Russell Antonio Goodwin, Jr. Wins Northwest Side Assembly Seat

Russell Antonio Goodwin. Photo courtesy of Goodwin.

Russell Antonio Goodwin, Sr. a pastor and former one-term Milwaukee County Supervisor won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly Tuesday, holding Assembly District 12 for Democrats.

Goodwin, Sr. defeated veteran Milwaukee County Supervisor Deanna Alexander, a conservative who ran as an independent. Before City of Milwaukee absentees were reported, Goodwin carried approximately 79% of the vote against Alexander’s 20%.

The district was formerly held by State Rep. LaKeshia Myers, who did not seek re-election in order to run unsuccessfully for the Wisconsin Senate.

The district was expected to go to a Democrat and the partisan primary attracted four candidates. Goodwin, Sr. narrowly won the primary.

Goodwin, Sr. first won election to public office in 2020 when he ran for county board supervisor. As an incumbent in 2022, he failed to gather enough enough signatures to appear on the ballot, creating an unusual race with seven candidates running write-in campaigns. Alexander won that election.

Alexander first ran for office in 2012, winning election to the county board. She opted not to run again in 2020 to honor a campaign promise that she would only serve for three terms. She currently represents the 18th District on the county board and works as the clerk for the Town of Brookfield.

This story will be updated as absentee votes are reported.