Jamie Ager, a Democratic farmer and first-time candidate, is running for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, following several relatives who held elected office. The article focuses on the fact that his maternal grandparents, former congressman Jamie Clarke and Elspeth McClure Clarke, were first cousins, a detail Ager’s campaign did not comment on.

Ager presents his grandfather’s public service as an influence, while his father and brother also served in North Carolina’s legislature. The district is currently viewed as competitive after its electoral rating shifted towards the Democrats, and the contest follows Republican incumbent Chuck Edwards’s decision not to seek re-election after being censured over gifts and inappropriate conduct involving young female staffers.