Why this West North Carolina congressional race is shaping up as a "David and Goliath" contest

North Carolina is hosting a Republican free-for-all when it comes to upcoming congressional primaries − but the west of the state is featuring a different sort of race for the GOP March 5 U.S. House primary, with a classic "David and Goliath" contest, political experts say.

Four of N.C.'s primary races for U.S. House have drawn a remarkable 31 Republican candidates. Those candidates in the sixth, eighth, 10th and 13th districts were lured by the prospect of open seats after incumbents left for a variety of reasons. Those included seeking another office, fleeing the Trump-inspired shift of the GOP or, among Democratic incumbents, seeing their district lines redrawn to elect a Republican.

But in the 11th District − covering 15 and one-half of N.C.'s most westerly counties, including Buncombe, Henderson and Madison − the Republican primary is much more simple, and lopsided. On the ballot are one-term Congressman Chuck Edwards of Henderson County and political newcomer Christian Reagan, a cowboy-hat wearing mortgage broker from sparsely populated Clay County on the Georgia border. The winner will face Democratic state legislator Caleb Rudow of Asheville in the Nov. 5 general election.

"In many of the other congressional districts around the state, because we do have quite a few retirements, you have a lot of candidates," said UNC Charlotte political science professor Eric Heberlig. "In some cases none of the candidates are particularly well known, so it makes it harder to predict who is going to be competitive."

"But the 11th District, it is really a classic David and Goliath race, and it would be a true upset for Reagan to win," Heberlig said.

Who is Christian Reagan, candidate for 11th Congressional District?

Reagan, 61, has said he would cut the debt and end Ukraine aid, calling it a "slush fund for the global elites." Seeking to get to the political right of Edwards, he has described himself as an "America First" and MAGA candidate, using ex-President Donald Trump's monikers. In their Jan. 13 debate, Reagan labeled the congressman one of the "elite," but retracted the comment after Edwards, who experienced poverty as a child, expressed indignation. He later elaborated in a Jan. 17 post on X (formerly Twitter).

"During the Congressional debate last weekend, when I said Chuck Edwards was part of the political “Elite”, I meant to say that he is part of the political “Establishment”: a group of politicians who ‘pretend’ to be conservative," he said.

More: GOP Western NC House candidates: agree with Trump on NATO? Stances on Mission, housing

Who is Chuck Edwards, incumbent candidate for 11th Congressional District?

Edwards, with a bootstraps success story of working in a McDonald's as a youth and now owning multiple franchises of the restaurant as well as a real estate investment company, has sought to emphasize hard work and acumen. Though he too has tried to present himself as an outsider, Edwards quickly got appointed to a coveted seat on the appropriations committee. And while he was critical of his predecessor, Trump-aligned Rep. Madison Cawthorn, including for failings in constituent services, he has been careful not to directly criticize the ex-president.

"When I first got elected, I heard NC-11 loud and clear: you want a member who will work for you," Edwards said in a Feb. 28 X post. "That’s why I created the only mobile office in Congress, the 'Carolina Cruiser' and held over 300 office visits to connect with you. The people of NC-11 will always be my number one priority."

Both have backed hardline border and immigration policies, a standard of Trump and now the Republican party.

Heberlig, the UNC Charlotte professor, said Reagan faces the disadvantages of low name recognition as a first-time candidate and residing in a county far from the district's population centers. Edwards, meanwhile, served three terms in the state Senate prior to Congress and lives in Henderson County, a populous area known for Republican politics.

How much money has each candidate raised?

In many of the state's GOP primaries there is little daylight between candidates on issues. Two things that can raise their profiles, Heberlig said, are endorsements − particularly by Trump, the de facto party leader − and funding, which can come in the form of a Super PAC willing to spend large sums boosting a candidate or denigrating another. But Reagan has neither.

According to federal election reports filed Feb. 14, Edwards had raised more than $950,000 and after expenditures had $312,000 cash on hand. Reagan had raised $33,000 and spent most of it, leaving him with $1,200.

Edwards is facing a complaint over alleged misuse of a taxpayer funded mailing program and mistakenly used a Trump-era photo of migrants massed at the border to criticize President Joe Biden. But those pale compared to the scandal-ridden single term of Cawthorn, who was caught twice trying to get on a plane with a gun and fined by the ethics committee, said Catawba College political science professor Mike Blitzer.

Who will voters choose?

"Edwards hasn’t made any major issues or scandals in the district, and while first-term incumbents tend to be the most vulnerable, I don’t see anything nearing that level of vulnerability for Edwards," Bitzer said.

Fellow political science professor, Chris Cooper at Western Carolina University said Edwards has also done a 180-degree turn in constituent services from Cawthorn, who abandoned district offices where residents seek help with federal issues such as passports and problems with social security checks.

"I think what Christian Reagan has going for him is the best name in Republican politics," Cooper said, riffing off the religious and presidential references.

"He's done the smart thing. He's plastered his name on every roadside in Western North Carolina. But he hasn't really been able to articulate why voters should pick him over Edwards. He has, perhaps to his credit not run a nasty campaign. But if you are a Republican voter he hasn't really given you a reason to change your vote from the last time."

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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: West NC Republican primary for US House District 11: Can newcomer snare an upset?