Woodstock Mayor, City Council Incumbents Win Re-Election

WOODSTOCK, GA — Voters on Tuesday re-elected Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell, who is projected to retain his seat, city officials said Wednesday.

Caldwell defeated Martha Jean Schindler with 66.70 percent of votes, according to the Georgia Secretary of State Office. Caldwell secured 3,915 votes to Schindler's 1,955 votes.

“In the past four years, our (Woodstock) City Council has delivered lower taxes, record public safety investment and generational upgrades to our roads, water and parks," Caldwell said. "Thank you, Woodstock, for your trust and for the honor of serving you as your mayor. Together, we’ll keep building a city that feels like home.”

Incumbents Warren Johnson (Ward 1), Colin Ake (Ward 3) and Brian Wolfe (Ward 5) were able to hold onto their City Council seats. Ake ran unopposed, while Johnson and Wolfe garnered 3,442 votes and 3,418 votes respectively.

Woodstock voters approved the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, a 1 percent tax that funds local transportation projects. T-SPLOST slid to victory with 25,132 to 16,479 votes.

Voters also OK'ed a measure that would expand an exemption for senior property tax breaks to surviving spouses. The amendment passed 5,092 to 801.

"I'm so excited that they did," Caldwell said in a report by the Cherokee Tribune. "I think the intention of that exemption was always to ensure that after seniors had paid in for that period of time, that they had paid enough, and that should certainly survive with spouses."

City officials said a swearing-in ceremony will be held at the City Council's Jan. 12, 2026 regular meeting, though the mayoral and council victors will take office on Jan. 1. Their term will end on New Year's Eve 2029.

All results are unofficial until certified.