A legislative aide to State Representative John Countryman announced Monday she will run for 38th District state senator in 1990.

Nancy Beasley, running as a Republican said, “The people of this district deserve better” than what they have gotten from her opponent State Senator Patrick Welch, D-Peru.

An NIU graduate, Beasley said NIU is “one of the finest universities in the country” and that “I am running for the students of this district who need the best education possible,” she said.

Beasley served on the Sycamore School Board for four years and said the issue of education funding is one of her “major” concerns. She said one of her prime objectives is to “obtain equitable funding for education… we need more money for education.”

At this time she supports the “very popular” proposal of a separate governing board for NIU, Beasley said.

Addressing the abortion issue she said, “Like the majority of people in this district, I strongly object to government interference in our private lives.” Abortion, education funding, environmental concerns and property tax relief will be issues during the race, she said.

Beasley received a bachelor’s of music degree from NIU in 1970 after 10 years as a student-at-large. “I stuck with that effort to get my degree for 10 years and I intend to put that same tenacity to work on behalf of this district when I get to Springfield,” Beasley said.

Although incumbent Welch is her opponent, she said,”I am not running against anyone, but rather I am running for the Senate.”

“Leadership cannot be found in headlines, ten-second sound bites and photo opportunities,” Beasley said, referring to her opponent. However, “I’m not looking for weaknesses in my opponent,” she said.

Beasley said she will get financial support from the Illinois Republican Central Campaign Committee realizing “the 38th District is key in 1990” and will support her campaign appropriately.