William Amos Hough High School - "Why Not Me?" Beth Helfrich: Redefining What It Means to Be a Politician

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"Why Not Me?”

Beth Helfrich: Redefining What It Means to Be a Politician

The full interview is embedded beneath the article

Novemeber 5th, 2024- Whittier Henry, Eli Barsoum, Madison St. Denis

North Carolina House of Representatives District 98 Democratic Candidate Beth Helfrich.

Can the common person be a politician, or is it reserved for the richest and the families with deep histories of power?

Any student taking AP United States Government and Politics has seen the same names spanning different units across American history. Bush. Clinton. Adams. Roosevelt. Kennedy. Romney. Harrison. Take the Kennedys for example. Eighteen members of the family and their spouses have served in the government in some capacity. Patrick Joseph Kennedy began the political legacy when he ran for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1884. Seventy-seven years later, his grandson, John F. Kennedy, was sworn in as president. By contrast, Beth Helfrich is the granddaughter of a professional magician. Her father was a set designer for a children’s theater. Even so, Helfrich is running for the North Carolina House of Representatives. She saw a problem and decided she was the solution.

Early Life and Background

On Friday, November 1, The Hough Headliner interviewed Beth Helfrich, a nominee for District 98 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Helfrich grew up in Mecklenburg County and graduated from North Mecklenburg High School and Davidson College. From a young age, Beth had a passion for leading. In second grade, she launched her first campaign for a student council leadership position. She jokingly mentioned that some of her peers described her child self as, “bossy.” As she says, “She always wanted to be seen as a voice for her community.” While at Davidson, she held multiple leadership positions, including roles within student government. Although a theatre major, she served as Freshman Senator, Sophomore Chancellor, and Junior Vice President channeling her passion for governance.

Her first job out of college many would consider as far away from politics as could be. She and three other performers toured elementary schools as members of the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. She and her fellow actors lived out of a van whilst on their trips. The following year, Helfrich worked within Davidson’s theatre department. Now, as she reflects on her involvement in theatre in her early life, she believes there are “lots of parallels between politics and theater.” She attributes many skills learned in the performing world to success later in life, “you have to be resourceful and creative and responsive and listen and respond.”

A young Beth Helfrich just before her first day of school

Helfrich and her family outside of Summit Coffee

She eventually followed her parents’ footsteps and dove into the field of education at Woodlawn School. Although the jump from performer to teacher may seem major to many, Helfrich took it in stride, “There’s just something that feels very natural and innate about the rhythm of the school year… It felt like just a very comfortable role to return to being inside the classroom.” She taught many subjects such as English, Language Arts, and Debate. Combining her change-making mindset and love for acting, she created Woodlawn’s theatre program. Her efforts did not go unnoticed. After just four years, she became the Head of the Upper School at Woodlawn. She served in education for nearly 2 decades. She believes there is “No energy like the energy inside of a school building.”

Since teaching, she has served in directorial positions at two beloved small businesses in Davidson’s downtown, right on Main Street. She was Communications Manager for Main Street Books, and she currently partially runs Summit Coffee with her husband and family. She also founded her own freelance writing company, Honed.

Why Run for State House?

So what inspired Mrs. Helfrich to run for state house? Her background as a lifelong leader and her government interest always seemingly made a campaign a likely possibility. However, stronger motivations inspired her decision to run. In the interview, she expressed that a 2023 incident in which a representative changed parties led to a “big change” in the North Carolina legislature. The incident she referred to was centered around NC representative Tricia Cotham. Ms. Cotham ran as a Democrat in the 112th district in North Carolina. Upon winning, she flipped her political allegiance to the Republican party. The resulting Republican supermajority caused what Helfrich believed to be a lack of “checks and balances.” Helfrich feels that her background and leadership skills can “flip the seat [and] make a difference” in the state legislature. She deeply values North Carolina as a “purple state” where "vote and voice really matter.”

The Campaign Process and its Challenges

Throughout her campaign, Helfrich has worked hard to balance her work and personal life. She states, “Running for office in a highly contested district has been a full-time commitment. We also have five kids, and I am still holding on to my part-time job [as a freelance writer]. It is really logistically and financially difficult to run for office.” Helfrich wakes up every morning between 5 and 6 a.m., handles school drop-offs for her kids, and starts campaign team meetings by 9 or 10 a.m. Days vary by campaign phase, with many evening events, forums, and meet-and-greets. She works long hours both to support her family and to run an effective campaign.

Another issue presented to Helfrich and her family of seven is ongoing vilification and mudslinging, a challenge almost all politicians are forced to endure. In response to tests like these, she takes a, “you can only control your own life and your own campaign” mentality. She says, “[my] kids check the mail and laugh through the ugly parts of the campaign.” She finds negative ads to be, “so untrue that it feels impersonal.”. Helfrich’s approach when dealing with negative attacks demonstrates a strong internal resilience.

Beth Helfrich and her family

Key Priorities

Due to her background in education, Helfrich hopes to increase funding for public schools. She grew up going to public schools; she attended North Mecklenburg High School. Although she and her husband both taught at private schools, all five of her children attend the local public ones. She believes that public schools are, "the greatest investment" for vibrant communities now and in the future. "If you are investing in those students, you are investing in the future of your state." Her action would have a direct impact on the Hough High School experience as well as public schools throughout North Carolina. During her time as PTO president at Davidson K-8, she saw firsthand the impact of state government on schools.

On another note, she hopes to continue to invest in the community of District 98, including the growing network of greenways, parks, small businesses, coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, and the vibrant arts scene. She also prioritizes national issues like gun safety and the climate crisis. She hopes to make her community, state, and country a safe place where people of all backgrounds can thrive.

Hopes for the Future

As a mother of five, Helfrich values the importance of young people in society. She hopes to inspire the younger generation to make a difference. She states, “You are the future…you don’t have to wait for it.”

If there is one question she wished the press would ask, it would be, “Why is voting so important to you?” Mrs. Helfrich believes that “it really matters who we are electing" at every level—whether it's the school board, town board, or planning committee—and that “[every] vote matters.”

She hopes to motivate all citizens to participate in the voting process, stating, “[I want] people to feel that politics belongs to all of us. Yes, my name is on the ballot, but this whole effort is about trying to shift the power back to the people."

Furthermore, she hopes to inspire more people to run for office. She declares, “If you are running, you are challenging the status quo…even if you do not win, you are still demanding something from the system.” She believes that anyone can be qualified enough to run, redefining conventional standards that many people assume a candidate must meet.

Helfrich and her youngest son

Beth Helfrich came from no political royalty. At every point in her life, she sought out improvement and took initiative. Helfrich saw an opportunity and thought, “Why not me?” She challenges all of us to consider, why not me?

The Hough Headliner reached out to Helfrich's opponent, Melinda Bales, but were unable to set up an interview.