Summary
LaKeshia N. Myers (born May 21, 1984)[1] is an American educator and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 12th Assembly district since 2019.[2]
LaKeshia Myers | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 12th district | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Fred Kessler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 21, 1984 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | Alcorn State University (BA) Strayer University (EdM) Argosy University (EdD) |
Early life and education edit
Myers was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from Rufus King High School in 2002. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alcorn State University in 2006 (from 2005 to 2006 she was National Membership Director of College Democrats of America), a Master of Education from Strayer University in 2009, and a doctor of education from Argosy University in 2016. In addition to working as Director of Education for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and a trainer of teachers at Milwaukee Public Schools, she has been a small business owner, a clerk for the United States House of Representatives, and a legislative aide for Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor.[3] She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Assembly race edit
In 2012, after a drastic redistricting by the Republican-controlled legislature removed his home from the 12th and changed the racial complexion completely,[4] Kessler (who had served in the Assembly on and off since 1961) faced a challenge in the Democratic primary from African-American newcomer Mario Hall, who was reported to be a school choice supporter with backing from pro-voucher organizations.[5] Kessler (who had to move into the redrawn district) won with 71% of the vote, and faced no challenger in the November general election. Kessler was re-elected without opposition in 2014 and 2016.
In 2018, Myers (who has been active in various African-American and other civic organizations) announced her candidacy, saying that she ran because "neglect and starvation" had hurt Wisconsin's educational system, advocating that fewer people be re-imprisoned for minor probation and parole violations, and denouncing what she calls the district's economic decline. Kessler has been a frequent critic of Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele on issues from privatization of Milwaukee public schools to the public subsidies which financed the Fiserv Forum; and the Leadership MKE political action fund (financed almost completely by Abele) reported spending over $57,000 in support of Myers' candidacy. In the primary she defeated the 78-year-old Kessler with 3,709 votes to his 2,545.[6][7] Afterwards, she told the Associated Press, "I think the district made their voices clear with, it's time for us to cash in on that seat by having someone, a person of color, represent us in this district." (She is the only African-American woman in the Assembly from the Milwaukee area, and one of only two statewide.)[8][9] She drew 17,428 votes in the general election, with only 274 write-in votes against her.[10]
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, August 14, 2018 | |||||
| Democratic | LaKeshia Myers | 3,709 | 58.78% | ||
| Democratic | Frederick P. Kessler (incumbent) | 2,545 | 40.33% | ||
| Scattering | 56 | 0.89% | |||
| Total votes | 6,310 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 6, 2018 | |||||
| Democratic | LaKeshia Myers | 17,428 | 98.45% | ||
| Scattering | 274 | 1.55% | |||
| Total votes | 17,702 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References edit
- ^ "Representative LaKeshia Myers". Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Beck, Molly; Johnson, Annysa; Bice, Dan (August 14, 2018). "Immigration attorney ousts Rep. Josh Zepnick following sexual misconduct allegations". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Official biography
- ^ "Map of new 12th District" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
- ^ Noth, Dominique Paul (August 1, 2012). "How Fred Kessler Gets Under GOP Skin". Milwaukee Labor Press. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ "Hijacking Campaign 2018 - Information on Leadership MKE". Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. October 16, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Wisconsin Elections Commission Official Results: 2018 Partisan Primary "Representative to the Assembly District 12 - Democratic" p. 111.
- ^ Moreno, Ivan; Richmond, Todd (August 15, 2018). "Educator upsets longtime Wisconsin state lawmaker". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (August 15, 2018). "All the Election Data You Want". urbanmilwaukee.com. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ WEC Canvass Reporting System: County by County Report: 2018 General Election "Representative to the Assembly District 1" Archived 2018-12-14 at the Wayback Machine p. 12.
- ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2019). "Election Results and Wisconsin Parties" (PDF). Wisconsin 2019-2020 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 609, 612. Retrieved March 10, 2020.