J. Grant Woods (May 19, 1954 – October 23, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as Attorney General of Arizona from 1991 until 1999. Woods was a moderate-to-liberal Republican who served as John McCain's chief of staff when he was a congressman. He endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election and Joe Biden in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Grant Woods | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Woods at Camelback Mountain in 2010 | |
| 22nd Attorney General of Arizona | |
| In office January 7, 1991 – January 4, 1999 | |
| Governor | Fife Symington Jane Dee Hull |
| Preceded by | Robert K. Corbin |
| Succeeded by | Janet Napolitano |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 19, 1954 Elk City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | October 23, 2021 (aged 67) |
| Political party | Republican (before 2018) Democratic (2018–2021) |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara Ross Marlene Galán |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Occidental College (BA) Arizona State University, Tempe (JD) |
Background and early career
editGrant Woods was the son of Joe Woods, a developer in the Mesa, Arizona, area.[1]
Woods attended the Arizona State University College of Law (later the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law), graduating in 1979.[2]
Career
edit
Woods, considered a moderate-to-liberal Republican,[3] was the Arizona Attorney General from 1991 to 1999.[2] In the 1980s, he was the first congressional chief of staff for the late U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and was a longtime friend and confidant of McCain's.[4]
During the 2016 United States presidential election, he endorsed the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. Regarding the two presidential candidates, he wrote, "Hillary Clinton is one of the most qualified nominees to ever run for president. Donald Trump is the least qualified ever. The stakes are too high to stand on the sideline. I stand with Hillary Clinton for president."[3]
Woods delivered a eulogy at Senator McCain's funeral in 2018. Woods recounted stories of his time with McCain and wrote that their friendship was "a little bit harrowing, a little bit wild ... but a lot of fun. And the greatest honor of my life".[4]
Jon Kyl was appointed to succeed McCain, but said he would not run for re-election. He resigned in December 2018 and Governor Doug Ducey appointed Martha McSally to fill the remainder of the term. A special election would be held in 2020. Woods considered running for the seat as a Democrat;[5][6] however, he announced on February 8, 2019, that he would not seek election to McCain's former senate seat in 2020 to avoid campaigning against other Democrats, stating that "Democrats are not the problem."[7] He supported Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and the 2020 United States presidential election, writing "The future of our country is at stake... If you think the last two and a half years have been bad, try eight years of Donald Trump. My message to Democrats is, 'Look we can have a nice primary, that's fine, but why don't we nominate somebody who can actually win?' That's Joe Biden."[8]
In June 2021, Woods was fired from the law firm Gallagher & Kennedy (G&K), after he sent out a tweet criticizing Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick. G&K is the legal representative for the Diamondbacks.[9]
Personal life
editWoods was married to the former Marlene Galán,[when?] and had five children. He died from a heart attack on October 23, 2021, at age 67.[2][10][11] Woods first wife, Barbara Ross, is the mother of his 2 oldest children.
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Grant Woods | 603,534 | 58.5 | ||
| Democratic | Georgia Staton | 426,726 | 41.4 | ||
| Libertarian | Bernie Lumbert (write-in) | 337 | .01 | ||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Grant Woods (incumbent) | 838,265 | 80.2 | ||
| Libertarian | John E. Karow | 207,710 | 19.8 | ||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
edit- ^ Altavena, Lily (March 9, 2018). "Prominent East Valley developer Joe Woods dead at 84". Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods dies at 67". AZ Family. October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Nowicki, Dan (September 28, 2016). "Grant Woods, former GOP attorney general, endorses Hillary Clinton for president". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Sanchez, Yvonne Wingett (September 1, 2018). "Tribute by Grant Woods: Friendship with John McCain 'the greatest honor of my life'". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Former Republican Arizona AG Grant Woods is now a registered Democrat". November 10, 2018.
- ^ "McCain's former chief of staff says he's considering Senate bid as a Democrat". The Washington Times. September 5, 2018.
- ^ Squires, Michael (February 8, 2019). "Grant Woods says he won't run for U.S. Senate in 2020". Arizona Republic. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ Montini, E. J. (April 30, 2019). "Joe Biden beats Trump (even in Arizona), says Grant Woods. Does Trump agree?". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Buchanan, Zach. "Former Arizona AG says D'backs owner sent hostile email over Twitter criticism". The Athletic.
- ^ Jeffrey, Courtland (October 23, 2021). "Grant Woods, former Arizona Attorney General, has died unexpectedly at age 67". KNXV. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Gonzales, Angela (October 23, 2021). "Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods dies at 67". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass - General Election" (PDF). November 6, 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2023.
- ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass - General Election" (PDF). November 8, 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2022.
External links
edit- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Official Website of Grant Woods (Unsecured)