Ballotpedia, Beth Gardner Helfrich

LinkedIn

Beth holds a bachelor's degree in theatre from Davidson College. She is married to her husband, Tim, with whom she has 5 children.

Beth currently works as a writer and editor for her own freelance writing business. She also works as a communications and event manager at Main Street Books. She previously worked as a teacher at The Loomis Chaffee School and at the Woodlawn School. 

Beth Gardner Helfrich's campaign for state representative in District 98 is her first run for public office. 

Candidate website

Supports infrastructure and policies to accommodate district growth, including transportation solutions, expanded public works, and housing options for small businesses and new opportunities.

Wants to ensure infrastructure and policies are able to meet the demands of potential growth. 

- Wants to ensure infrastructure and policies are able to meet the demands of potential growth. 

Economy

Promises to advocate for cleaner air and water.

- Promises to advocate for cleaner air and water.

Energy & the Environment

Supports expanding access to quality healthcare, childcare, and reproductive care, including abortion care.

Promises to work towards expanding access to quality healthcare. 

Supports abortion access and promises to make efforts to expand reproductive care.

- Promises to work towards expanding access to quality healthcare. 
- Supports abortion access and promises to make efforts to expand reproductive care.

Healthcare

Believes voter suppression, gerrymandering, and power grabs harm democracy and damage trust. Plans to serve with "accountability, transparency, and honesty."

Promises to uphold accountability, transparency, and honesty in office. 

Opposes efforts to restrict voting and gerrymandering maps.

- Promises to uphold accountability, transparency, and honesty in office. 
- Opposes efforts to restrict voting and gerrymandering maps.

Voting & Elections

Promises to order gun policies be implemented that increase child safety at school and home.

- Promises to order gun policies be implemented that increase child safety at school and home.

Public Safety

Believes strong public schools are essential for strong communities. Supports fully funding public schools and expanding early childhood education.

Plans to fully fund public schools and provide more support for early childhood education. 

Believes "intellectual freedom and quality education are sacred rights." Supports fair pay and respect for teachers and staff to reflect their professionalism and importance.

Believes "intellectual freedom and quality education are sacred rights." 

Promises to work towards expanding childcare.

- Plans to fully fund public schools and provide more support for early childhood education. 
- Believes "intellectual freedom and quality education are sacred rights." 
- Promises to work towards expanding childcare.

Education

As of June 14, 2024, Beth Gardner Helfrich’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

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Beth Gardner Helfrich

Beth Gardner Helfrich is a third-generation resident of Davidson and a graduate of North Mecklenburg High School and Davidson College. She is married to Tim and is a mother to five children. There is no information provided about the church she attends.

Beth Gardner Helfrich is an educator and former school administrator with nearly two decades of experience. She has also been involved in a family-owned small business.

As of July 8, 2024, Beth Gardner Helfrich’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Believes North Carolina public education is at a "tipping point" and supports fully funding public schools and expanding early childhood education.

Supports education through active involvement in local schools, including serving as PTO President and participating in the School Improvement Team.

The candidate's website says, "North Carolina public education is at a tipping point."

Melinda is from Johnson City, Tennessee. She attended East Tennessee State University. She is married to her husband, John, with whom she has 2 sons. 

Melinda previously worked as a quality manager at MCI Corporation. 

Melinda Bales currently serves as a Huntersville Town Commissioner. She was elected to this position in 2011. She previously served as the Mayor of Huntersville. She was elected to this position in 2021 and served for 1 term. 

Plans to reform the state's transportation funding mechanism and expedite infrastructure projects to improve economic conditions.

Plans to change the state transportation funding process by depending less on gas taxes. 

Wants to develop strategies to complete infrastructure projects more quickly.

- Plans to change the state transportation funding process by depending less on gas taxes. 
- Wants to develop strategies to complete infrastructure projects more quickly.

As of June 14, 2024, Melinda Bales’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Said, "I am personally pro-life... I do not believe that there is a perfect solution, but I do believe the answer lies somewhere between 12 and 20 weeks... The important piece to me is ensuring that the exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and child remain the law of the land."

Supports limited access to abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Said, "I am personally pro-life... I do not believe that there is a perfect solution, but I do believe the answer lies somewhere between 12 and 20 weeks... The important piece to me is ensuring that the exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and child remain the law of the land."

- Supports limited access to abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Said, "I am personally pro-life... I do not believe that there is a perfect solution, but I do believe the answer lies somewhere between 12 and 20 weeks... The important piece to me is ensuring that the exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and child remain the law of the land."

Wants high schools and community colleges to form relationships with businesses to develop job training programs.

Wants the highest performing technical high schools to provide job training in business sectors based on the student's individual interests.

- Wants high schools and community colleges to form relationships with businesses to develop job training programs.
- Wants the highest performing technical high schools to provide job training in business sectors based on the student's individual interests.

Melinda Bales

Melinda Bales was born and raised in Johnson City, TN, and attended East Tennessee State University as a business major. She has been married to John William for 32 years and is the mother of two sons, Joshua and Jonathan. Melinda and her family have lived in Huntersville for 24 years, and she has served as the Women’s Ministry lay director at Christ Community Church for six years.

Melinda Bales has served as the mayor of Huntersville and on the Huntersville Board of Commissioners. She has also worked as a trainer and quality manager for a Fortune 50 company. Her involvement in local government began with her appointment to the Huntersville Greenway, Bikeway, and Trails Commission, where she later became the chairperson.

Melinda Bales has over 12 years of experience in local government, having served on the Huntersville Board of Commissioners and as the Mayor of Huntersville since being elected in 2021. She has been involved in various committees and boards, including the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors, the Metropolitan Transit Committee, and the Centralina Economic Development District Board of Directors. Bales also co-chairs the Lake Norman Education Collaborative and has previously served as chairperson of the Huntersville Greenway, Bikeway, and Trails Commission.

Supports improving North Mecklenburg's economy by focusing on schools, roads, and job creation.

Believes in creating top-quality technical education high schools with specific career training. Plans to provide funding for transportation within attendance zones to ensure all students can access their chosen programs.

Supports investing in workforce development from high school through higher education. As co-chair of the Lake Norman Education Collaborative, connected businesses with schools; as a state House member, plans to enable educational institutions to partner with businesses for job training programs.

Supports collaborating with Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools for major north Mecklenburg school renovation and construction projects in the 2023 bond package.

- Your State Representative participates in the legislative process at the state level. They are one of 129 members of the North Carolina House of Representatives. The North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's lawmaking body).
- Your State Representative drafts laws, approves budgets, has oversight of the state executive branch, and debates and votes on proposed laws.
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your State Representative can serve on committees. This is important because many bills can be stalled in committee, preventing them making it to a vote.
- Your State Representative is responsible for representing your interests. They also are responsible for helping you navigate the state's services and bringing back resources to your district.
- State Representatives are elected to a 2-year term. There is no term limit.

Your representative and state lawmaker in North Carolina House of Representatives.

North Carolina State Representative, District 98

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