The latest member of a North Carolina political dynasty has decided to throw his hat in the ring for a seat in the US Congress.
asserted
member → decide → Congress
The catch is that his role model grandfather has a secret that he wants to keep in the family.
asserted
he → have → family
Jamie Ager, a Democrat, is running for office as a lifelong farmer and first-time candidate in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District.
asserted
Ager → run → District
A Daily Mail review of his family tree reveals that his grandparents were first cousins.
asserted
grandparents → reveal → tree
Jamie Ager is the grandson of Jamie Clarke, on his maternal side, who represented a western North Carolina congressional seat in DC for three terms in the 1980s and 1990s.
asserted
who → represent → 1980s
Former Congressman Jamie Clarke, who passed away in 1999, was the son of Reverend Dumont Clarke Sr and Annie M Clarke, one set of Jamie Ager's great-grandparents.
asserted
who → pass → grandparents
Elspeth M Clarke, Jamie Ager's grandmother who passed away in 2001, was the daughter of James GK 'Jim' McClure Jr and Elizabeth McClure, another set of Jamie Ager's great-grandparents.
asserted
who → pass → grandparents
Annie M Clarke and James GK 'Jim' McClure Jr were both children of James GK McClure Sr, making them siblings, and Jamie and Elspeth Clarke first cousins.
asserted
Clarke → make → Sr
Jamie Ager, the Democratic Candidate in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District is part of a family with multi-generational political ties
Former Congressman Jamie Clarke, and his wife, Elspeth M Clarke, are pictured in their later years.
asserted
Clarke → picture → years
The Ager campaign did not return Daily Mail's request for comment on his family tree.
asserted
campaign → return → tree
Jamie Ager proudly touts the fact that his grandfather represented the seat he now seeks.
asserted
he → tout → seat
'My granddad, Jamie Clarke, served western North Carolina in the US Congress and the state legislature, balancing running the farm with working for the people in office,' Jamie Ager's campaign website reads.
asserted
website → serve → office
'In fact, he was instrumental in helping to shape early programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
asserted
he → help → Medicare
I watched those values play out not in politics, but in the lives of our neighbors.'
asserted
values → watch → neighbors
His father John and brother Eric both served in the State House of Representatives.
asserted
father → serve → Representatives
'My father John served in the State House seat that my older brother, Eric, currently serves in,' says his campaign website.
asserted
website → serve → that
Patti Trick, who chairs the Macon County Republican Party, told the Daily Mail that the Ager family has similarities to the Kennedy political dynasty.
'
asserted
family → chair → dynasty
A family dynasty of liberals who in this case like to marry each other.
asserted
who → like → other
The race is shifting toward the Democratic candidate as its Cook Political Report rating changed from 'likely Republican' to 'lean Republican' in recent months.
asserted
rating → shift → months
Insiders say Ager's surprise close family ties, as well as a competitive contest in the statewide race for the US Senate, could upend the race.
uncertain
ties → say → race
Statewide, Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is facing off against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in what's shaping up to be a tough battle.
asserted
what → face → Whatley
Ager, his wife Amy, and their children, pictured on their family farm in Western North Carolina
James McClure Clarke (above) is Jamie's maternal grandfather and a former western North Carolina congressman.
asserted
Clarke → picture → Carolina
He is pictured with supporters on election night in November of 1982
North Carolina's 11th district is currently represented by Republican Chuck Edwards, who was censured by his colleagues this year for 'persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct' with younger staffers
North Carolina's 11th congressional seat has a tumultuous history.
asserted
seat → picture → history
It is currently represented by Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards, who withdrew his re-election bid in August after it was revealed that he gave lavish gifts including towers of ice cream and firearms to young female staffers, and even wrote them poems.
asserted
he → represent → poems
As a result of a House Ethics Committee recommendation, Edwards was formally censured by his own colleagues for 'persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct' with the younger staffers.
asserted
Edwards → censure → staffers
Edwards remains in office as he has not faced legal issues.
asserted
he → remain → issues
He apologized to his wife for his actions and denied that he ever meant anything inappropriate.
asserted
he → apologize → anything
After Edwards withdrew his bid for office, Republican Party insiders selected State Representative Jennifer Balkcom as his replacement on the November ballot.
asserted
insiders → withdraw → ballot
The Aporia
