Wendy Gooditis

Gooditis is from Cranbury, New Jersey. She received her bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and her M.Ed. from Shenandoah University. Her professional experience includes working as a realtor and working in education.[1] Gooditis has been affiliated with Goose Creek Friends Meeting.[2]

Wendy Gooditis did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Wendy Gooditis did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was raised to work hard and serve others. I grew up in Cranbury, New Jersey with two older brothers. My father spent his childhood in rural Alabama during the Great Depression, where his family scraped and saved to buy milk for him as an infant. As an adult he rode in a commuter van over two hours each day to work, but still found time to teach me how to play the piano and work hard for what I believe in.

My mother and grandmother were public school teachers. In the 1930s, my grandmother pushed social limits to earn her graduate degree, and my mother followed suit. From them, I learned early the importance of education, perseverance, and working women.

In college, I applied my equestrian background to service. I worked as a student mounted marshal for the Rutgers Police, logging 30 hours a week with a full course load. After graduation, following in my family's tradition of strong, working women, I went on to lead a team of mid-career men at Bell Laboratories when I was 26 years old.

After I met Chris, my husband of 25 years, I made the move to Virginia. Following the birth of my children in the mid-1990s, I became enamored with education. I received my Masters in Education from Shenandoah University. During my career in education I taught in the Clarke County public school system, at an area private school, and partially homeschooled my children. As my kids entered college, I knew that I would need to help pay the tuition bills. I joined RE/MAX as a realtor in 2013, and have been there since.

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?

I will continue my efforts to expand affordable health care for every Virginian I will vote for more public school funding to give our children the future they deserveI will support infrastructure investments that curb traffic and cut commutes

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about health care, education, transportation, and the environment.

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

Members of the House of Delegates must care for their constituents before anything else. My job is to make sure everyone in my district has healthcare, housing, transportation, and a good education. As Delegate, my allegiance is to my constituents, not corporations or other campaign donors.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Shortly after announcing my candidacy for office in 2017, I lost my brother Brian to alcoholism and PTSD, conditions he struggled with for years after being sexually abused as a child. As his primary caretaker during the last years of his life, I navigated our healthcare systems to secure the case he needed. This taught me a huge amount about what people go through every single day in our community just to get the care they need.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

I believe over the next decade our Commonwealth will need to maintain and increase its investments in healthcare and public education in both good times and bad. While in power, Republicans have avoided spending on these critical services even in strong economic conditions. After members of my party won 15 seats in the House of Delegates in 2017, the House expanded Medicaid to cover nearly 400,000 more individuals with health insurance and passed the largest teacher raises in a decade. In my view, we need to find more revenue streams for these critical investments so that Virginia's students and medical patients can rely on the services they need going forward. I worry that should Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the 2019 elections, we may be faced with cuts to healthcare and education in Virginia.

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

I chose to sit on the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee (ACNR) because I care deeply about environmental protection and the future of our Commonwealth's natural resources. In the 10th House District, we are blessed with the open spaces still abundant in western Loudoun County as well as Clarke and Frederick Counties. These green spaces increase our quality of life and bring revenues in the form of agritourism. As a member of ACNR, I have voted to improve Virginia's stormwater management plans, its Chesapeake Bay water quality initiatives, and the sustainable practices of its farmers.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I am constantly inspired by the men and women who populate the 10th House of Delegates district. One constituent courageously came forward after her children were abused by a family friend to seek justice for other children throughout the Commonwealth. After sharing her story, this constituent advocated for changes to state law that would protect children like her own from becoming victims of abuse. I am impressed with her courage and her willingness to turn her family's pain into meaningful change for others.

Gooditis' campaign website highlighted the following issues:[7]

Education:As a career educator and mom of two, Wendy understands that our communities are only as strong as our schools are. She will fight to fully fund our public schools so that each child in Virginia can learn and succeed.The wage for Virginia public school teachers is about $7,000 under the national average. As both Wendy’s mom and grandmother were public school teachers, she understands firsthand the impact of underpaid educators. She knows that investing in Virginia's families means investing in Virginia's teachers. So she will support a living wage and benefits for public educators, so that Virginia can recruit and retain the nation’s top talent.Healthcare:Wendy believes that quality healthcare should be accessible and affordable for everyone. She knows how critical state support can be – Wendy and her family have healthcare due to the Affordable Care Act.Wendy will support the expansion of Medicaid, so that an estimated 400,000 Virginians don’t have to keep making the impossible choices between paying healthcare bills and other necessities. Wendy understands that universal healthcare is good for Virginia’s economy – through a healthy workforce and the creation of new jobs.About a week into her candidacy, Wendy lost her younger brother to mental illness. She's running so that Virginia families don't have to experience what hers did -- so that those who need mental health help are able to get it.Jobs and Economic Development:Wendy believes that our economy should work for everyone, and give each Virginian a fair shot. That means competitive public and technical education systems, a living minimum wage, and jobs for our veterans. It also means the protection of worker's rights, labor unions, and equal economic opportunity for all Virginians. It means our government's investment in public infrastructure so that we can can build better roads, bike lanes, and transit systems. Virginia's economy is developing quickly, and our government must take steps to ensure that our workforce is well trained and paid so that we can grow and compete.Redistricting and Voting Rights:Gerrymandering is the issue that first got Wendy out of her chair at a town hall back in February 2017. As a 19-year resident of the district, she has watched its lines be contorted and redrawn.Wendy believes that free and fair elections are tenets of our democracy, so she stands firmly against gerrymandering. She has pledged to support a constitutional amendment in Virginia to ensure that district lines are not drawn to favor any individual or political party. Further, she firmly opposes any effort to make voting harder -- and is appalled by Virginia House Republican efforts to require photo identification for absentee ballots and multiple forms of state identifications at the voting booth.Environment:Wendy believes that strong communities start with a healthy planet. Raising her children on the banks of the Shenandoah River, Wendy chose to live in District 10 because of its ample green spaces, clean water, and clear air. This year, she's running to protect them.She will defend and expand existing environmental regulations. To ensure that she can legislate without bias, Wendy has also pledged not to take campaign contributions from Dominion Power or Appalachian Power.Wendy will support Virginia's investment in renewable energy, making alternative energy options like solar panels and wind energy more accessible and affordable. Finally, she will push for cleanup efforts and the preservation of District 10's best green spaces. She believes that development must be responsible, and cannot come at the cost of our land, water, and air.

[8]