republican primary for North Carolina's 11th congressional district on May 17, 2022, state Senator Chuck Edwards secured the nomination by defeating incumbent Representative Madison Cawthorn and six other candidates. Edwards received 29,496 votes, or 33.4 percent of the total, narrowly ahead of Cawthorn's 28,112 votes (31.9 percent). Other candidates included Matthew Burril (9.5 percent), Bruce O'Connell (6.8 percent), Rod Honeycutt (6.5 percent), Michele Woodhouse (5.3 percent), Wendy Nevarez (5.1 percent), and Kristie Sluder (1.5 percent), with a total of 88,258 votes cast. Cawthorn's defeat was attributed by observers to a series of personal scandals, including allegations of misconduct and inflammatory statements, which eroded support despite a late endorsement from former President Donald Trump.[30] The Democratic nominee, Asheville City Council member Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, advanced unopposed after the party canceled its primary. In the general election on November 8, 2022, Edwards won decisively with 174,232 votes (53.8 percent), defeating Beach-Ferrara's 144,165 votes (44.5 percent) and Libertarian David Coatney's 5,515 votes (1.7 percent), out of 323,912 total votes. [31] The district, encompassing much of western North Carolina, had been redrawn following the 2020 census, but remained strongly Republican-leaning, contributing to Edwards' margin of victory exceeding 30,000 votes.[32] Edwards was sworn into the 118th Congress on January 3, 2023.[33]Committee Assignments and Caucus Involvement
Upon election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023, Chuck Edwards was assigned to the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on the Budget in the 118th Congress.[34] These assignments continued into the 119th Congress, as announced by Edwards on January 15, 2025.[35] On the Appropriations Committee, Edwards serves on the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which oversees funding for agencies including the Treasury Department, IRS, and federal financial regulators, and the Subcommittee on Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (formerly National Security), responsible for international aid and diplomacy budgets.[36] The Budget Committee role involves developing the annual congressional budget resolution, setting spending and revenue targets across federal priorities.[33] Edwards holds leadership positions in several congressional caucuses, reflecting his focus on housing policy, fiscal conservatism, and bipartisan problem-solving. He serves as co-chairman of the bipartisan Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) Caucus, which advocates for reducing regulatory barriers to housing development to address affordability crises.[34] Additional memberships include the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative House Republicans promoting limited government and traditional values; the Conservative Climate Caucus, emphasizing market-based solutions to environmental challenges; the Main Street Caucus, representing moderate Republican districts with emphasis on pragmatic governance; and the Problem Solvers Caucus, a cross-party organization aimed at fostering compromise on fiscal and policy reforms.[34] These affiliations position Edwards to influence legislation on economic growth, energy, and infrastructure while bridging ideological divides.[37]Legislative Initiatives and Voting Record
Edwards serves on the House Appropriations Committee, where he has advocated for fiscally responsible funding priorities, including securing nearly $19 million for Western North Carolina infrastructure and community projects in fiscal year 2024.[38] In September 2024, he introduced a resolution to reassert the House's constitutional authority over spending and taxation, emphasizing congressional oversight amid executive actions on impoundment.[39] His sponsored bills in the 118th and 119th Congresses emphasize disaster recovery, electoral integrity, and housing access. For instance, in the 119th Congress, Edwards sponsored H.R. 140, the Hurricane Helene and Milton Tax Relief Act of 2025, to offer tax deductions for damages incurred from these storms.[40] He reintroduced the Equal Representation Act (H.R. unknown designation in source, January 7, 2025), which seeks to exclude non-citizens from census counts used for congressional apportionment, arguing it prevents disproportionate influence on representation.[41] In September 2025, he introduced the bipartisan Faith in Housing Act with Rep. Scott Peters, clarifying that faith-based nonprofits can develop affordable housing on their properties notwithstanding local zoning barriers.[42] Edwards' voting record reflects consistent support for Republican-led measures on national security, border enforcement, energy production, and appropriations for defense and disaster aid. He voted yea on continuing resolutions in September and October 2025 to avert government shutdowns while extending $22.5 billion to FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Helene recovery in his district.[43][44] Key votes include:- Yea on H.R. 3838, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (passed 231-196, September 10, 2025), authorizing defense spending and procurement reforms.[45]
- Yea on H.R. 3486, Stop Illegal Entry Act of 2025 (passed 226-197, September 11, 2025), enhancing border security measures.[45]
- Yea on H.R. 4216, Made in America Defense Act (passed 395-20, September 2, 2025), promoting domestic manufacturing for military equipment.[45]
- Yea on H.R. 3015, National Coal Council Reestablishment Act (passed 217-209, September 18, 2025), reinstating an advisory body on coal policy.[45]
- Yea on H.R. 4553, Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act 2026 (passed 214-213, September 4, 2025), funding energy infrastructure and water projects.[45]