Gary Woods, Merrimack District 30 State Representative Candidate

Patch Candidate Profile, Gary L. Woods

Age (as of Sept. 1, 2024)

82

Town or City of Residence

Concord 1982-1997
Bow 1997-2022
Concord 2022-present
Moving to Concord has been our best life choice: good schools for our children; active, friendly community; close to skiing, ocean and Boston. Being from California, I was sure the man said “Go East young man”!

Position Sought

NH House of Representatives, Merrimack District #30, Concord Wards 5,6,7,8

Family

My wife is Renia and we have 3 daughters.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

One daughter is a staffer at Dept. Health and Human Services

Education

University of California, Berkeley, BA, Physics, 1965
Johns Hopkins, MS, Biophysics, 1968
University of Rochester, M.D., 1972

Occupation

1977-1982 Faculty of University Rochester Med. Ctr., Depart. Orthopaedics — Hand Surgery
1982-2014 Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon at Concord Orthopaedics

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

• NH State Representative 2018-2022, Bow and Dunbarton.
• Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care (appt by Gov. Judd Gregg). Subsequently a variety of Commission appointments over the years as legislator or physician member. Currently serving on Commission on the Environmental and Public Health Impacts of PFAS Chemicals.
• NH Worker’s Compensation Adv. Council (~15yrs; chair ~5 yrs) appt. by various Governors.
• Pres. NH Medical Society 2005.
• NH Delegate(18 yrs) to American Medical Association House of Delegates and elected from there for 8yrs to Council on Science and Public Health.
• Heavenwood Heritage Heights BOD 9 yrs and current member of the Trust Fund Board.

Campaign website

gwoods4nhrep.org

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

There are many issues which have far reaching implications. Indeed, many overlap and must be considered together. Education is one such issue. Addressing the problem of funding is critical and currently in the courts. How the legislature responds will impact the tax structures throughout the state. This in turn will impact New Hampshire’s ability to attract new businesses. How this issue is resolved will impact the present and future extent and quality of education our children will receive and will reflect the quality of life for which New Hampshire is so well known. My goal is to guarantee our public education system is sufficiently supported: good teacher salaries, facilities conducive to learning, class size minimized to maximize learning, curriculum mature and of sufficient depth to challenge students to be their best, and a voucher system as an ancillary service available when the public education system has reached its maximum potential.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

It is difficult to form a true comparison on policy issues as my opponent has emphasized local problems which certainly are important but there is no track record on the wide variety of issues facing a member of the House: healthcare, climate, firearms, education, women’s issues, cannabis……

Perhaps a big difference I am able to point out is my technical background in physics as well as my state and national leadership roles which have allowed me to engage the issues just mentioned directly but also from a broad interdisciplinary perspective.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I feel connected to many issues:

Climate: Clarifying the science is important so all can understand the importance and implications of climate change. The immediate issues center around availability of clean energy sources and a mature grid. However, long term considerations include answering the question is the use of needed resources sustainable?

Healthcare for all: healthcare in ALL areas for both women and men.

Minimum wage: having a reasonable minimum living wage will make more housing affordable; increase access to healthcare; greater purchasing power helps the economic base and helps more individuals to be direct participants in the community at large and in having a greater control of their own life plans. This in turn decreases the need for public assistance and they become contributing citizens, all of which enhances self-esteem.

Gun violence: avoiding the presence of such an epidemic in our country is unsustainable. Simple guidelines similar to obtaining a drivers license would be a first step to responsibly address this issue without detracting from the sports or private security of firearms.

Other issues will become prominent as the next Hose session will address the State’s budget with its associated widespread impacts.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this position?

Having actively and successfully served two terms in the House and selected to serve on the “Problem Solvers” committee – an ad hoc committee of 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans meeting regularly to explore avenues of mutual interest in legislative development.
Serving on 8 Commissions during my tenure in the House and chair of 2.
My other leadership roles at the state and national level have also contributed by providing experiences relevant to successfully being an elected member of the NH House.

The best advice ever shared with me was…

Knowing only one side of an issue is the definition of prejudice (even if you may be right). To truly develop a decision, you must be able to argue both sides of an issue.

With this guiding principle, one is forced to pause and explore more possibilities. One might find your position is wrong or at least could be improved----all for a better outcome.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Why am I running for election? I feel so very fortunate to have experienced a wonderful education and professional life. I feel it a privilege to serve in a way my experiences will help enhance the outcome for others. My physics was very helpful in addressing technical details while serving on the Commission to address the human impacts of 5G radiation. My leadership roles in the NH Medical Society and the American Medical Association provided a wealth of perspective while serving on the Committee on Health and Human Services 2018-2022 in the NH House. As our technology often advances more rapidly than our social structures can accommodate, I hope I can use my experiences to help make the path forward smoother.

Last, yet foremost, I want to introduce my family. First is my wife, Renia, of 47 years with whom we’ve raised 3 wonderful daughters in NH and have 6 grandchildren all of whom have been supportive, encouraging and essential for any successes I have encountered in my medical practice as well as all the “extracurricular” activities along the way. All together, our family has benefited from the quality of life for which NH is known . I want to preserve that quality for current and future generations.