Alfeia “Alfe” Goodwin serves in the Army Reserves and spent a tour of duty in Iraq. She was a Philadelphia police officer. Now, she teaches special education students in the City of Chester. And she is the endorsed Republican candidate for Congress in the 5th District.
“Alfe will provide Delaware County with a commonsense voice in D.C., not the elitist persona we’ve been dealt,” said Delaware County GOP Chairman Frank Agovino. “Our current congresswoman places a woke platform ahead of support for law enforcement and kitchen table issues. Alfe is a mom, grandmother, former Philadelphia police officer, and a veteran. Alfe’s views are shaped by her real-life experiences in Philadelphia and Upper Darby neighborhoods. Alfe is a fighter. She is one of us.”
The DVJournal asked Goodwin, 53, why she wants to serve in Congress.
“I have spent the better part of my adult life in uniform and working as a public servant,” said Goodwin. “So, it was only fitting that I just go and take things up to the next level and continue my life’s mission, being a public servant. And working for the public for the best of the public interest.”
Asked if she thinks incumbent Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware) is doing a poor job, Goodwin said, “I think she is.”
“A vote for Mary is a vote for Joe Biden. She’s part of the machine. MGS is a rubber stamp for four more years of the Biden administration,” said Goodwin. Goodwin said she’s happy to debate Scanlon anytime.
Goodwin has been in the Army Reserves for 23 years. She joined on Sept. 11, 2001, the day the U.S. was attacked by terrorists, bringing down the Twin Towers in New York and damaging the Pentagon. Some 3,000 people died that day, and more than 6,000 were injured.
Several family members served in the military, including her brother.
“I always heard about the Army growing up from my brother and uncles,” said Goodwin. She had contacted a recruiter on Sept. 10, 2001, and he was supposed to go to her house with the enlistment papers the next day, she said. He called first and asked if she still wanted to join, given the terrorist attack that would likely plunge the country into war, and she did.
“He was there at 2 p.m. and by 2:14 p.m. I signed,” said Goodwin.
She did her tour during Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2004. Her oldest brother, Sgt. First Class David DeVaughn Sr. , was in Iraq at the same time.
She was away on active duty when she learned she’d be able to take the test to be a Philadelphia police officer. The city allowed her to delay it until she returned stateside. Goodwin went to the Police Academy and then patrolled North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and Chinatown before she retired in February.
“I absolutely loved South Philly,” said Goodwin. “You can get anything to eat and at any time. It has the absolute best food.”
After leaving the police force, he then decided to run for Congress and began knocking on doors and getting signatures.
“I love the community engagement,” the Upper Darby resident said about running for office. “Talking to people about their lives, about their opinions, what’s going on with them.”
Also in 2022, she ran for state representative for Upper Darby on the Libertarian ticket. These campaigns were “a crash course in the political realm,” she said. “It was a great experience.”
As a police officer, she learned to listen, observe, and then solve problems.
“You can actually get to the root of the problem,” said Goodwin. “You can change a person’s life for the better.”
She holds a Ph.D. in public policy and administration from Walden University and a certificate in strategic planning from Walden. Goodwin, a military chaplain, earned a master’s degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary, as well as studying at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Goodwin is working on a doctorate in special education from Liberty University.
Goodwin has three adult children and a 4-year-old granddaughter.
She also founded a nonprofit, Follow Your Bliss, that owns a tiny home in Chester, where she plans to house a homeless veteran once the electricity is connected. There are around 70 homeless veterans in Chester, she said.
Asked how she’s managed to achieve all this, she admitted, “I’m very much a workaholic. As soon as I get one thing done, then I see and feel another area that needs my attention. And I know I can’t solve every problem, but with the help and support. And I’ve received a lot of help. I truly feel we can make our communities in Delco, in this country, a better place to live. We can.”
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