OUR CANDIDATE: BETH HELFRICH

• Deep Roots in the Community: Beth Helfrich is a third-generation resident of Davidson, NC, emphasizing her strong connection and commitment to the local community.
• Educational Background and Career: Helfrich has a background in education, having worked as a teacher and school leader for nearly two decades. She has also been actively involved in local public schools as a PTO President and a member of the School Improvement Team.
• Pro-Choice: Beth Helfrich will stand up for reproductive freedom and protect abortion rights.
• Public Education Advocate: Beth Helfrich will fight to restore full funding for our local public schools. She will work to reduce class size & increase teacher pay.
• Growth and Infrastructure: As a lifelong resident, Helfrich has seen the dramatic impact of irresponsible growth in this area. She will stand up to those profiting from over-development, without paying their share to address traffic & infrastructure in the area.
• Advocate for Working Families: As a working mom of five, Beth knows we are facing a childcare crisis. She will work to expand access to childcare, including incentives for businesses offering in-house daycare, tax credits for childcare expenses, and support for new childcare facilities
• Gun Safety and Environmental Initiatives: She supports gun laws, like background checks, to prevent criminals and domestic abusers from getting deadly weapons.   Helfrich will work for environmental policies aimed at creating safe and healthy communities.
• Business and Civic Involvement: Alongside her husband, who has been an owner of Summit Coffee since 2003, Helfrich is involved in local business and community efforts, including running her own writing business and working at a local bookstore.
• Commitment to Good Governance: Helfrich emphasizes the importance of accountability, transparency, and honesty in government, advocating for the protection and expansion of voting rights.
• Engaged Citizen and Community Champion: Helfrich is involved in civic activities, having organized fundraisers, served as a poll observer, and volunteered extensively in her community. This demonstrates her dedication to public service and community engagement.

OUR OPPONENT: MELINDA BALES

• Mark Robinson Clone: Bales is funded by the same extremists working with Robinson on his plans for the state to take over local public school curriculum, banning books and cutting science/social studies from elementary schools. Bales will fall in line with the extreme Republican agenda.
• Anti-Abortion: Bales is funded by the same team working with Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson for a total abortion ban, without any exceptions. This association will alienate voters who are concerned about aligning with extreme politicians.
• Low Support: Bales showed hardly any grassroots momentum in the latest reporting period highlighting the recurring issue of Republican candidates' problem of connecting with voters on the ground. They continue to get funded largely through Party contributions and Corporate PACs to fund their effort.
• Defund Public Schools: While Bales has kept tight-lipped about her extreme views, she has signaled favoring school vouchers for even the wealthiest families in her vote in favor of exploring Huntersville’s ability to build and run their own charter schools at taxpayer expense.
• Questionable Ethics: Bales accepted money from a developer for a controversial project that has over 1,600 signatures of her constituents opposing the development. This development project was ultimately pulled/didn’t go through after much public outcry.
• Favors Big Banks over the People: Bales has taken the side of big banks over her own constituents when she voted in favor of increasing returned check fees from $25 to $35, a 40% increase in 2022.