[1][2] Woodward lost her bid for reelection in 2023 and was succeeded by former Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown.

[7][8] On August 20, 2023, during her reelection campaign and after the primary election for the 2023 Spokane mayoral election, Woodward appeared on stage alongside Sean Feucht and former state representative Matt Shea at a Christian nationalist prayer event[9] hosted at The Podium in downtown Spokane, which was part of Feucht's national tour of the United States.

[14] The fallout from Woodward's appearance at the event led to calls for her resignation[14] and a push for censure from members of the Spokane City Council.

Woodward stated she attended the event to pray for those affected by wildfires like the Oregon Road and Gray Fire which had been burning around Spokane County at the time.

[17] On July 19, 2024, Woodward filed a lawsuit against the city of Spokane seeking upwards of $1.4 million in damages, claiming that the Spokane City Council interfered in the 2023 mayoral election and violated her right to free speech by passing a resolution condemning her for her appearance on stage with Feucht and Shea.