Dr. Beth Liston brings her varied experience to the Statehouse as a physician, a mother and a professor. Since she was elected to office in 2018 as a Matriots endorsed candidate, she has been a voice of change. During her time in the legislature, Beth has fought to cut the cost of life-saving medicines, increase funding for public schools, and grow the local economy. When re-elected, she will continue to be a leader in the statehouse focused on greater support of women’s health needs and greater economic security for all.

In 2021, Representative Beth Liston will serve in the 134th Ohio General Assembly.

Rep. Beth Liston On Women Leading During COVID Crisis

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Meet The Candidate

Can you tell our members a little bit about your journey to filing as a candidate?

I have been caring for sick adults and children for more than 15 years. However, in the last several years I realized that there was only so much I could do to impact health from the hospital setting.  There are so many things that go into wellness – clearly healthcare but also education, financial security, a safe environment, etc. I ran for office to work on all of the issues that affect people’s lives directly.

Can you tell me about a woman who has had a big influence on your life and inspired you to become a leader? What lessons did she teach you? 

My mother is my hero.  A nurse by training, when my sisters and I were school-aged she went back to school to get a Ph.D. in education. Her research was on the impact of homelessness on health.  While on the surface it might seem pretty clear – homelessness is bad for health; this work enabled her to use her healthcare background on real problems in the world around us. She was able to use science and medicine in a broader way and this inspired me to do the same.

How did one of these experiences shape who you are as a person and a leader?

In medicine, my role is to reach out to people, find out what is bothering them, establish a connection, then work together to make things better. That is what I do in every part of my life.

The Matriots PAC has a bold goal to see 50% of all elected offices in Ohio held by women by 2028. What is your vision for Ohio in 2028?

As the saying goes “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” I am focusing on working hard to make things better for people in Ohio each day.

Tip O’Neill famously said that “all politics is local.” What are the top-two issues your community faces today?

We are all struggling with managing the fall-out from Coronavirus. It is so important that we address this using the best possible evidence to keep people healthy and support our schools and businesses

As a Matriots endorsed candidate in 2018 you were elected and now serve as an elected office. What policy change or improvement are you most proud of from your time in office?

Every day I stay focused on issues important to people in my district and in Ohio. There is so much going on nationally and there is so much division in politics. I am proud of my ability to connect with people directly and shine an important light on policies that impact health and wellness.

Tell us something personal about yourself. It can be a hobby, your favorite food, a funny pet story, something we might not know about you that you would like to share with our members.

I love board games. I have set up my ‘Zoom meetings’ so people can see a small portion of my board game collection (it is much larger than that one bookshelf!).  We love to play these as a family.