H. Peter Wood

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H. Peter Wood is a Franklin County, Massachusetts politician and recently-defeated Register of Deeds. After being elected twice as a Republican, Wood lost two consecutive write-in bids during the fall of 2006 and left office on January 3, 2006. Wood's defeat was attributed to a last-minute switch to the Democratic party and failure to file timely election paperwork.

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[edit] Public service and experience

Wood was elected to six-year terms in 1994 and 2000. Wood, a Greenfield resident, is up for re-election in 2006. Wood's bid for re-election was caught up by a bizarre chain of events that forced him from the ballot. Wood switched parties along with Town Council President Timothy Farrell in late 2005.

He is best known for being in office during the transition from county to state oversight of his office. Wood has also operated a family Christmas Tree farm. Known as "Pete" or "Peter" to most voters, Wood has history of working on agricultural issues. He is well-regarded in the community for this work. Wood has also held leadership roles in higher education.

Wood was sought and received the nomination of the Republican Party both in 1994, when William Weld ran for governor and in 1998, when Argeo Paul Celluci faced midterm state elections. Wood defeated the Democratic nominee in 1994 and was unopposed in 2000.

[edit] 2005 party switch: GOP to Democrat

Although a lifelong Republican, Wood had a change of heart and switched parties in late 2005. He announced his intention to leave the Republican Party and became a Democrat. Wood had put much thought into the decision and said that he was bothered by Republican governors ignoring him. Unbeknownst to Wood, Massachusetts election law prevents candidates from appearing on partisan ballots within a year of changing parties. After gathering signatures to appear on the Democratic primary ballot, Wood was informed that he was not eligible due to the recent timing of his switch. Precinct 2 Town Councilor Joseph A. Gochinski had already indicated his intention to run for the Democratic nomination by the time Wood switched parties. Although it originally appeared that Gochinski would face Wood on the general election ballot with Wood as a Republican and Gochinski as a Democrat, the news that Wood switched parties changed the dynamics of the race. The surprise that Wood could not appear on the Democratic ballot further complicated matters as it put Wood's general election ballot status up in the air altogether. It presented the strange and unforeseen scenario of an incumbent running again without the benefit of guaranteed ballot placement.

[edit] Failed re-election attempt

Undeterred, Wood has continued to seek re-election, saying that he has a proven track record of success and modernization. It is unclear whether the ballot snafu will overshadow Wood's substantial accomplishments or fade away. The debacle of a long-time elected official not knowing basic ballot rules may pale in comparison to years of unquestioned public service.

The result that Wood had to accomplish the daunting task of obtaining more write-in votes in the September 19, 2006 Democratic primary was a challenge in a rural county containing dozens of small towns.

Gochinski will face unopposed Republican At-Large Town Councilor Isaac Mass in the November 7, 2006 general election. Mass entered the race after Wood left the GOP.

Election law allows Wood to run a write-in campaign for the general election. Wood has indicated an interest in such a move since being informed that many ballots would not have a special place for his stickers (see below). He is past the deadline to file for an independent run, but a write-in campaign in the general election still exists.

[edit] Wood faces more election snafus

On August 23rd, it was revealed in the Springfield Republican and the Greenfield Recorder that Wood did not have a space on the ballot for his stickers in some towns. These paper ballots do have an open space at the end of the ballot, since the Register of Deeds race is the last one on the ballot. This raised the issue of fairness, since that is the only position where there is an open space for a write-in candidate. The optical ballots used by some towns, including Greenfield, include a write-in space for every position. It is expected that the latest snafu will harm Wood's election prospects, both from a political and logistical perspective. The possibility of Wood filing litigation against the Commonwealth also arose, although it is unclear whether or not he would pursue such an option.

Undeterred, Wood sought re-election, saying that he has a proven track record of success and modernization.

Wood lost his general election bid on November 7, 2006 to Joseph A. Gochinski.

[edit] Defeat at polls lingers

The local political pull of those who backed Wood has been called into question by many political observers. Speculation about Farrell's role in the entire debacle has been rampant. The defeat of an incumbent county official is so rare in Massachusetts that it shocked many voters.

It is unclear where Wood's political home is now. He left the Republican Party only to be rejected handily by Democratic voters, leaving him only an independent run as an option. Many Republicans have expressed satisfaction that a "turncoat" (even compared to Benedict Arnold) met a swift defeat at the polls. They note that Wood would have likely strolled into office if he remained in the Republican Party. It was his switch alongside Farrell that directly led to his defeat, they claim.

Similarly, some Democrats felt that the party leadership was trying to pull a fast one on them by putting a brand-new Democrat before a seasoned one like Gochinski. They saw Gochinski as a long-time Democratic activist when compared to the suddenly converted Wood. Many simply had trouble stomaching a vote for a 12-year Republican official who appeared to switch parties for purely political reasons.

[edit] Wood Remains State Employee

Wood's future career is unclear. He still owns and operates his family's Christmas Tree farm, but has recently become a TRIAD sheriff's official at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. Critics charge that this state-funded agency is a bastion of patronage and one of the few jobs that would allow Wood to continue building his state pension. They note that some of Wood's strongest supporters work for the sheriff's office. There is also little evidence that Wood, a former agricultural extension agent and Register of Deeds, has law enforcement experience. Supporters of Wood counter that he is well-known among the elderly in the area and his trustworthiness makes him a perfect fit for the position. They further point out that Wood has extensive experience as a nearly lifelong state employee.

[edit] External links

H. Peter Wood does not have a campaign web site for inclusion on this list. The official Registry site is listed in order to provide equal representation.