National Democrats seeking to retake the U.S. House of Representatives chose the scion of a political dynasty in Western North Carolina as their candidate in the state’s 11th Congressional District: Jamie Ager. While showing no previous political involvement, Ager is mainly known locally for running a “sustainable farming” and meat-packing operation near Asheville.
Ager dispatched four candidates in the March 2026 primary after being crowned by powerful left-wing interests to the point the other candidates cried foul over the preferential treatment.
The Ager family has sent three generations of politicians to Washington and Raleigh. Jamie Ager’s grandfather, Jamie Clarke, served in both the North Carolina House and the U.S. House of Representatives. Clarke was elected to Congress in 1982 and lost re-election before winning the seat again for two additional terms in 1986 and 1988. His father, John Ager, served in the North Carolina House for eight years (2014-2022) and his brother Eric was elected in a neighboring state House district in 2022.
National Democrats have taken pains to make the newest Ager appear as a moderate and ignore the family’s lineage in left-wing politics.
Ager’s background centers on the farming operation but ignores his ties to a controversial liberal arts college he attended and met his wife at in their undergraduate studies.
Warren Wilson College is extremely small – it averages just under 800 students annually. The college describes itself as an “innovative, radically inclusive, experiential liberal arts and sciences college committed to excellence and access.” The page also notes a “progressive promise for all” and “climate forward experiential learning” for their Work Program.
Warren Wilson’s Work Program closely resembles a communist labor camp. The college has 60 “work crews” across campus and requires that every student, in addition to their classwork, contribute three hours of labor each day to the college in return for room and board. On Reddit, the college is featured as a “communist-friendly college” among nine work colleges across the country.
A longtime Warren Wilson College professor, Han Dongping, contributed columns to propaganda outlet China Daily for years, praising Xi Jinping and the CCP’s “discipline” enforcement.
Not only did Ager and his wife meet at the school — she also works there as Executive Director of Strategic Ventures, earning a salary of $136,000.
Ager faces Republican nominee Jennifer Balkcom, who was selected on Monday, August 10, by local Republicans to replace Rep. Chuck Edwards on the November ballot.