Meet the 12th Assembly District candidates in the Democratic primary in Tuesday's election

Four candidates are running in the Democratic primary for the 12th Assembly District seat of the state Legislature in the Aug. 13 primary election.

Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr., Decorah Gordon, Katrina Blossom Morrison and Brandon Williford are running in the primary. The winner will take on independent Deanna Alexander in the Nov. 5 general election. There's no Republican candidate in the race.

Incumbent representative LaKeshia Myers is running for the 4th Senate District seat.

The 12th Assembly District includes the northwest corner of Milwaukee.

See the new state Assembly districts

This map shows Wisconsin state Assembly districts under the previous 2022 map on the left, and the new 2024 map on the right. Each district is colored according to whether itleans Democrat, leans Republican, or is acompetitive district (within 5%).

Old maps (2022)

New maps (2024)

Note: The partisan lean of districts is calculated based on voting data from national and local elections from 2016 to 2022. Districts with less than 5% difference in Republican and Democratic votes are considered competitive districts.

Map by Andrew Hahn and Eva Wen / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The candidates share common views on advocating for more funding to public schools, particularly Milwaukee's public school district; closing the homeownership gap within marginalized communities; and supporting more affordable health care.

Here's what to know about them:

Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr.

Residence: Milwaukee

Political experience: Former Milwaukee County supervisor who served as chairman of the Transportation, Public Works, and Transit Committee.

Community involvement: Peer educator and mediator in Milwaukee schools as a former member of the Teen Health Crew, where he spearheaded initiatives to combat teen pregnancy and provide school supplies.

Occupation: Pastor

Policies: Goodwin's campaign website said he'll prioritize transparent policing to create safe neighborhoods and tackle reckless driving. He wants to address potholes and improve road safety infrastructure by enacting proactive measures to repair and prevent potholes. He also wants to revitalize the Northridge Mall area by creating a new outdoor mall. Bringing family- and wage-sustaining jobs to Milwaukee and more financial management and educational resources is also on his list of priorities. Goodwin advocated for fair property taxes and the implementation of strategies outlined in the Collective Affordable Housing Strategic Plan.

Decorah Gordon

Residence: Milwaukee

Political experience: None

Community involvement: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2150 union member and executive board member, secretary and chairwoman for Civil Rights at Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Big Step member.

Occupation: Director at large with My Way Out, an organization that helps "justice-impacted" families get opportunities, support and structure.

Policies: According to her campaign website, housing should be affordable, no one should be without medical coverage, mental health needs to become a priority and retirees and veterans should be able to live with dignity and respect. If elected, "women would not be up for discussion" and "our vote would not be suppressed," according to her website. She's pro-union and an IBEW Local Union member.

Katrina Blossom Morrison

Residence: Milwaukee

Political experience: Staffer for former Assembly minority leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh).

Community involvement: Served as Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health's health equity director and worked in policy and outreach at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Occupation: Full-time University of Wisconsin Law School student

Policies: On her campaign website, Morrison supports funding to improve resources for teachers and students, and better infrastructure within public schools. She wants to improve access to and affordability of health care and improve mental health care treatments by providing state funding to hospitals and mental health facilities. She supports criminal justice reform and the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and is against truth-in-sentencing laws. She wants to close the homeownership gap in marginalized communities by working with banks to ensure fair rates on home loans.

Brandon Williford

Residence: Milwaukee

Political experience: None

Community involvement: President and founder of Students of Color in Academic Life (S.O.C.I.A.L.)

Occupation: Statewide health care policy organizer for Citizen Action of Wisconsin

Policies: On his campaign website, Williford supports increasing access to affordable health care. He also aims to invest in the environment by supporting climate infrastructure and green jobs, and wants to improve our school system by properly funding education. He also want to increase access to jobs by investing in reliable public transportation.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Meet 12th Assembly District candidates in Democratic primary election