Eli Woody IV

Eli Woody IV was born in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated from Topeka High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Washburn University in 2012 and a graduate degree from the University of Colorado Denver in 2020. His career experience includes working as a high school teacher.[1] Woody has been affiliated with the National Speech and Debate Association.[2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a teacher, a toddler dad, a husband, and a lifelong Kansas native. My commitment to public service was shaped early on by my father’s work at our local Boys and Girls Club, teaching me that politics should be about people, not privilege.

Professionally, my heart is in education. After years in the classroom, I now work for an educational nonprofit helping students find their voices through speech and debate. Seeing my students struggle with issues like food insecurity and a lack of healthcare motivated me to move from the classroom to the statehouse to solve these problems at the root.

Today, I live in Kansas City, Kansas, with my wife, Amy, and our son, Theo. Like my neighbors in Wyandotte County, I feel the impact of rising grocery prices and high property taxes every day. I’m running to represent District 31 because I believe Topeka needs more working-class voices—more teachers and labor workers—who understand the real-world challenges Kansas families face.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Putting the Working Class First: Our legislature is often filled with the wealthy and privileged, but I believe Topeka needs more everyday people—teachers, nurses, and labor workers. I am running to be a voice for those of us who feel the pinch of rising grocery prices and property taxes. I will fight for an economy that rewards hard work and protects the right of workers to organize and thrive.Investing in Our Kids and Schools: As a teacher and a dad, I know that public education is the backbone of our community. I am committed to fully funding our public schools and ensuring that our tax dollars stay in our classrooms rather than being diverted to private school vouchers. We must respect our educators with better pay and benefits to ensure every Kansas child has the opportunity to succeed.Expanding Healthcare and Protecting Rights: No Kansan should have to choose between a doctor’s visit and their mortgage. I will fight to expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to thousands of working families and keep our local hospitals open. Furthermore, I will always stand up for reproductive freedom; medical decisions belong to patients and their doctors, not the government.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about Education, Healthcare, and Workers' Rights.

As a teacher, I am a fierce advocate for fully funding public schools and stopping tax dollars from being diverted to private vouchers. We must respect our educators with fair pay and ensure every child has the resources to succeed.

In healthcare, I’m committed to expanding Medicaid to cover working families and protect our local hospitals. I will also always defend reproductive freedom; medical choices belong to patients and doctors, not the government.

Finally, I’m passionate about an economy that works for the working class. This means protecting the right to unionize, providing property tax relief, and permanently ending the state sales tax on groceries.

Kansas House of Representatives

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Eli Woody is a former teacher, currently working for an educational nonprofit which gets middle school and high school students involved in competitive speech and debate. Eli grew up in a working-class household in Northeast Kansas, often spending time in the local Boys and Girls Club where his father, Elgin, was the Executive Director. The Woody family has a decades-long history of public service in Northeast Kansas. Eli and his wife, Amy, live in Kansas City, KS with their son, Theo and two dogs, Luna and Tonks.

Eli is running for the Kansas House of Representatives after seeing many obstacles keeping his students from learning in the classroom. Issues like a lack of access to healthcare, transportation, affordable food and housing impacted the ability of Eli’s students to learn. After hitting these obstacles frequently, Eli decided it was time to get to a place where he could do something about them, rather than just respond to them. These issues are policy issues that affect adults and youth alike in Kansas and across the nation. And they are the driving forces of Eli Woody’s campaign. Kansas voted in 2022 to protect women’s reproductive freedom; this issue is personal to Eli and Amy Woody, in their difficult journey to become parents. Eli is committed to protecting women’s reproductive rights.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Eli is committed to protecting women's reproductive freedom. Almost 70% of this Statehouse district voted in 2022 to keep the government from making women's reproductive care decisions. Eli will fight legislation that infringes upon this freedom and will fight for legislation that protects it and keeps government out of medical offices.Eli is committed to fighting to give all Kansans a sense of financial peace. The cost of groceries, gas, healthcare, and housing continues to go up while wages haven't been able to keep up. No one should be forced to choose between paying a healthcare bill and paying for housing. Kansans deserve to be payed fair wages and work in fair working conditions. The hardest working Kansans should be the ones who benefit the most. It is time to rebuild the middle class, instead of helping the wealthy get wealthier.Eli is committed to fighting for affordable and accessible healthcare. Healthcare is the number one cause of bankruptcy in this country. Eli believes that is a gross failure on the part of representatives at both the national and state level. In Kansas, we need to expand Medicaid, as a start. After that, we must do whatever we can to help Kansans who work in healthcare and their patients. Working class Kansans deserve to live healthy and happy lives. But the current state of healthcare affordability makes that nearly impossible for many.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, Healthcare, and Workers' Rights.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Being genuine, honest, transparent, empathetic, and persistent.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm empathetic, patient, and persistent. As a teacher, I fought for tools, resources, and adaptations that fit my students' specific needs. Even if something does not personally impact me, I am happy to listen, learn, then advocate for the solution that is needed. For example, I am not diabetic. But the cost of insulin has skyrocketed over the past few years, and I will gladly fight for legislation that would make insulin more affordable and accessible.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core task of a representative is to listen to the people of the district, hear what concerns are on their shoulders, then go fight for solutions to those concerns, in the Statehouse. The job is to fight for people, not special interest groups or to simply uphold party politics.

What committees interest you?

Education

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The more transparency and accountability, the better. Democracy dies in darkness. As representatives, we should operate in the light.

U.S. Congress

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Hi, I'm Eli Woody (Elgin Woody IV). I was born and raised in Topeka by two parents who chose careers in community service. One worked for the State of Kansas and the other for the Boys and Girls Club of Topeka. Personally, I worked as a teacher for seven school years; and while I am no longer in the classroom, I'm still in Education now, working for an educational nonprofit.

This area and this community means a lot to me! Kansas is special and Kansans are special. Our community is the heartbeat of everything-- from the churches, schools, and sporting events we attend to the people in our neighborhood. And while it may not look like it now, that community should drive what our elected officials do for us. We can make that happen! I'd love to help make that happen with you.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Politics shouldn't just be a game for the rich and powerful; it is a system that should work for all of us, especially those in most need.The voices of the community should be prioritized over the special interests and profits of corporations.Kansans and other Americans are struggling financially. We need more elected officials who have personally felt that struggle, so they know exactly where to start on solutions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Financial peace, Education, Corruption, Healthcare, Reproductive Rights, Responsible Gun Ownership, Democracy, Energy & The Environment, Civil Rights & Equality, Housing.