David Goins

David Goins (born July 26, 1960) is an American politician who was elected in 2021 as the first African American mayor of Alton, Illinois.

Biography Goins was born on July 26, 1960, the son of Mark and Opal Goins. His mother died in 1967 and his father died in 1971. He was raised thereafter by his grandparents. In 1978, he graduated from Alton High School where he was an all-star basketball player. In 1983, he graduated from the College of the Ozarks on a full basketball scholarship with a B.A. in English. After school, he worked as a detention officer and correctional officer at the Madison County Department of Court and Probation Services. In 1986, he joined the Alton Police Department reaching sergeant in 1999. He retired as a police office in 2010. On April 6, 2021, Goins was elected mayor of Alton defeating two-term Mayor Brant Walker 2,021-1,625 to become the first African-American mayor He was sworn in on May 12, 2021. Upon taking office, he faced 8.5% unemployment, the loss or closure of over 200 businesses due to COVID-19, and a budget shortfall fueled by underfunded public employees' pensions. In his first term, he reversed a $3.1 million deficit to a $2.1 million surplus, established a new business district that attracted major national retailers, and hired additional police officers and fully equipped the force with body-worn cameras.

Goins defeated Brant Walker and Raymond Strebel in the April 1, 2025 general election.

Personal life In 1985, he married Sheila Goins; they have three children. Since 2001, he has served as a pastor at the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Alton. In 2018, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.