Milwaukee County Supervisor Deanna Alexander plans to run for state Legislature

Newly re-elected Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Deanna Alexander has announced plans to run for a seat in the state Assembly as an independent.

Alexander will seek the District 12 seat, which includes northwestern Milwaukee County as well parts of Wauwatosa and Brown Deer.

Alexander was previously a member of the Republican Party but "will proudly run as an Independent, guided by the principle of prioritizing people over politics," according to a statement from her campaign.

Alexander served on the County Board between 2012 and 2018 and returned in 2022, serving the board's District 18 seat on the northwest side. Board seats are two-year terms. She also is the hired clerk for the Town of Brookfield. She previously worked as the village administrator, clerk and treasurer for the Village of Newburg as a choice school auditor and served in the military through the Wisconsin Army National Guard.

"Should the voters select me as their next State Representative, I will make decisions that balance their will, my ability to meet the needs of the posts I am selected for, and ensuring my constituents do not end up going without representation if it can be provided," Alexander wrote in a email to the Journal Sentinel. "Thus, it is likely that I would continue to serve on the County Board at least to fulfill the remainder of the current term that the voters elected me to this spring, although I remain versatile and would not make any final decisions until after the November election."

The seat is currently held by Rep. LaKeshia Myers, who announced her run for the Milwaukee state Senate district vacated by former Sen. Lena Taylor when she was sworn in as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge in late January.

Former County Board Supervisor Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr. has also thrown his hat into the race, after announcing his run last week. He will run as a Democrat.

"I believe in investing in fully investing in Milwaukee Public Schools, providing our children with the resources they need to succeed," Goodwin said in his campaign video. "I'm committed to improving public safety, attacking reckless driving and creating safer neighborhoods for all residents who are facing these challenges."

This would not be the first time Alexander and Goodwin challenged one another.

In the lead-up to the April 2022 County Board election, Goodwin, the then-incumbent District 18 supervisor, failed to secure enough signatures to get on the ballot, after falling six short of the required 200. With the open seat, eight candidates registered as write-ins, including Goodwin and his then-predecessor Alexander.

Alexander is the second county supervisor who has announced a run for the state Legislature.

Supervisor Sequanna Taylor announced she would seek the District 11 Assembly seat late last month. That seat is currently held by Rep. Dora Drake, who also announced a bid for the state Senate seat previously held by Taylor.

The partisan primary for the District 12 seat will take place on Aug. 13, with the general election on Nov. 5.

Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @Vanessa_Swales.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County Supervisor Deanna Alexander running for Legislature