All four Woodstock incumbents on the ballot held their seats in Tuesday’s election, with Mayor Michael Caldwell and three city council members winning by comfortable margins.
Why It Matters: The results signal voter satisfaction with current city leadership and ensure continuity in Woodstock’s governance as the city continues managing growth and development pressures.
What’s Happening: Caldwell defeated challenger Martha Jean Schindler with 67% of the vote, capturing 3,915 votes to Schindler’s 1,955, according to Cherokee County election results.
In city council races, all three incumbents won decisively. D. Warren Johnson retained his Ward 1 seat with 3,442 votes against Trent Harrison Council’s 2,111. Colin Ake ran unopposed in Ward 3, receiving 4,780 votes. Brian Wolfe held Ward 5 with 3,418 votes compared to Gopi Govindaraj’s 2,230.
By The Numbers: Woodstock voters also approved two tax exemption measures by wide margins. A senior tax exemption for surviving spouses passed with 86% support in the city, while a similar countywide homestead exemption amendment won with 88% approval.
The countywide transportation sales tax referendum passed with 60% of the vote, receiving 25,132 yes votes against 16,479 no votes.
What’s Next: The newly elected officials will take office in January, according to standard municipal election timelines in Georgia.
The Sources: Cherokee County Board of Elections.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
