Marcus Goodwin, a 30-year-old real estate developer, just joined a slew of other candidates running to fill David Grosso’s at-large seat on the D.C. Council.

Goodwin faces eight other independent candidates vying for the at-large vacancy after Grosso announced he would not be running for a third term. Democratic incumbent At-large Councilmember Robert White is facing one registered opponent in the Democratic primary, Tyrone Carmichael (another competitor, Keith Silver, is expected to register to run soon). White is widely expected to win another term, making the race for Grosso’s open chair on the dais the most competitive at-large contest this election cycle.

Despite running as an independent, Goodwin was elected president of the D.C. young Democrats last year, a position he just resigned from in order to run. Currently a director with Neighborhood Development Company, the real estate company responsible for the Benning Market grocery store project in River Terrace, Goodwin made his political debut in 2018, when he ran to unseat democratic At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds. He finished third, but says his 2018 campaign provided him with both personal and professional growth that put him in a strong position this go-around.  

“I derived a lot of positive value from that experience and a lot of genuine organic support,” Goodwin says. “I had no institutions or organizations backing my campaign, it was purely people-driven. That helped me build a strong community of individuals who were really passionate about our mission.”

Born in Brookland and raised in Columbia Heights, Goodwin returned to the District after completing a bachelor’s degree in urban studies at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in real estate development from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. He worked in investment banking for two years in New York before moving back to D.C.

“Really I think my purpose is here,” Goodwin says. “I love being here, working on improving communities. That’s what all of the work I do in commercial real estate is focused on.”

Goodwin says his work with commercial real estate development gives him a perspective that others currently on the council don’t have access to.

“I think the only way to address an issue is to be as educated as possible about it, and take as much perspective about it as possible,” Goodwin says. “I’m uniquely situated to have intimate knowledge of the process from both the public and private side, that gives me the capability to effectively know how to build public-private partnerships.”

If elected, Goodwin says he would prioritize addressing the rising crime and violent crime rate in the District—2019 marked the highest number of homicides in the city in more than a decade.

Other issues he hopes to focus on include job training and economic development. Goodwin emphasizes the importance of keeping well-paying jobs in the District, and wants to work on creating affordable housing for both renters and homeowners.

However, he says the concrete details of his proposed bills and plans will be released as his campaign continues.

“I’m not digging into policy yet. It’s something I plan to roll out as we go along in the campaign,” Goodwin says. “Sometimes when you say it, it gets passed and it becomes irrelevant. I would like the issues to be solved, but sometimes it’ll be a superficial band-aid over a much deeper wound.”

If Goodwin can secure a victory, he is poised to join a changing council in the absence of Grosso and the resignation of Jack Evans, who sat on the D.C. Council as long as Goodwin has been alive. Among some of Goodwin’s challengers are Christina Henderson, a former Grosso staff member and Grosso’s pick for his successor, and State Board of Education Vice President Markus Batchelor. Also in the race are Anthony Dale, Chander Jayaraman, Eric Rogers, Franklin Garcia, Jeanné Lewis, and Mario Cristaldo.

The D.C. primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2020, and the general election is set for November 3. There are other elections happening in Ward 2, Ward 4, Ward 7, and Ward 8.

This story has been updated with the correct name for Benning Market.