Edwards Launches 2026 Reelection Bid as Protestors Rally in Hendersonville

Voters in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District will once again head to the polls in 2026, and candidates are beginning to declare their intentions. Among them is Congressman Chuck Edwards, who announced this week that he will seek another term in the U.S. House. Edwards first won the seat in 2022 after defeating incumbent Madison Cawthorn in the Republican primary.

His announcement came just one day after a group of protestors gathered outside a McDonald’s in Hendersonville—one of several locations owned by Edwards. The demonstrators, who rallied on November 30, said they were protesting Edwards’s recent vote on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and healthcare legislation.

Organizers stated that their goal was to draw attention to how federal decisions on food assistance and medical access affect working families, particularly those employed in service industries. Edwards has not publicly responded to the protest but has previously defended his voting record as fiscally responsible and aligned with the priorities of his district.

Candidate filings for the 2026 election cycle are expected to continue through next year as more contenders announce their campaigns.