Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

I was born as the fifth in a family of thirteen children. I watched as my parents sacrificed to keep us all fed, clothed, and educated. As a child I learned that we all had to pitch in to create the results that we wanted.

Through pure determination and the grace of God, I was able to graduate from college with a Masters degree in Communicative Disorders.

After college, I went to work as a speech pathologist for disabled adults. I continued in that line of work for over twenty years; assisting both disabled adults as well as children who have been faced with multiple challenges.

I have been working for the past nine years as an educator with the McDowell County school system focusing on my duties as the Speech and Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Coordinator

Thirty-one years ago, out of pure fate, I met my husband Roy Ostgaard. His work as a biomedical engineer kept us traveling throughout the country.

I've been blessed to have lived in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Florida, and for the past decade have made my home in Marion, North Carolina. Roy now spends his time building furniture and doing some construction for local families.

Roy and I are blessed to have one daughter, Virginia. She is a sophomore at Appalachian State University working on her special education major.

My family and I attend Concord Methodist Church, a small community church at the base of the mountains in North Cove where I sing in the choir.

I volunteer with the McDowell County Health Coalitions Committee to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy, Parents and Professionals for Upward Mobility, and various food distribution programs in the area.

I am a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators, American Speech Language Hearing Association, State Employees Association, and National Rifle Association.

I'm Beth Ostgaard and I am running for North Carolina House of Representatives to bring new leadership, fresh ideas, and real results to our state and our communities.

It's a new decade and I believe that means it's time to hit the reset button in North Carolina.

As an educator, I have prepared my students to recognize challenges, meet them head-on and overcome them. Our current State Representative has been part of the problems in Raleigh since 1998. For the past 12 years, the challenges of District 85 have seemed too big for the solutions that are needed. That isn't because our problems are too big to fix, but because we haven't had the kind of visionary leadership it takes to solve these issues.

That is why I'm running and why I need your support. I'm in this race to make a real, tangible difference in our district.

Reduce our Unemployment Rates

Reduce the unnecessary tax burdens from our families and small businesses

Provide education for all citizens to meet the challenges of our economy

Create safe neighborhoods free from blight and crime
Protect our second amendment rights