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Zelda Thaker Briarwood
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Zelda Thaker Briarwood ran as a Democrat in the 2026 primary for North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, one of five Democrats seeking to represent the western North Carolina district. She lost the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary to Jamie Ager.
Briarwood ran on a 29-point progressive platform. Key positions included banning for-profit healthcare, expanding Medicare, raising the federal minimum wage to at least $20 per hour, banning private equity from purchasing residential housing, and free community college for all.
Background and education
Briarwood grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina with a focus on psychology and outdoor recreation, and pursued advanced studies in adventure-based psychotherapy and adventure education at Prescott College.
Career
Briarwood has lived and worked in western North Carolina since the 2010s. Her career has spanned mental health and outdoor therapeutic work: she guided backpack expeditions at Red Oak Recovery, worked in admissions at Outward Bound and CooperRiis, managed crisis services at Appalachian Community Center, and provided case management for survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking at OurVoice.
Briarwood served as secretary of the Haywood County Young Democrats and has been open about her personal recovery from addiction, having achieved more than seven years of sobriety.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
North Carolina — campaign finance
- State, county, and municipal candidates — all in one system — NC State Board of Elections — Committee Search. Search by last name “Briarwood”.
North Carolina — statement of economic interest
- Required for state-elected and many local officials — NC State Ethics Commission — Statement of Economic Interest Search. Search by last name “Briarwood”.
Federal offices — campaign finance
- US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), not with state systems — FEC candidate search. Filter by office, state, and cycle to narrow the results. Financial disclosures (personal assets and income) for members of Congress and congressional candidates are filed with the US House Clerk or US Senate Office of Public Records, depending on the office.