Barbara J. Goodwin (born January 25, 1949) is a

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

politician and former member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are h ...

. A member of the

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party. As of 2022, it controls four of Minnesota's eight U.S. House seats, both of its U.S. Senate seats, the Minnesota House of Repr ...

(DFL), she represented District 41, which included portions of Anoka, Hennepin, and Ramsey counties in the northern

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

metropolitan area.

Early life, education, and career

Goodwin attended North Hennepin Community College in

Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Brooklyn Park is a suburban city on the west bank of the Mississippi River, upstream from (north of) downtown Minneapolis in northern Hennepin County. It is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 86,478 at the ...

, then went on to

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

, receiving her

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four ye ...

with numerous honors in Sociology and Political Science. Goodwin served on the Columbia Heights School Board from November 2009 until becoming a member of the Senate, and has also served as an adjunct professor at the Hamline University Graduate School of Business in Saint Paul from 2008 until 2010, teaching legislative practice and government contracting.

Minnesota Legislature

On June 1, 2010, Goodwin filed as a DFL candidate for the

representing District 50. The district includes the cities of Arden Hills, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, New Brighton, Shoreview and St. Anthony and is divided between Anoka and Ramsey Counties. On June 28, 2010, the district committee voted to revoke the endorsement from embattled incumbent Senator

Satveer Chaudhary Satveer Singh Chaudhary (born June 12, 1969) is an American criminal and immigration lawyer. He is also a politician and a former member of the Minnesota State Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives serving from 1996 to 2010. During hi ...

and grant it to her. She defeated Chaudhary in the August 10, 2010, DFL Primary, garnering 70% of the vote to Chaudhary's 30%. She subsequently won the November 2, 2010, General Election, garnering 52% to Republican Gina Bauman's 41% and Independent Rae Hart Anderson's 6%. Goodwin retired in January of 2017. Goodwin was re-elected to District 41 in 2012, receiving 62.82% of the vote and defeating Republican candidate Gina Bauman. Goodwin previously served as a member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the Min ...

from 2001 to 2007. While in the House and Senate she specialized in state budget issues, consumer protections, homeowner construction and repair protections, jobs, education, health care and business and labor issues. She also supported expanded transit options. Her special legislative concerns in the House and Senate included jobs, budget, child, adult, and worker protections and rights, anti-bullying, judicial reforms, and physical and mental healthcare. While in the Senate, she served as Vice Chair of Judiciary Committee. Prior to running for election, Goodwin was Director of Legislative Central Staff and a Research Analyst in the MN House DFL for 10 years. In the 4 years between serving in the House and Senate, Goodwin was an adjunct instructor at Hamline Graduate School where she taught Legislative Practice and Government Contracting. She also served on the Columbia Heights School Board. Goodwin did not seek re-election to the MN Senate in 2016 and retired in Jan. 2017. She and Bill currently live in Minneapolis and AZ.

Personal

Goodwin lived in Columbia Heights from 1991 - 2020. She was born in NE Mpls. She has two adult children. Her son, Anthony David Goodwin is married to Katie Lucas. Her daughter is Heather Jo Bronder. She also has a grandson Liam David Bronder. Former spouse was David Goodwin married from 1970 to 2014. She married Bill Heaney, formerly of Duluth, in 2018.

References

External links

Project Votesmart Profile: Senator Barb Goodwin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, Barb Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Women state legislators in Minnesota Living people 1949 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians