Fresh from McCarthy speaker battle, new congressman Chuck Edwards to tour 15 WNC counties

For the first time since being sworn in, new Congressman Chuck Edwards said he will tour the 11th District's 15 counties, in the state's far west.

The Republican Edwards will kick off the visit with a Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Transylvania County. It is his first tour of the district since the historically long battle for House speaker, won eventually by Kevin McCarthy. Edwards voted for McCarthy, of California, who supported him in the May primary against incumbent far-right Freedom Caucus member Madison Cawthorn.

“My priority as Western North Carolina’s congressman is to start my term meeting with constituents and listening to their concerns,” Edwards said in a news release from his office. “I’m looking forward to visiting every county in our district and hearing about what matters most to WNC. I also hope to learn about any challenges that constituents are facing so that my staff and I can help them with federal agencies or provide other services.”

Edwards' priorities, he told the Citizen Times, include cutting government spending, toughening immigration enforcement and protecting gun ownership. He notably did not name any action on abortion access.

The tour is a traditional move by a new U.S. House representative. It also comes as Edwards, a former state senator and owner of multiple McDonald's franchises, looks to differentiate himself from Cawthorn, who appeared to shut down offices early after the primary loss, and who, Edwards said, failed to pass on important constituent information.

Edwards' schedule from WNC tour:

Monday, Jan. 16

• Transylvania County, MLK Day celebration, 7 p.m. Porter Center at Brevard College, Brevard

Tuesday, Jan. 17

• Swain County, tour elementary school tour (TBD) Big Brothers Big Sisters program, 9 a.m., Bryson City

• Graham County, tour new wing of Robbinsville Middle School, 11:30 a.m., Robbinsville

• Cherokee County, Konehete Veterans Park renaming ceremony, 3 p.m., Murphy

• Cherokee County, meet and greet at Murphy Fire Department, 3:45 p.m., 1 Firehouse Lane, Murphy

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Wednesday, Jan. 18

• Clay County, roundtable with the Clay County Sheriff and first responders, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Hayesville

• Macon County, Franklin Noon Rotary Club, 11:45 a.m., Franklin

• Jackson County, tour Southwestern Community College Health and Human Services Building and roundtable with college leadership, 2 p.m., Sylva

• Haywood County, business roundtable, Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, 4 p.m., 28 Walnut St., Waynesville

Thursday, Jan. 19

• Buncombe County, tour the Charles George VA Hospital, 8:30 a.m., Asheville

• Buncombe County, tour National Centers for Environmental Information, 11 a.m., Veach-Baley Federal Complex, 151 Patton Ave., Asheville

• Buncombe County, speak to students and tour CTE classes, Clyde A. Erwin High School, 60 Lees Creek Road, Asheville

• Buncombe County, Explore Asheville’s “Year Ahead” event, 3:45 p.m., The Venue, 21 N. Market St., Asheville

Friday, Jan. 20

• Madison County, law enforcement and first responders’ roundtable, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, 9 a.m., Marshall

• McDowell County, forum with McDowell Chamber of Commerce and economic development leaders, 11 a.m., Universal Board Room, 1170 Tate St., Marion

• Rutherford County, Rutherfordton Fire and Rescue groundbreaking ceremony, 2 p.m., Rutherfordton

Saturday Jan. 21

• Yancey County, breakfast meet and greet, Pig & Grits, 8:30 a.m., 620 W. Main St., Burnsville

Monday Jan. 23

• Polk County, Foothills Economic Development Commission breakfast, 9 a.m., Tryon Equestrian Center, Tryon

Monday Jan. 30

• Henderson County, Chat with Chuck, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Hendersonville office open house, 8:30-12:30 p.m., 200 N. Grove St., Suite 121, Hendersonville

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: From Kevin McCarthy speaker fight, Rep. Edwards to tour WNC counties