North Bay Assemblyman Jim Wood reflects on nearly a decade of work in the Legislature

In the nine years Jim Wood has been a state assemblyman, he said he’s always prioritized policy over headline-grabbing political issues.

Wood, 63, said he’ll continue to do so in the next 12 months before he leaves office, capping off a decade as a state legislator — he’s decided not to run for re-election in 2024.

“All of my legislation, everything I've done for the last nine years and will continue to do is focused on what I perceive to be the needs of the district,” Wood said during a phone interview Saturday morning. “I don't get involved in national, political-type issues. It's just not who I am.”

On Friday, he announced that he would not be running for re-election, citing the need to spend more time with his family, including his aging mother who lives out-of-state and is experiencing some health challenges.

“I need some time to focus on her, and this lifestyle, this job has a certain lifestyle,” he said. “My weekends are usually not my own...a lot of folks go to work Monday through Thursday or Monday through Friday or whatever their work schedule is. They have real off time but we don't in this job.”

The Healdsburg Democrat, whose 2nd District encompasses a vast swath of the North Coast, from the Oregon border to Bodega Bay and Santa Rosa, is chair of the powerful Assembly Health Committee and also sits on the Agriculture; Budget; Insurance; and Natural Resources committees.

Wood’s support helped State Assemblyman Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, land that legislative chamber’s speakership this past summer, setting the stage for an even busier schedule for Wood’s role in Sacramento, said Sonoma State University political scientist Dave McCuan.

“By helping get Rivas into leadership, he is in that kitchen cabinet, and that’s 24/7 seven,” said McCuan, adding that Wood also stands to play a larger role in Sacramento through his work with Healdsburg’s Sen. Mike McGuire, who sometime next year will assume the role of Senate president pro tempore, the highest ranking leader and most powerful member of the California Senate.

McCuan, who has known Wood for a long time and has watched his career closely, said the assemblyman is a strong and serious leader in Sacramento who is stepping down “at the top of his game.” Wood, he said, is known for championing “dense” issues such as health care affordability, broadband access in rural communities and clean energy.

They’re not sexy, but they’re important to the people Wood represents, McCuan said.

“He has had accomplishments, but at the same time he’s frustrated because he knows there’s so much more to do and he's at that place where he could really influence those outcomes and he's got to step back,” McCuan said.

California legislators are limited to a maximum of 12 years in office between the Assembly and Senate. Wood’s fifth two-year term goes through December 2024. Had he run and won reelection next year, he would have left office in January 2027, McCuan said.

On Saturday, Wood reflected on his time in office with a sense of pride and accomplishment. He said his immediate focus is finishing out his last year in office. After that, his priority will be helping care for his mother and being with his family.

But Wood made clear he is not retiring. He said he envisions continuing to work in some capacity on those issues where he’s gained expertise.

“It's no secret that I have a passion for health care and improving the health care system in California — we'll see where that leads,” he said. “More recently I have been very focused on energy issues, particularly with our desire to get to 100% clean energy in California.”

Wood, a dentist and former Healdsburg mayor, said he’s completely retiring from dentistry at the end of this year, something he’s been planning to do for some time. He’s been doing forensic dental consulting for Sonoma County for the past 27 years, and has also done work for Mendocino and Lake counties.

He said he did forensic work during 9/11, Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, the North Bay Wildfires in 2017 and the Camp Fire in 2018. His forensic work during the Camp Fire, where 85 people were killed, took its toll, he said.

“I've seen a lot. I hope my work has brought closure to families who might otherwise not get it,” he said. “But it takes a toll, and and I think it's time for me to turn that over to a friend and a colleague and kind of close that chapter of my work.”

Wood marks as one of his two biggest legislative accomplishments in Sacramento passage of AB 890, a law that gives nurse practitioners the ability to practice, with proper training and experience, primary care without the supervision of a physician.

He said his other legislative achievement, the one he’s most proud of, is the work he did with Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration in creating the Office of Health Care affordability. That body, which has enforcement powers, is now gathering data and and working through processes that will help control skyrocketing health care costs.

“Voluntary goals don't mean anything if you don't have a way to enforce them,” he said. “So my hope is that that will be a key piece of how we begin to rein in the ever increasing costs of health care.”

As for who will might run for his Assembly seat, Wood said he’s had conversations with a few prospects, including Santa Rosa City Council Member Chris Rogers and Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. Hicks lives in Arcata, Wood said.

Wood said he’ll likely make an endorsement once he finds out who is running. “Only time will tell, but those two folks are interested,” he said.

McGuire, reached by phone Saturday afternoon, said Wood’s decision is a huge loss for the North Coast and the rest of the state. He said Wood has been a proven leader who has worked on some of the most critical issues during a period of disaster after disaster.

"We've partnered on earthquake recovery in Humboldt County, we've been working together to hold PG&E accountable,“ McGuire said. ”There hasn't been an issue that has impacted North Coast residents that Jim Wood hasn't been involved with and been leading on.“

McGuire said among Wood’s biggest accomplishments has been his work heading the Health Committee, championing the expansion of health insurance to millions of vulnerable Californians.

“This literally would not have happened without Jim Wood, his tenacity in leadership,” he said. “California is healthier thanks to his focus.”

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.