Delegate Johnny Wood with wife Barbara and one of their nine children, Cathy Colonna
The Bay Net photo by Anna Bedford

Maryland Delegate John Wood Jr. (district 29A) took home another nomination from St. Mary’s and Charles county Democrats, with a decisive margin of victory in Tuesday’s primary.

Currently in his 20th year in the House of Delegates, Wood told The Bay Net his sound victory on Tuesday is a sign that Southern Maryland voters approve of the job he has been doing.

“It proves the fact that they know I’m there to do the job they sent me to do and I represent them well,” Wood said. “And that’s what I try to do.”

Wood, of Mechanicsville, claimed nearly 75 percent of the votes in the race against Clare Whitbeck, of Breton Beach. At the most recent count, Wood gained 2,895 votes to Whitbeck’s 1,031.

“I’m not a flashy guy, I believe in doing my job and working for my constituents, regardless if it’s in Annapolis or back here in my district,” Wood said of his campaign.

“I’m not the kind of guy that every time you do something you run out and waive your hands and say ‘I did this’,” he continued. “I just believe in doing that I was elected to do, and that’s work for my constituents.”

“I really want to thank all the people in St. Mary’s County and Southern Maryland that have supported me over the past 20 years,” Wood said. “I really appreciate it and I appreciate them for sticking with me. I’ve got great people working with me on the campaign and I got the best constituents in the world.”

As for the November general election, Wood is looking past the race against Republican Joe DiMarco of Mechanicsville to another four years serving Southern Maryland.

“Give me four more years and then he can try it,” Wood said, clarifying that he doesn’t have any retirement plans yet.

“You take one at a time, and in four years you never know what’s going happen,” said Wood, 60. “But right now I’m really, really happy, because I feel that what I’ve done in my 20 years, they appreciate it.”

After the votes were tallied, Whitbeck thanked her supporters on her website.

“If you are one of the over 1,000 voters who cast your ballot for me, Thank you!” Whitbeck said. “There weren’t enough of us that we could prevail, but we were heard.”