Beth Wood


Beth A. Wood is an American politician and accountant serving as the 17th Auditor of North Carolina.

Political career

She is a certified public accountant and a former training officer at the Office of the State Auditor. Her 2008 run for state auditor as a Democrat was her first attempt at any elective office. In her 2012 run for re-election, she was endorsed by the News and Observer, whose editors wrote that Wood "has won respect for her leadership of an office that has not shied from criticizing agencies for instances of mismanagement."She was re-elected in November 2012 with more than 53 percent of the vote, over Republican Wake County Board of Education member Debra Goldman. Wood was narrowly re-elected to a third term as state auditor in the 2016 general election in North Carolina over Republican Chuck Stuber by just 6,042 votes out of more than 5 million cast.
Wood is North Carolina's first female state auditor. She was named one of the "most powerful women in accounting" for 2013 by CPA Practice Advisor.

Personal life

Beth A. Wood graduated from Wayne Community College and worked initially as a dental hygienist. She later pursued a bachelor's degree in accounting at East Carolina University, and became a certified public accountant in 1987. She worked at the Rayovac Corporation, as a CPA for McGladrey & Pullen, and as the chief financial officer for a furniture company.

Electoral history