Longtime political operative Peggy Moore and her wife, Hope Wood, died Friday, May 10, in a car crash at Pala Rd., just east of Horse Ranch Creek Road in San Diego County. The head-on collision, which occurred around 11 p.m., left four people dead and a fifth person was reported to have survived and transported to a local hospital in serious condition.
Moore and Wood met while working on President Barack Obama campaign in 2008 and then went on to open the political consulting firm Hope Action For Change in 2019. Moore worked as a special projects manager for former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and more recently worked on Councilwoman Heather Hutt’s Los Angeles City Council re-election campaign.
In a social media post California Congresswoman and former California Senate candidate Rep. Barbara Lee said, “I’m heartbroken to hear of the tragic loss of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood. Peggy was a friend, an activist, and one of the best organizers I knew. Her passion and fight for justice and equality is what brought her and Hope together.
“Together they organized, changed hearts and minds, and helped to create a world where who you love doesn’t limit your freedom,” Lee added.
“Both Peggy and Hope made an impact on our community, on our city, on our state, and on our nation that will be felt for generations to come.”
A news release from the California Highway Patrol said the driver of a silver Chrysler 300 in the eastbound lanes of state Route 76 swerved into the westbound lanes and collided head-on with a white Jeep Gladiator. A Toyota Camr,y which was driving behind the Jeep, was also damaged. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The Hope Action For Change website said the loving couple “created their consulting firm utilizing equity-centered design processes, identifying opportunities for both individual and organizational growth and employing a compassionate approach that engages the most marginalized voices to build a culture of resiliency, cohesion and success.”
Moore, 60, and Wood, 48, were committed to causes aimed at empowering other women of color and protecting the rights of same-sex couples.
