Craig Woods was re-elected to the Board of Education of School District No. 43 (Coquitlam) on October 17, 2026. The City of Coquitlam's official count gives him 15,763 votes, the most of the nine candidates for Coquitlam's four trustee seats, and the City's Chief Election Officer declared him elected on October 21, 2026. Rosey Manhas, second, had 12,684 votes. Freshet News and the Tri-Cities Dispatch both noted that his count was higher than the 15,654 votes of the new mayor, Craig Hodge. The City's results print no elector organization for any candidate, and VoteMate lists him as an independent.
The City's declaration of official results of 2022 gives him 11,521 votes, third of the four trustees elected that year. The School District's trustee page says he has lived in Coquitlam since 2004, served as president of the SD43 District Parent Advisory Council from 2014 to 2018, and since his election as a trustee in 2018 has served as Board vice-chair and chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, and now serves as the DPAC liaison to the Board and a director of the Coquitlam Foundation. Freshet News's candidate profile prints his occupation as school trustee for eight years plus more than 20 years in education, training and social services, most recently with SkilledTradesBC; that is his own account, and voche.me has not checked it with the employer.
The Board's minutes record his motions in 2026. On February 10, 2026 he seconded the motion that named the new school at 3390 and 3400 David Avenue Burke Mountain Secondary. On April 28, 2026 he moved third reading and adoption of the 2026/27 Annual Budget Bylaw, in the amount of $523,792,819, and of the capital bylaw amendment that sets school site acquisition charge rates; both passed unanimously. On June 16, 2026 he moved approval of the 2027/2028 Five Year Minor Capital Plan for submission to the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the adoption of new terms of reference for the Finance and Audit Committee.
Freshet News reported on September 8, 2026 that he launched his campaign for a third term on the day students returned to school, and that he would focus on boosting support for students, keeping resources in the classroom and improving school board accountability. The paper reported his account of his record: advocating for more educational assistants, keeping teachers connected to their schools, supporting new and expanded schools on Burke Mountain, at Scott Creek Middle and at Dr. Charles Best Secondary, championing the Tri-Cities Foundry, and increasing child care spaces. Freshet News quoted his release: "Experience helps make good change happen."
In Freshet News's candidate profile of September 30, 2026 he named putting students and their success first as his top issue. He said AI should be used in classrooms with guardrails and safety measures, that digital literacy and digital safety must both be taught, and that he would insist on a fair, transparent and unbiased process for hiring senior leadership. He said his children are recent graduates of the district's Mandarin bilingual program and that he hosts international students. On election night, Freshet News reported, he said he hopes to take on more of a mentorship role on the board and that continuity matters: "It's important to have new faces and new ideas, but incumbency is also important."
The Dispatch reported that four new trustees were elected to the nine-member board on October 17, 2026, that Coquitlam voters also returned Rosey Manhas and Chuck Denison, and that the board chair, Michael Thomas of Port Coquitlam, lost his seat.
The Dispatch's roundup of September 24, 2026 quoted his release: "Experience matters when it produces results." It reported his campaign's three themes and his support for new schools and expansions at Burke Mountain, Scott Creek and Charles Best.
