| State: | North Carolina |
| District Number: | 11 |
| Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries |
| Representative: | Chuck Edwards |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Flat Rock, Henderson County |
| Population: | 756,051 |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $62,261[1] |
| Percent White: | 82.2 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 7.6 |
| Percent Black: | 3.4 |
| Percent Asian: | 0.9 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 4.0 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.5 |
| Percent Native American: | 1.5 |
| Cpvi: | R+8[2] |
North Carolina's 11th congressional district encompasses most of Western North Carolina. Since January 3, 2023, the district has been represented by Chuck Edwards.[3]
The 11th district has historically been known for its volatile politics and was once considered one of the most competitive congressional districts in North Carolina. It was traditionally anchored by the heavily Democratic city of Asheville, with the rest of the district being split between Democratic-leaning counties in the south and Republican-leaning counties in the north. Consequently, congressional races were historically hard-fought and often very close.
In 2011, the Republican-controlled legislature redrew the district, shifting much of Asheville to the 10th district, where the city's Democratic tilt was diluted by the overwhelming Republican inclination of the rest of the district. The new map split Asheville in such a way that in some neighborhoods, one side of the street moved to the 10th while the other side of the street stayed in the 11th.[4]
To make up for the loss in population, the 11th absorbed some strongly Republican territory in the Foothills which had previously been in the 10th. On paper, it was one of the most Republican districts in the state. Due to the district becoming much more conservative, three-term Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler did not run for reelection in 2012, and was succeeded by Republican Mark Meadows.
In 2019, a panel of North Carolina judges ruled that the existing map was a partisan gerrymander, and ordered new congressional districts to be drawn ahead of the 2020 election.[5] After review in December, a new map was approved.[6] [7] The district included the western part of Rutherford County and the entirety of Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey Counties. It still leans Republican, but much less so than the previous iteration, as it once again includes all of Asheville.
On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved a new map which removed Avery and Mitchell Counties from the district.[8]
Counties in the 2023–2025 district map:
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established March 4, 1803 | ||||||||
| align=left | James Holland | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1811 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Retired. | 1803–1813 Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1803–13). [9] | ||
| align=left | Israel Pickens | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813 | Elected in 1810. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Peter Forney | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815 | Elected in 1813. Retired. | 1813–1823 Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43). | ||
| align=left | Daniel M. Forney | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1815 – 1818 | Elected in 1815. Re-elected in 1817. Resigned. | |||
| align=left | William Davidson | Federalist | nowrap | December 2, 1818 – March 3, 1821 | Elected November 7, 1818 to finish Forney's term and seated December 2, 1818. Re-elected in 1819. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left rowspan=5 | Henry W. Connor | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1825 | Elected in 1821. Re-elected in 1823. Re-elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Re-elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Re-elected in 1835. Re-elected in 1837. Re-elected in 1839. Retired. | ||||
| 1823–1833 Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43). | ||||||||
| Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1837 | |||||||
| 1833–1843 Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43). | ||||||||
| Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841 | ||||||
| align=left | Greene W. Caldwell | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 | Elected in 1841. Retired. | |||
| District dissolved March 4, 1843 | ||||||||
| District re-established March 3, 1933 | ||||||||
| align=left | Zebulon Weaver | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Redistricted to the . | 1933–1943 | ||
| align=left | Alfred L. Bulwinkle | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1943 – August 31, 1950 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Died. | 1943–1953 | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | August 31, 1950 – November 7, 1950 | ||||||
Woodrow W. Jones | Democratic | November 7, 1950 – January 3, 1957 | Elected to finish Bulwinkle's term. Also elected in 1950 to the next term. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Retired. | |||||
| 1953–1963 | ||||||||
| align=left | Basil Whitener | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1963 | Elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the . | |||
Roy A. Taylor | Democratic | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1977 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Retired. | 1963–1973 | ||||
| 1973–1983 | ||||||||
| align=left | V. Lamar Gudger | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 | Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Bill Hendon | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 | Elected in 1980. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James M. Clarke | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985 | Elected in 1982. Lost re-election. | 1983–1993 | ||
| align=left | Bill Hendon | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987 | Elected in 1984. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | James M. Clarke | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991 | Elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Lost re-election. | |||
Charles H. Taylor | Republican | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007 | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Lost re-election. | |||||
| 1993–2003 | ||||||||
| 2003–2013 | ||||||||
| align=left | Heath Shuler | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2013 | Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Retired. | |||
Mark Meadows | Republican | January 3, 2013 – March 30, 2020 | Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Resigned to become White House Chief of Staff.[10] | 2013–2017 | ||||
| 2017–2021 | ||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 30, 2020 – January 3, 2021 | ||||||
| align=left | Madison Cawthorn | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | Elected in 2020. Lost re-nomination. | 2021–2023 | ||
Chuck Edwards | Republican | January 3, 2023 – present | Elected in 2022 | 2023–2025 | ||||
| 2025–present --> | ||||||||