After graduation, Eric studied at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He was inspired by many veterans including his grandparents, Jamie and Elspeth Clarke, and John C Ager, Sr., who each served during World War II. At graduation, Eric earned a commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.

About Eric Ager | Eric Ager for NC House 114

For 25 years, Eric Ager served our country as a Naval Aviator (pilot) and Foreign Area Officer (expert in political-military operations). Eric and his wife Rachel have four children. The family was stationed in Guam, Turkey, and Germany and in Norfolk, VA, Washington, DC, and Monterey, CA. Everywhere he was stationed, Eric volunteered: he coached youth baseball, softball, soccer, and basketball, and supported scouting.

Eric retired from the Navy as a Commander. Back home in Buncombe County, Eric founded and runs a small business and Project HNG, a non-profit operating on Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a fourth-generation family farm. Eric and Rachel live in Fairview and their children work and attend school in North Carolina.

Eric Ager studied at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He volunteered as a coach for youth baseball, softball, soccer, and basketball and supported scouting. He lives in Fairview with Rachel, and their children work and attend school in North Carolina.

For 25 years, Eric Ager served our country as a Naval Aviator (pilot) and Foreign Area Officer (expert in political-military operations). Eric and his wife Rachel have four children. The family was stationed in Guam, Turkey, and Germany and in Norfolk, VA, Washington, DC, and Monterey, CA.

Eric retired from the Navy as a Commander. Back home in Buncombe County, Eric founded and runs a small business and Project HNG, a non-profit operating on Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a fourth-generation family farm.

Eric runs a small business and Project HNG, a nonprofit operating on Hickory Nut Gap Farm. He previously served for 25 years in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator and foreign area officer, retiring as a commander.

Website: ericager4nc.com
Occupation: Retired military/nonprofit executive director
Previous candidacy or offices held: State House of Representatives District 114 since the 2022 election
Key endorsements: Sierra Club, VoteVets, Equality NC, N.C. Association of Educators, N.C. State AFL-CIO

2024 General Voter Guide: N.C. House

Terms in House:

2 ( 0 in Senate )

Occupation:

Hickory Nut Gap Farm Business Operations Director/Project HNG Executive Director

Representative Eric Ager - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly

Eric was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 114 in 2022 and has served two terms.

2024 Election Voter Guide: N.C. House - Mountain Xpress

2026 North Carolina General Election

Should the N.C. General Assembly allow the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) to use more occupancy tax revenues to address affordable housing?

Yes, we have a housing crisis in Buncombe County, and without relief, the tourism industry won’t have the workforce necessary to continue to bring tourist dollars into our local economy if we don’t have places for those workers to live.

North Carolina has a $1 billion surplus. Many in the state legislature have expressed using that to expand private school voucher programs. How would you spend the surplus?

I would spend the surplus to ensure that our state employees, including teachers, are given cost-of-living (COLA) raises to ensure that they are able to afford to live in the communities in which they teach. The state worker vacancy rate is currently almost 25%, and this is not sustainable.

I would spend the surplus to ensure that our state employees, including teachers, are given cost-of-living (COLA) raises to ensure that they are able to afford to live in the communities in which they teach. The state worker vacancy rate is currently almost 25%, and this is not sustainable. From our schools to the DMV to the Department of Agriculture, we don’t have enough workers to do what needs to be done. Additionally, I would direct some of the surplus toward a COLA raise to our state government retirees whose buying power has been cut by almost 50% in the last 20 years.

Proposed direct payments to small businesses affected by Hurricane Helene.

For example, Democratic Rep. Eric Ager of Buncombe County offered an amendment Tuesday to create a direct payment program to small businesses that Stein sought, running it through the state Revenue Department.

“We’re losing businesses in western North Carolina every day and we’ve got to find a solution,” Ager said, adding that it “would really go a long way in keeping some folks solvent through to the summer when business picks back up again.”

While Ager pulled his amendment before a vote because earlier committee action took away his funding source, Bell suggested to Ager and later to reporters that new language to help small businesses may be considered.

North Carolina legislators fleshing out details on $500M more proposed for Hurricane Helene relief

Supports allowing Buncombe County to use more occupancy-tax revenue for affordable housing.

Proposes using the state surplus for cost-of-living raises for state employees, including teachers.

Proposes using part of the state surplus for cost-of-living raises for retired state government employees.

