Beth Troutman

Beth Troutman
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Troutman reported raising $197,553, and had $41,449 in the bank.
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This time around, it's Troutman, who proudly tells her supporters she was born and raised in Concord and worked for tip money at her father's restaurant, Troutman's Barbecue.

She began competing in beauty pageants as a teenager, winning the Miss National Pre-Teen competition and serving as spokesperson for then-First Lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug program.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Troutman moved to Los Angeles, where she spent four years working on production of NBC's "The West Wing," eventually managing the office of the director and executive producer.

Troutman said she decided to run after hearing about family friends who have lost their jobs.

"This is not about me," she said in an interview after making a speech at a campaign event in Concord."It's about how the people of the 8th District have been suffering for too many years."

She knows she's a long shot.
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Beth Troutman says she came home from Los Angeles because her friends lost their jobs.
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Last month, Troutman brought in actor Martin Sheen, who portrays Democratic President Josiah Bartlet on "The West Wing."
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"I'm supporting Beth's campaign for Congress," Sheen said, standing across the street from the plant where more than 2,000 workers were sent home when the textile company filed for bankruptcy.
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Hayes pounced at the chance to connect Troutman with Sheen's liberal leanings.
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Troutman sees it another way.

"I brought in a co-worker who knew me for four years as a hard-working colleague," she said.