News

Balkcom wins re-election to NC House 117 seat

By Amy McCraw, Published: November 6, 2024

Republican incumbent state House Representative Jennifer Capps Balkcom won a second term Tuesday by defeating Democratic challenger Steve Martinez.

With all 27 precincts reporting, Balkcom earned 30,337 votes or 57.76 percent of the vote to Martinez's 22,183 or 42.24 percent, according to unofficial election results from the North Carolina Board of Elections.
Attempts to reach Balkcom on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Balkcom was first elected as the representative for State House District 117 in 2022. District 117 includes Henderson County.
Balkcom, 45, is a mortgage lender and manager of her family’s small business. Before she was elected to the state House two years ago, she served on many community boards, including the Henderson County Planning Board. A seventh-generation native, she is the daughter of Kathy Ward and Ronnie Capps and stepdaughter of Dickie King. She and her husband have two boys. They live in Naples and worship at First Baptist Hendersonville.
Dr. Martinez, 68, a retired medical consultant, is married with grown children and grandchildren. Hobbies include music performance, being a motorcycle and classic car aficionado, quantum physics and related subjects.
In response to questions from the Lightning before Tuesday’s election, Balkcom said she ran for another term in the legislature because she wanted to continue to serve the citizens of Henderson County. “For more than two decades, I’ve served in leadership positions, built partnerships, and worked closely with others to achieve positive outcomes for our community. And I believe that my long record of community service and public policy experience in the legislature will continue to serve our community well in Raleigh,” she said.
Constituent service and farmland preservation will be important in her second term, Balkcom said.
“My first priority will always be the citizens of Henderson County and I will continue to provide our folks with the best constituent service that I can," she said. "As far as policy goes, farmland preservation is very important to me. I know first-hand how important family farms are to our food production and our food security.”