MENDOCINO Co., 11/12/23 — North Coast Assemblymember Jim Wood will not be seeking reelection in 2024, according to an announcement made this Friday. Wood, who worked as a dentist before taking to politics as a city councilmember in Healdsburg and then assemblymember, has represented the 2nd District of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and northern Sonoma counties since 2014 and consistently won an significant majority of the vote.
Wood noted in his announcement that family concerns are driving his decision: “Many in public office say they are leaving for personal or family reasons, but that is very real for me,” said Wood. “My mother has been in declining health and now requires an increasingly higher level of care and I want to be a meaningful part of that. I look forward to finding different ways to support my district and the issues that are important to them, especially challenges faced by rural communities.”
During his time in office, Wood worked on a number of legislative issues that are important to North Coast constituents, including cannabis, health care, broadband, domestic violence, wildfire prevention and recovery, environmental, water, and agricultural issues, and more, often in coordination with the North Coast’s State Senator Mike McGuire. You can see our complete coverage of him here. Wood also periodically worked as a dentist while in office, such as serving as a forensic dentist after the Camp Fire in Paradise, the Tubbs Fire, and after other wildfires and disasters.
Here’s the complete announcement from Wood’s office:
SACRAMENTO—Today Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) announced that he will not seek reelection in 2024, which would have been for his sixth and final term in the Assembly.
“Deciding not to run for my final term was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in many years,” said Wood. “I can make a case to continue my work, but I believe now is the right time for me to change my focus.”
Wood was elected to the 2nd Assembly District in 2014, representing Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity and northern Sonoma County, including the city of Santa Rosa. His final two-year term would have ended in December 2026.
“I practiced for nearly 30 years as a family dentist in Cloverdale and served on the Healdsburg city council, including a term as mayor, where I gained a tremendous sense of community and an in-depth understanding of the challenges that this mostly rural district faces,” said Wood. “The district is vast in geography, but smaller in population, and includes more than 300 miles of spectacular coastline. I have been an outspoken advocate for rural communities, regularly reminding my colleagues that in a state as large as California, solutions cannot be one-size-fits-all.”
During Wood’s tenure, he has served on many committees including Budget, Health, Natural Resources, Insurance, Agriculture and Water, Parks and Wildlife. These committees relate to some of the most pressing issues facing the district.
“As a member of these committees, I have been an advocate for broadband for all, clean water and air, agriculture, the cannabis industry, watershed protection, wildfire prevention and rebuilding, access to affordable insurance, and ensuring that our electrical grid provides the capacity when and where we need it in order to meet our housing and climate goals, including development of offshore wind,” said Wood.
Wood was named chair of the Assembly Health Committee in early 2016 and has remained chair since then.
“As chair of Assembly Health Committee, I’m proud that our state has taken a leadership role on so many of the most pressing issues,” said Wood. “I’ve taken on virtually every entity within the expansive health care industrial complex, and always with the end goal of improving the quality of health care and making it affordable and accessible for Californians. And although we have accomplished a lot, especially the creation of the Office of Health Care Affordability, there is still more work to be done and I plan to continue that work in 2024.”
The 2nd Assembly District, historically, has not been considered competitive, with Wood taking nearly 70 percent of the vote in 2022.
“Many in public office say they are leaving for personal or family reasons, but that is very real for me,” said Wood. “My mother has been in declining health and now requires an increasingly higher level of care and I want to be a meaningful part of that. I look forward to finding different ways to support my district and the issues that are important to them, especially challenges faced by rural communities.”
“Jim Wood will go down as one of our most distinguished legislators,” said Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas (D-Salinas). “His love for this state knows no bounds, and he’s committed a lifetime to ensuring future generations can realize the California Dream. I thank Jim on behalf of the entire Caucus, for all his achievements and dedication, and I’m also proud to call him a dear friend and trusted colleague. I also look forward to working with him into 2024, in particular on health care priorities, as he completes a decade of service in the California State Assembly.”
“I’ve known for a very long time that our Speaker, Robert Rivas, would be a strong leader and the right person to lead our caucus and the entire Assembly into the future,” said Wood. “He is a true friend and someone who understands the common interest we have in supporting and protecting the people in our rural communities and how their needs are unique, oftentimes requiring unique policies and solutions. I’m so grateful to be working with Speaker Rivas and it makes me proud to serve and extremely optimistic for California’s future.”
Nov. 10, 2023 press release from Assemblymember Jim Woods office.
