MILWAUKEE — State Representative Russell Antonio Goodwin, Sr. won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 12th Assembly District, earning 53.9% of the vote and the Democratic nomination to continue representing Milwaukee, Brown Deer and Wauwatosa.

Goodwin prevailed in a hard-fought race despite being outraised by more than 4-to-1 through the pre-primary reporting period, facing additional outside spending and overcoming an attempt to remove him from the ballot.

Following the victory, Goodwin released the following statement:

“First of all, to God be the glory for the great things He has done. I am grateful to my parents, my family and my friends for their prayers, sacrifices, encouragement and unwavering support, to my spiritual mother for her prayers and encouragement, and to Bishop C.H. McClelland for his leadership, counsel and encouragement throughout this journey. I also want to thank the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee for its support, and my attorney for standing with us and successfully defending our place on the ballot.

“There is a quote from Rudy Tomjanovich that has stayed with me since childhood: ‘Never underestimate the heart of a champion.’ This campaign gave those words new meaning.

“We were challenged. We were outspent. We faced an attempt to knock us off the ballot and attacks designed to define me by something other than my record. But we made a decision to stay focused on the people, and the people made their voices heard.

“To the people of District 12, Milwaukee, Brown Deer and Wauwatosa, thank you! Thank you for trusting me, believing in this vision and standing with us. This victory belongs to you.

“Whether you voted for me or you didn’t, I am still your representative. I will continue fighting for every family, every neighborhood, every child, every senior and every voice in District 12.”

Goodwin also thanks the broad coalition of organizations and supporters who backed his reelection, including WEAC, the Wisconsin Realtors Association, Plumbers Local 75, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, IBEW, SEIU Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Police Association, NASW-Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association, along with community leaders, volunteers and residents throughout District 12.

“This was a hard-fought election, and it has only made me more determined to fight even harder for District 12, for our families, our children, our seniors and our neighborhoods,” Goodwin said. “The people have spoken. Now, we go back to work.”

Goodwin is completing his first term representing Wisconsin’s 12th Assembly District and now advances as the Democratic nominee.