Edwards joined McDonald's in 1989,working as an operations manager until 1991,senior business consultant from 1991 to 1996,and development coordinator from 1996 to 1998. He also worked as the vice president of Henderson County Partners for Economic Progress.[6] In 2013,he became a director of Entegra Financial Corporation.[7] In 2020,Entegra merged with First Citizens Bank.[8]
Edwards was appointed to the North Carolina Senate in August 2016 after Tom Apodaca resigned. He defeated Democratic nominee Norman Bossert in 2016,and was reelected in 2018 and 2020.[9] In 2024,Edwards held a ceremony and awarded Donald Trump with a French Fry Certification Pin,an award that he invented.[10]
Acting on a complaint filed by the Henderson County (North Carolina) Democratic Party,Edwards was sanctioned by the House of Representatives Communications Standards Commission on April 24,2024,for making personal attacks against President Joe Biden and his son,Hunter Biden,in email newsletters sent to constituents in May,June,July and December of 2023.[11] Such attacks are prohibited by federal law and by rules of the House of Representatives when they are sent out as "mass communications" at taxpayer expense.[12]
On November 30,2021,Edwards declared his candidacy for North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the 2022 election.[13] The district was represented by freshman Republican incumbent Madison Cawthorn. Cawthorn faced numerous scandals,had made a number of controversial statements,and was criticized by Edwards as an ineffective legislator.[14] Edwards was also endorsed by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.
On May 17,2022,Edwards defeated Cawthorn in the Republican primary with 33.4% of the vote.[15] Although he lost 12 of the district's 15 counties,he carried Buncombe,its most populous,by over 2,000 votes,exceeding his overall margin of 1,338. Edwards also defeated Cawthorn in Henderson County by 3,191 votes. Henderson County is home to both Edwards and Cawthorn.[16]
Although claiming to be a fiscal conservative,in July 2025,Edwards was proud to support and vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,a bill that is estimated to increase the national debt by $3.4 trillion or more over ten years,[18] increase inflation,reduce the value of the dollar,slow GDP growth,create higher energy costs by reducing clean energy and energy efficiency programs,[19] eliminate Medicaid benefits for 10.5 million or more citizens,[20] cut food stamp programs,[21] result in the closure of rural hospitals,reduce access to healthcare,reduce investment in research,support the sale of public lands to polluting industries,increase toxic air pollution,allow oil and gas companies to avoid environmental review,and provide tax breaks that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Representative Edwards has not explained for how the bill will help his constituents in Western North Carolina,more than 12% of whom live below the poverty level and many of whom rely on the programs he voted to reduce or eliminate.
Immigration
In January 2024,Edwards introduced legislation which would prevent immigrants from being counted by the United States census,for the purposes of determining the United States congressional apportionment.[22] In February 2024,Edwards posted a picture on X of a large migrant caravan in Mexico in order to criticize the immigration policies of the Biden administration,suggesting that Joe Biden was at fault for the migrants in the picture immigrating to the United States. However,the picture was taken in 2018,during the administration of Donald Trump.[23][24]
Electoral history
U.S. House of Representatives
North Carolina's 11th congressional district,2022 Republican primary
Edwards and his wife,Teresa,have had two children. In 2018,his 36 year old son died from firearm suicide after a lengthy period of untreated depression,leaving a baby daughter and wife behind.[26]
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