Politics

Edwards announces chief of staff for 11th Congressional District

Bronwyn Lance, new chief of staff for the 11th Congressional District, poses with Congressman-elect Chuck Edwards.

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 14, 2022

Congressman-elect Chuck Edwards announced Monday that he has named Bronwyn Lance, a Leicester native and veteran U.S. House and Senate staffer, as his chief of staff, making her the first woman ever to serve in the post for the N.C. 11^th Congressional District.

A 1987 graduate of Erwin High School, Lance holds a B.A. from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and an MPA from Old Dominion University. A seventh-generation native of Western North Carolina, Bronwyn has deep roots in and knowledge of the 11^th District.

"My goal is to staff my offices with experienced personnel who have a love for or natural connection with this district, who will prioritize our constituents in everything we do, and who are focused on legislation that will improve the lives of WNC citizens," Edwards said. "Bronwyn exhibits all these characteristics. I'm thrilled she is our team quarterback, and the people of our district will benefit from her deep skill set."

Bronwyn started her career on Capitol Hill working for U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC11). She has served in the U.S. Senate as a senior staff member for, among others, U.S. Sens. John Warner (R-Va.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and in Senate Republican leadership for U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. She also served as the Republican spokeswoman for the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

“Asheville’s own Thomas Wolfe famously wrote, ‘You can’t go home again.’ I beg to differ,” Lance said. “I am excited to come full circle in my career, back to where I started, and to help Congressman-elect Edwards — whose highest priority is constituent services — best serve the people of WNC who are so near and dear to my heart."