- Supports allowing Buncombe County to use more occupancy-tax revenue for affordable housing.
- Proposes using the state surplus for cost-of-living raises for state employees, including teachers.
- Proposes using part of the state surplus for cost-of-living raises for retired state government employees.

Economy

1) Agriculture and the environment — I believe in bringing farmers and environmentalists together to take care of our soil, air, land and water because these are the people in our community who are the most focused on the beauty of our mountain lands. We were able to appropriate $2 million of ag cost-share money for farmers in the French Broad River basin that will help farmers complete projects that will have a big impact on water quality in the French Broad and all of its tributaries but need to continue to build on this effort.

Supports farmer-environmentalist collaboration and continued agricultural cost-share funding to improve water quality in the French Broad River basin.

- Supports farmer-environmentalist collaboration and continued agricultural cost-share funding to improve water quality in the French Broad River basin.

Energy & the Environment

Medicaid expansion during the last term was a huge step forward, but we have a lot more work to do. We need to ensure that Mission HCA is held accountable by our community and that it returns its focus to people instead of profits. We need to continue to provide funding for programs like the Healthy Opportunities pilot program, which has a real impact on improving the social determinants of health.

Medicaid expansion during the last term was a huge step forward, but we have a lot more work to do. We need to ensure that Mission HCA is held accountable by our community and that it returns its focus to people instead of profits. We need to continue to provide funding for programs like the Healthy Opportunities pilot program, which has a real impact on improving the social determinants of health. And finally, we need to continue to look for innovative ways to ensure that our health system meets the needs of patients instead of being directed primarily by organizations that are simply in search of profits.

2) Behavioral health — We are in the middle of a behavioral health crisis in our state and need to continue to fund innovative efforts to improve lives and build a strong workforce.

Supports continued funding for the Healthy Opportunities pilot program.

Calls for community accountability for Mission HCA and a health system focused on patients rather than profits.

Calls for community accountability for Mission HCA and a health system focused on "people instead of profits."

Calls for continued funding for innovative behavioral-health programs and workforce development.

- Calls for community accountability for Mission HCA and a health system focused on "people instead of profits."
- Calls for continued funding for innovative behavioral-health programs and workforce development.

Healthcare

As of January 5, 2026, Eric Ager’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Voting & Elections

Public Safety

3) Public school funding — We must change the trajectory of funding for our public schools so that they have the resources that they need to do the most important job in our state, which is educating our children.

North Carolina ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on education, according to nonpartisan think tank Public School Forum. What will you do to improve state support of public education, including higher education?

Current school funding levels are inadequate, and the Republican majority instead directed more than $500 million to the private school voucher program, which allows the wealthiest in our communities to receive a subsidy to send their children to private schools. Instead, this money should be directed toward our public schools, which educate more than 80% of the kids in North Carolina.

Advocates directing funding from private-school vouchers to public schools and increasing public-school resources.

- Advocates directing funding from private-school vouchers to public schools and increasing public-school resources.

Education

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Eric Ager

- Proposes using the state surplus for cost-of-living raises for state employees, including teachers.
- Proposes using part of the state surplus for cost-of-living raises for retired state government employees.

- Calls for continued funding for innovative behavioral-health programs and workforce development.

After graduation, Eric studied at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Eric earned a commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. For 25 years, Eric Ager served our country as a Naval Aviator (pilot) and Foreign Area Officer (expert in political-military operations). [...] Eric retired from the Navy as a Commander. Back home in Buncombe County, Eric works at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a fourth-generation family farm.

ERIC AGER- HOUSE DISTRICT 114

Eric Ager works at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a fourth-generation family farm. He served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years as a naval aviator and foreign area officer, retiring as a commander.

Eric Ager- House District 114

Offered an amendment to create direct payments for small businesses affected by Hurricane Helene.

Opposes strict limits on reproductive health care.

Supports funding public schools to make them “the best in the nation” and opposes taxpayer-funded private-school vouchers.

Eric Ager is from Fairview, North Carolina. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy. He and his wife, Rachel, have four children and live in the Reynolds community.

North Carolina State House of Representatives District 114

Eric is the operations manager at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a fourth-generation family enterprise. He previously served as a U.S. Navy pilot and foreign area officer, retiring with the rank of commander.

Eric is currently a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives representing District 114. He was first elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. He is currently serving his second term.

North Carolina House of Representatives District 114 - Ballotpedia

Representative Eric Ager - Biography - North Carolina General ...

Opposes taxpayer-funded private school vouchers.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

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