Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 97. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
McLaughlin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin was born in Portland, Oregon. She earned a bachelor's degree in French, German, and political science from the University of Nebraska. Her career experience includes working as a teacher at Southwest High School.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The primary occurred on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin (D), Ryan Ray (D), and Diane Symons (D) ran in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin  | |
 | Ryan Ray | |
| Diane Symons | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97
Incumbent John McQueeney (R) ran in the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | John McQueeney | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2018
General election
General election for Texas House of Representatives District 97
Incumbent Craig Goldman defeated Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin and Rod Wingo in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Craig Goldman (R) | 53.2 | 35,171 |
| Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin (D) | 44.9 | 29,665 | |
| Rod Wingo (L) | 1.9 | 1,289 | ||
| Total votes: 66,125 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin | 100.0 | 7,628 |
| Total votes: 7,628 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97
Incumbent Craig Goldman advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 97 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Goldman | 100.0 | 9,714 |
| Total votes: 9,714 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McLaughlin's responses.
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- True representation means Texans of all backgrounds have seats in our government in Austin-people like me, a career public school teacher for over three decades here in Fort Worth. Education funding and policy decisions begin in Austin-and those decisions over the past two decades have been wrong. Passing the tax burden to local property owners. Wasting tax dollars on parallel charter school systems. Diverting money meant for all kids to vouchers that benefit the privileged few. Both for private profit-making, not the public good. Now the state is taking over local school systems who fail to meet questionable “standards”, dissolving elected school boards. All this must change. To serve all families.
- Texans must have the freedom to make decisions about their health and how to live their life. It is the most basic American value. No law should restrict what you do with your own body. No law should punish you for your religious beliefs or who you choose to love. American government, at all levels, should provide for the common good. For what affects all of us, living in community. Personal decisions that have no tangible impact on others should remain personal.
- Values like honesty, competence, fairness, responsibility, compassion, and belief in upholding the law used to be a minimum standard for officeholders. We need to elect people who have demonstrated these values boldly and consistently throughout their lives.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on July 15, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin's responses follow below.[2]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | Fully fund quality public education, including teacher healthcare and retirement benefits Support a budget that uses taxpayer dollars wisely to improve the lives of all Texans Promote legislation that protects the civil rights of all Texans[3][4] |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Public education is my top priority. Investment in our children is the foundation of our democracy. Education empowers individuals to lead better lives. I taught in public schools for 32 years-29 of them in HD97.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[4]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
| “ | My mother exemplified the kind of life I strive to live. She was the heart and soul of our family. She was smart, kind, loving, funny, open-minded and tireless. She was her high school valedictorian, but was unable to attend college herself. She (and my father) raised 5 children who all achieved academic success. She opened our home to exchange students, was a scout leader, church and hospital volunteer, and more. She lived a life of service to her family and to her community.[4] | ” |
| “ | Politics is indeed personal. Who you are as a person guides your political decisions. The Four Agreements by Don MIguel Ruiz is a touchstone for me.[4] | ” |
| “ | An elected official is a public servant. As such she should be accessible to her constituents and listen to and weigh their concerns. Honesty, transparency, integrity and the desire to work hard to serve others are key.[4] | ” |
| “ | I am a smart, hard-working career public educator who has experience working with people of all social and economic backgrounds.[4] | ” |
| “ | To help write and pass a budget that spends taxpayer money responsibly[4] | ” |
| “ | Strong, equitable public education for all Texans[4] | ” |
| “ | The assassination of JFK. I was 6 years old.[4] | ” |
| “ | Other than babysitting, I was a hostess at a pancake house while attending college.[4] | ” |
| “ | I don't remember![4] | ” |
| “ | Thanksgiving. Growing up, my family hosted the day. Our family of seven was joined by my grandparents, my aunts and their families and other cousins.[4] | ” |
| “ | Little Women. It exemplifies how women, in an American setting, can thrive through intelligence, devotion to family and high ideals, resilience and hard work.[4] | ” |
| “ | I can't think of one. I like my own life.[4] | ” |
| “ | I don't get attached to one particular "thing". When one of us would inevitably break something as children my mother would say, "It's alright. It's just a thing."[4] | ” |
| “ | Too many to recall. I am an auditory learner.[4] | ” |
| “ | In 2011 my husband was diagnosed with late stage blood cancer. I was a full-time caregiver for nearly 3 years as he endured and recovered from his treatment. He is now cancer-free, but disabled. Cancer changed the course of our lives, personally and financially.[4] | ” |
| “ | One state senator has more influence than one legislator.[4] | ” |
| “ | It can be, but I don't believe it should be a prerequisite. Our government is not truly representative of people if it consists primarily of career politicians or lawyers.[4] | ” |
| “ | Fully funding public education, health care and infrastructure as Texas' population continues to surge.[4] | ” |
| “ | One of cooperation, open-minded consideration of a variety of solutions to difficult problems, bipartisanship[4] | ” |
| “ | Of course. Knowing others and learning their personal stories helps facilitate understanding and cooperation.[4] | ” |
| “ | It is a difficult question. I believe drawing districts that reflect geographical or existing established governmental entities would lead to less polarization in America. Districts should be cities, counties, neighborhoods in their entirety. Current districts are often ridiculous-splitting neighborhoods.[4] | ” |
| “ | Education[4] | ” |
| “ | I greatly admire Ann Richards.[4] | ” |
| “ | No. I am applying for one job. This one.[4] | ” |
| “ | Many retired teachers have told me stories that match my own-the degradation of health care benefits that leave us in perpetual medical debt.[4] | ” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin | Candidate for Texas State Rep #97, "Meet Beth," accessed February 9, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin's responses," July 15, 2018
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
