GoodParty.org candidate

Gopi Govindaraj

Woodstock City Council - Ward 5

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About the Office

The City Legislature is the municipality's governing body, responsible for voting on ordinances and policies, and often is in charge of hiring a city manager.

Term Length

4 years

Election Date

Nov 4, 2025

About Me

Party

Independent

Occupation

IT Leader & Lions Club Director

Fun Fact

In my free time i like to play pickleball, hike nature trails, and kayak. I love to cook and serve my family healthy and delicious vegetarian meals. I also like to grow vegetables in my backyard. I am left handed when writing or cutting vegetables. However when i play pickleball i use my right hand.

Past Experience

My name is Gopi Govindaraj, and I am running for Woodstock City Council in Ward 5 to bring greater transparency, proactively address our city’s infrastructure needs, and champion attainable housing for middle-income families. Woodstock is growing rapidly, but our leadership must do more to engage with residents, plan ahead for infrastructure improvements, and ensure that housing remains within reach for our hardworking community members—especially first responders, teachers, healthcare workers, and middle-class families. I have personally experienced the lack of transparency and communication from the city. Traffic congestion continues to worsen without effective solutions, and housing remains out of reach for too many. We need a council that listens, plans, and takes action. That’s why I am committed to: ✅ Hosting frequent Town Halls to improve communication and ensure residents have a voice. ✅ Prioritizing infrastructure projects that alleviate congestion and support sustainable growth. ✅ Implementing attainable housing policies so that everyone—from young families to essential workers—can afford to live in the community they serve. Woodstock deserves leadership that is proactive, transparent, and accountable. I am ready to work for you, and I ask for your support in electing me as your next City Council member for Ward 5.

My Top Issues

Enhancing transparency and accountability

I would like to see regular town halls and a responsive government in Woodstock..

Prioritize safe streets

I would like the city to address traffic congestion to keep traffic flowing and continuously address these issues in a pro-active way.

Mixed-income neighborhoods

The city has not prioritized housing for middle income families and all new construction has only focused on high income earners. Most of our middle income families rent and majority of our first responders and teachers do not live in the city. I would advocate for attainable housing for middle income households.

Who I'm Running Against

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