News

Democrats Ager, Hudspeth off to strong starts in fundraising for 11th District

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 20, 2025

Jamie Ager, a Democratic candidate for the 11th Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, outraised the incumbent by a 3-to-1 margin in the third quarter, Ager’s campaign announced.

And another Democratic candidate, former Blue Ridge Health CEO Richard Hudspeth, got off to a fast start, raising $88,000 in the quarter ending Sept. 30 just weeks after entering the race.

Ager raised $340,511 compared to Edwards’s total of $98,608, and held a narrow lead in cash on hand — $227,722 compared to $205,513. Ager’s campaign haul came from more than 4,500 individual contributions and no corporate PAC money.

“I’m proud of the campaign we’ve put together since launching in late July,” Ager said in a news release. “This campaign is about bringing people together from across Western North Carolina around our shared values, and our strong start is proof of our momentum.”

A fourth-generation farmer and entrepreneur, Ager was born in Fairview and raised on his family’s Hickory Nut Gap Farm. He graduated from A.C. Reynolds High School and earned degrees from Warren Wilson College in environmental studies with a concentration in sustainable agriculture and history. There, he met Amy, his wife and partner in life and business. Together, they returned to Fairview to start a family and run the family cattle farm, a sustainable meat company that today supports 25 employees and works with dozens of farmers across the region. He and his wife have three sons — Cyrus, Nolin and Levi.

Among the challenges Ager pledges to tackle are recovering from Hurricane Helene, affordability for working families and preserving the environment and culture, his campaign said.

Less than three weeks after announcing his candidacy, Hudspeth reported strong third-quarter fundraising results, signaling early and growing grassroots momentum across Western North Carolina.

The campaign received contributions from more than 150 donors, with nearly two-thirds coming from the 11th Congressional District. The campaign raised $88,129 in the quarter ending Sept. 30 and closed with $84,357 cash on hand.

“These contributions make clear that people across Western North Carolina are ready for new leadership,” Hudspeth said. “I am deeply grateful for the faith so many people in our region have put in my ability to lead this change. For too long, politicians have treated healthcare, the needs of rural communities, and the affordability crisis we face in housing, food, transportation, and retirement, like partisan talking points instead of human necessities. I’ve spent my career solving real problems for real people in this community, and that’s exactly what I’ll do in Congress. This campaign is about protecting the people of this district.”

Hudspeth has spent more than two decades serving Western North Carolina as a family physician and community leader. A graduate of Duke University and UNC, he has dedicated his career to expanding access to quality healthcare in rural and small-town communities. As CEO of Blue Ridge Health, he helped deliver care to thousands of families across the region and led the medical response following Hurricane Helene.