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Claudia Wood
Claudia Wood (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Forsyth County Schools school board to represent District 4 in Georgia. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Wood completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Claudia Wood was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. She earned a high school diploma from East Allegheny High School and an associate degree from the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 1981. Her career experience includes working as a director. As of her 2024 campaign, Wood had worked in the early childhood education field for 32 years.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Forsyth County Schools, Georgia, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Forsyth County Schools school board District 4
Chris Grimes defeated Claudia Wood in the general election for Forsyth County Schools school board District 4 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris Grimes (R) | 78.0 | 22,788 | |
 | Claudia Wood (D)  | 21.9 | 6,386 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 29,199 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Forsyth County Schools school board District 4
Claudia Wood advanced from the Democratic primary for Forsyth County Schools school board District 4 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Claudia Wood | 100.0 | 660 |
| Total votes: 660 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Forsyth County Schools school board District 4
Chris Grimes advanced from the Republican primary for Forsyth County Schools school board District 4 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Chris Grimes | 100.0 | 3,621 | |
| Total votes: 3,621 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wood in this election.
2022
See also: Georgia House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Georgia House of Representatives District 28
Brent Cox defeated Claudia Wood in the general election for Georgia House of Representatives District 28 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brent Cox (R) | 80.0 | 20,474 |
| Claudia Wood (D) | 20.0 | 5,118 | |
| Total votes: 25,592 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Georgia House of Representatives District 28
Brent Cox defeated Julie Tressler in the Republican primary runoff for Georgia House of Representatives District 28 on June 21, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brent Cox | 56.0 | 2,332 |
| Julie Tressler | 44.0 | 1,831 | ||
| Total votes: 4,163 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 28
Claudia Wood advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 28 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Claudia Wood | 100.0 | 1,113 |
| Total votes: 1,113 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 28
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Georgia House of Representatives District 28 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brent Cox | 32.3 | 3,367 |
| ✔ | Julie Tressler | 22.7 | 2,363 | |
| Tim Short | 21.0 | 2,188 | ||
| Blake McClellan | 13.4 | 1,396 | ||
| Donald Lannom | 7.2 | 746 | ||
| John Luchetti | 3.5 | 361 | ||
| Total votes: 10,421 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Claudia Wood completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wood's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- I would advocate to improve mental health resources: Propose the implementation or expansion of on-site mental health services, including hiring more school counselors and psychologists to ensure students have access to professional support. Advocate for the integration of mental health education into the school curriculum to raise awareness and reduce stigma, empowering students to seek help when needed. Plan regular workshops and seminars for students, parents, and staff on topics such as stress management, emotional resilience, and healthy coping mechanisms. It is important to strengthen advisory councils that include parents, teachers, and students to provide input on school policies and decisions. These councils can serve as a critic
- Our public schools must provide each and every child the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential in life. Children are not standardized; each one needs and deserves personalized instruction. That requires both fully qualified professional teachers and opportunities to learn outside of school. Every jurisdiction needs to: (1) provide adequate funding for public schools; (2) deliver instruction in a way that recognizes the differences in both the interests and needs of specific children; (3) provide opportunities to learn outside of classroom time including afterschool, arts and recreational programs, and libraries; and (4) make schools a safe and fair environment for everyone.
- Enhance teacher recruitment and retention by developing a "Grow Your own Educator" program. Programs like this attract prospective teachers in our own communities through partnerships between school districts, colleges, and community organizations. It will provide wrap-around services and financial support; it encourages diversity in the workforce that reflects the diversity of the student population.
I believe engaging in early learning at the preschool and pre-K level is key to helping close achievement gaps. I also want to ensure that our educational resources currently in schools remain up-to-date, comprehensive, and relevant-- so students can leave school as academically prepared critical thinkers, ready for their next challenge.
This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining a responsible budget, providing accountability for programming and staff, ensuring the maintenance of our facilities, and working with union and community partners.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2022
Claudia Wood completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wood's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania to study Early Childhood Education. I have been married to my husband Jim for 32 years and I am the proud mother of three children and six grandchildren. All my children and four of my grandchildren were fortunate enough to attend Forsyth County Schools! My husband and I have lived in Forsyth County for 28 years and love being part of the community! My lifetime passion has been to ensure that our youngest learners have a safe, healthy And quality learning environment to thrive and grow! I was compelled to run for House District 28 for several reasons. First, and most importantly because our public education system is under attack. Teachers and educators are leaving the field on a daily basis. Georgia legislators spent the entire last session attacking our public education system. Education reform is necessary but needs to be done in an appropriate manner.
- To support Georgia Public Education and educators to ensure where every child gets what they need to succeed.
- Voter suppression is happening all over Georgia. Increased accessibility to the electoral process is integral to ensuring that every American can exercise their right to vote. Leagues across the United States work year-round to promote pro-voter reforms that both preserve our existing rights and provide flexibility for casting ballots in order to be inclusive of historically underserved communities. We must continue to fight to expand voter access; many people still face disproportionate challenges to participate in elections due to factors including health, age, race, and gender. Our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard, which is why we strongly advocate for measures to make voting more accessible.
- Health care for all is a critical issue facing Georgians. The skyrocketing costs of critical prescription drugs is hurting Georgia families. Allowing the federal government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on the prices seniors are charged for life-saving medication, will ease this moral crisis. I understand that too often Georgians are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs or putting food on the table, and I believe the system that makes such a choice necessary is unconscionable and immoral.
Affordable childcare reform is essential but we need to invest in the child care system so that any American anywhere who has a young child has access to quality childcare. To me this goes back to our core American values. We talk about self-determination. We talk about choices but when we don't have a functional child care system what we're really doing is limiting the choices and limiting the freedoms of many families. Georgia families are constrained because we have decided that providing care for children is a completely individual responsibility and that society doesn't need to step up. And I just fundamentally think that's a misreading of what families need and who America is.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Forsyth County Schools school board District 4 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 16, 2024
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