Meet Beth

Beth Krom was born in Buffalo, NY in 1958. Her father was an anchorman on the local news. Beth likes to tell people that when she was growing up, if she wanted to see her father she had to watch the news. She credits her mother for modeling her values of advocacy, social justice and civic participation. Tagging along to meetings of the League of Women Voters, attending public hearings and canvassing for candidates, Beth learned about the impact political leadership and citizen activism can have on shaping both our local and national agenda.

She received a degree in Education of the Visually Impaired from the University of Texas at Austin. While teaching at the Texas School for the Blind in Austin, she met and married her husband, Solly. In 1985, Beth and Solly relocated to Irvine where they opened an optometry practice and raised their children.

Skeptical about the ability of city leaders to effectively fight a proposed airport that her community didn’t want, she decided to run for Irvine City Council and was successfully elected in November 2000. Beth helped stop that airport and went on to win four more consecutive elections, including two terms as the directly elected Mayor of Irvine. As mayor, she advanced initiatives that support balanced planning, “smart growth” and environmental stewardship, and enhanced community partnerships with local educational institutions, businesses and non-profits.

During her tenure as mayor, Irvine was recognized as the “Safest Big City in America” all four years. During those same four years, budgets were balanced and city reserves were tripled, without raising taxes, cutting services or laying off a single employee.  The city was also named one of the ‘greenest’ cities in America.  Because term limits prevented her from seeking a third term as mayor, Beth ran and won a seat on the Irvine City Council in 2008.

Frustrated by the stridently partisan, ineffective and non-responsive profile of the incumbent Congressman, Beth launched her Congressional race in March of 2009. Because of her extensive background in local government, Beth understands how decisions made in Washington impact local communities and wants to bring that experience to the table.

In the past decade of service to her community, Beth has earned a reputation as an effective and accessible leader by working collaboratively with business and labor, the education community, and public officials. She is known as being “results-oriented” and wants to work across the aisle in pursuing equitable solutions to the challenges we face.