Former legislators divided if Wood can be effective

Last modified: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 2:06 PM CDT

Former legislators divided if Wood can be effective

Jeff Wood can successfully make the switch from Republican to independent status and still be an effective legislator for the 67th District in the Assembly, Larry Balow says.

But Tom Sykora is skeptical that’s going to happen. Sykora says he likes Wood and thinks the world of him.

“But this is not going to work,” Sykora said.

Balow and Sykora know how the Assembly operates. Both served there for six years. Balow, now an Eau Claire City Council member, represented the 68th District as a Democrat. Sykora, who operates Woodlund Home Center in Bloomer, was Wood’s predecessor in the 67th, leaving the Legislature in 2003.

The Chippewa Herald first reported Tuesday on Wood’s decision to run as an independent while seeking re-election to a fourth term in November. Wood cited differences with Republican policies on both the state and national level in making the switch.

“I’m disappointed,” Sykora said. He said he’s not thrilled with the two-party system, but recognizes how the political game is played.

“If you play for Chi-Hi or McDonell (high schools), you can’t just say, ‘I’m going to be a homeschooler.’ You just have to be on one team to be effective,” he said.

You can’t just jump out of the box and expect to be able to work with the party system, Sykora said.

“I always thought that if you have a structure to work within, that you’re able to put pressure on it in smart ways to get what you need to do for your district,” he said.

The reality is there are two parties and you have to make a choice where to run and how you can best represent your district, Sykora said. “The representative has to look at what the district needs and what’s going to be in the best interests for the people there. And then you go to Madison and fight for it,” he added.

Power is possible

Balow worked with both Sykora, and then Wood in the Assembly. He was not caught off-guard by Wood’s announcement.

“It does not surprise me a bit, because Jeff has always been a real independent person,” Balow said.

Wood said when he first ran for the Legislature that he would be his own man, Balow said.

“The problem is, when you get down to Madison, it’s we-and-them,” Balow added. Wood did not care for the partisanship and voted a couple of times with the Democrats.

“I’m sure when he got into (the Republican) caucuses they laid into the guy,” Balow said.

Wood loves politics and is a smart guy, he said. He wants to go down to Madison and vote what’s best for his constituents, but the conservative agenda by the state Republican Party does not fit what the Chippewa Valley needs, according to Balow.

Currently the Assembly has 51 Republicans and 47 Democrats and Wood as an independent. Balow said Wood could wield a lot of power if voters in November leave the Assembly with 49 for each party, he added.

Not told

One person kept in the dark about Wood’s decision was state Rep. Terry Moulton (R-Town of Seymour), Balow’s successor in the 68th District.

“It caught me totally by surprise,” Moulton said Tuesday.

Moulton said it would be different for an independent Assembly member to be an effective legislator. “Who do you caucus with? Who do you deal with?” Moulton asked.

“It just seems like it would be a difficult situation to accomplish anything.”

But Moulton said Wood’s switch will not change how he works with him. “It just would be another aisle I would be working across,” he said.

Asked if the area lost political clout with Wood’s switch, Moulton said: “I don’t know the answer. It just depends on what Jeff’s constituents do.”

Kreitlow applauds move

Wood’s switch drew cheers from one state Senate Democrat.

“Jeff Wood’s loyalty to his district and his commitment to responsible leadership is well known around the Chippewa Valley,” state Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D-Chippewa Falls) said in a statement. “I applaud him for making the tough but smart decision to leave a party that has fallen short of the values he embraces.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Jeff on several bi-partisan solutions for the Chippewa Valley economy, and (Tuesday’s) announcement won’t change that. . . I’m proud of the fact that we’re able to put our differences aside or seek common ground when it comes to serving our constituents.”

State Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford), who represents the 69th Assembly District that includes Boyd and Stanley, was away from his office Tuesday on National Guard maneuvers.

Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) said Republicans will continue to work with Wood.

“Like many of the Assembly Republican caucus, Jeff has always been a very independent member,” Huebsch told The Chippewa Herald on Tuesday.

“He’s just kind of made that official today. With that in mind, if Jeff gets re-elected, we’ll certainly work with him in the next session.”

Wood move to Chetek ‘temporary’

Party affiliation is not the only thing Jeff Wood has changed this past week. He also has a new, if temporary, home: Chetek.

Wood, who has lived in Chippewa Falls since he first ran for office in 2002, has sold his house and moved his family into Barron County.

“We closed on our house last Monday,” Wood said Tuesday. “My mother-in-law offered to rent us her house on the Red Cedar River for the summer.”

So for the next couple of months, Wood is living near Chetek in Sioux Creek township, one of three townships in Barron County that lie in the 67th Assembly District.

“This isn’t a permanent residence change,” Wood said, noting he had to put his new Chetek address on his filing papers. “We are going to be looking for a house back here.”

— Ross Evavold